![]() ![]() From a passage in his Letters 5 we read:Īs a youth, even while I was hemmed in by the solitude of the desert, I could not bear the stimulation of the passions and nature’s ardor. Jerome’s own description of his initial motivation for undertaking the study of Hebrew is a bit surprising, perhaps even titillating, and, for our purposes, quite telling. He spoke often of the Veritas Hebraica-“Hebrew truth”-and earned for himself the epithet Doctor Maximus sacris Scripturis explanandis, “supreme doctor in interpretation of sacred scripture.” 4 His initial contribution to the study of Hebrew among Christians is not easily overstated. 3 Jerome indicates he gave himself over to the study of Hebrew unrelentingly. 2 Between AD 390 and 406 he produced the Vulgate, introductory prefaces to biblical books and explanatory notes on Hebrew, two works on Hebrew etymologies, and numerous other commentaries and treatises. Undoubtedly, the greatest name associated with early medieval Christian Hebrew studies is Eusebius Hieronymus Sophronius-St. The medieval Christian belief in the supernatural power of the Hebrew language itself led directly to the study of Kabbalah by Christians in the Renaissance and beyond. We find that while most medieval Christians eschewed the Jews, some believed that their traditional language, Hebrew, possessed special power to manipulate cosmic or supernatural forces to bring about desired personal results. This brief essay seeks to survey this aspect of the history of the Hebrew language. 1 One of the most fascinating aspects of medieval Christian Hebraism is the reputation Hebrew acquired as a preeminent language of magic in some circles. The study of the Hebrew language by Christians during the Middle Ages is a field yet to be fully explored. Peterson (Orem, UT: The Interpreter Foundation, 2017), 375–412. ![]() Skinner, “Medieval Christian Views of Hebrew as the Language of Magic,” in “To Seek the Law of the Lord”: Essays in Honor of John W. Original pagination and page numbers have necessarily changed, otherwise the reprint has the same content as the original. [ Editor’s Note: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article is reprinted here as a service to the LDS community. Andrew Skinner adroitly explores the material and theological history of this trajectory, showing how this contributed to the emergence of Christian Kabbalah in the sixteenth century. Complexities in the English Language of the Book of Mormon - 2015Ībstract: The view of Hebrew as a language of magic, for which precedents can be discerned in the Bible and in rabbinic tradition, spilled over into early and medieval Christianity.Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon.Robert Cundick: A Sacred Service of Music. ![]()
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