What does Herem mean in Hebrew?

What does Herem mean in Hebrew?

Herem or cherem (Hebrew: חרם, ḥērem), as used in the Tanakh, means something devoted to God, or under a ban, and sometimes refers to things or persons to be utterly destroyed.

What is herem in the Book of Joshua?

Joshua and his followers put to death men, women, children, and livestock by the “edge of the sword.” Biblical scholars refer to this process of systematic destruction, in which all those who oppose the Lord are laid to waste, as the herem.

What does harem mean in the Bible?

A harem may house a man’s wife or wives, their pre-pubescent male children, unmarried daughters, female domestic servants, and other unmarried female relatives. In harems of the past, concubines, which were enslaved women, were also housed in the harem.

What is the meaning of herem in the Bible?

The concept of herem in this verse specifically relates to the destruction of cities conquered during war. In other instances the Bible employs the concept of herem in a dramatically different way. There are various examples where the term designates something as “devoted to God.”

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Who is the best example of herem in history?

One of the best known instances of herem was the excommunication of Baruch de Spinoza. A philosopher born in Amsterdam in 1632 and raised with a Jewish education, Spinoza became influenced by the ideas of French rationalist philosopher Rene Descartes.

How does herem work in the Jewish community?

Herem required the Jewish community to cut off all ties to the person being excommunicated, and to refrain from conducting business and studying with them. A beit din (rabbinical court) had the power to impose herem, and could modify the severity of the punishment based on the person’s level of remorse.