X-ing out your enemy

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(Give the photo a click or two to read the text.)

My word of the week for ABC Wednesday is  XENOPHOBIA.

(zěn'ə-fō'bē-ə, zē'nə-) Fear and contempt of strangers or foreign peoples.

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In ancient Egypt the custom was to inscribe on a figurine the name of your enemy and appropriate curses. 

Then in an ancient ritual the figurine was smashed and the curses were activated, in the belief that this would break the enemy's power.

One such clay figurine bears on its chest the name Rusulimum (Jerusalem) and names of other enemy Canaanite cities.

I myself almost "fainted" when I first saw this display at Jerusalem's Tower of David Museum!

What an idea! 

Talk about the power of words . . . Talk about hatred of foreign peoples . . . !

Can you imagine ever doing such a thing? 

(BTW, "thing" and "word" are both expressed in Hebrew by the word davar. In the old days, a word was not just a sound you heard. No. A word was a thing in itself, having its own existence, carrying power. And if you know a person's name, you have power over him; you call out his name and he stops and turns around.)

The clay figurine is a copy of the original, courtesy of the Royal Museum of Art and History, Brussels.

The execration (!) text is from Egypt, 19th to 18th century BCE.

execration
1382, from Latin execrationem, noun of action from execrari "to hate, curse," from ex- "out" + sacrare "to devote to holiness or to destruction, consecrate," from sacer "sacred"

1. the act of execrating
2. a curse or imprecation: "The execrations of the prophet terrified the sinful multitude."
3. the object execrated; a thing held in abomination

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See also "execration" in Jeremiah's strong words: Jer. 42:18:

18“For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and fury were poured out on Jerusalem’s residents,  so will My fury pour out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing, scorn,  execration, and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’ 19The LORD has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah: ‘Don’t go to Egypt.’ Know for certain that I have warned you today!

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Shalom, dear blog readers, and blessings be upon you.

 

(Linking to ABC Wednesday.)

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