Spell (Old Testament)

The spell in the Old Testament (from cherem, glories. "Vow") is an Old Testament sacrifice to God, the concept of a spell is a form of Old Testament Orthopraxia .

It could exist in two forms: either its property transferred to God by a representative of the Jewish people, or the sacrifice of a people who are at war with the Kingdom of God. ^[1] In the second case, it was imposed by the prophet in whole or in part on military booty and meant the sacrifice of all or part of the booty to God. One of the first situations of a complete spell was a spell in the Holy Land of Jericho by Joshua . All living things were killed, everything that could burn was burned, buildings were destroyed, and all metal objects were sent to the temple.

Description of the sworn upon the capture of Jericho :

¹⁵ When the priests blew trumpets for the seventh time, Jesus said to the people: Exclaim, for the Lord has delivered the city to you! ^{16 the} city ​​will be under a spell, and all that is in it, to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot may she survive, she and everyone who is in her house; because she hid the messengers we sent; ¹⁷ but you beware of the sworn, so that you yourself won’t be subjected to the spell if you take something from the sworn, and so that you won’t cast a spell on the camp of the [sons] of Israel and cause him disaster; ¹⁸ And all the silver and gold, and the vessels of brass and iron, shall be holy to the Lord and enter the treasury of the Lord. ¹⁹ The people cried out, and blew trumpets. As soon as the people heard the voice of the trumpet, the people exclaimed in a loud voice, and the wall [of the city] collapsed to its foundation, and the people went into the city, each on its own side, and took the city. ²⁰ And they condemned all that was in the city, both husbands and wives, and young and old, and oxen, and sheep, and donkeys, [all having destroyed] with the sword.

- Nav. 6:15 - 6:20

A person who violated this injunction himself became a sworn, and, as a sworn, was subject to destruction with his whole family and his property ( Nav. 7:11 , also see Achan ). As long as the sworn was among the people of Israel, ( Nav. 7:11 - 7:13 ) God did not show the people good deeds and they were defeated. ^[2]