Psalm 24 (23 in the Greek collection) is a Psalm deeply immersed in the religious world of ancient Israel. The Psalm represents a specific polemic against the pagan beliefs of her Canaanite, Phoenician, and Syrian neighbors. This Psalm mocks the pretensions of the demonic being whom they have chosen to worship directly and specifically. The means for understanding the context into which Psalm 24 was written and the beliefs against which it was directed lay buried in the sand in Lebanon for more than 3,000 years. Nevertheless, the original meaning of this Biblical text was maintained in the Orthodox Church until the present day through its liturgical usage. This text is, therefore, not only a prime example of the way…
In preparing his Latin translation of the scripture, St. Jerome translated the Greek word “diatheke” and the Hebrew word “berith” with the Latin “testamentum.” From the latter word, the English word “testament” is derived. The original Hebrew term, “berith,” refers most commonly to treaty documents, and in its usage in the Torah particularly refers to a particular type of treaty, that issued by a suzerain to a vassal at a king’s accession to the throne. This usage is in view in the New Testament in every instance of its usage but one. To convey this usage, the word is generally translated “covenant.” The translators of the Hebrew scriptures into Greek translated the word with the Greek “diatheke” which is likewise…
The principles of monasticism are deeply embedded within the scriptures. The call to monasticism is twofold. It represents a call to adhere strictly and without compromise to the commandments of God. It also represents a call to asceticism, to the sacrificing of material goods in this world in favor of spiritual goods in this world and the world to come. Ascetic practices are performed by figures throughout the scriptures, in the form of fasting and prayers and vigils. There are also, however, individuals called to whole lives of consistent asceticism, both as individuals for the benefit of their communities and communities as a whole. The first person whom we see receive a monastic calling, a calling received before his very…
Genesis 28:10-17 describes a vision which Jacob had in a dream at the place that became known as Bethel (v. 19). Throughout the patriarchal narratives in Genesis 12-50, altars are set up by the patriarchs at various places, not coincidentally at 12 sites within the later territory of the 12 tribes of Israel. These narratives regarding the patriarchs represent the collected traditions of the 12 tribes regarding their forefathers. Bethel would be a cultic site for centuries, notably one of the two sites of Jeroboam’s apostate religion in the Northern Kingdom. The legacy of Jacob’s dream, however, in Second Temple Judaism and Christianity was untethered from the place where it occurred, and refocused upon the symbolism of the vision itself. …
