This article analyzes the transition from one etymology for Jerusalem (“city of peace”) to another (“vision of peace”) in the late fourth century and the effects of this transition on the Latin eschatological tradition. My thesis is that Augustine’s conscious preference for the etymology of “vision of peace” over that of “city of peace” is motivated by the greater usefulness of “vision of peace” within his already established eschatological system that links vision with beatitude. Augustine’s preference for “vision of peace” influenced the eschatological trajectory of the Latin patristic and medieval tradition.
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R.P.C. Hanson, “Interpretations of Hebrew Names in Origen,” Vigiliae Christianae 10 (1956) 103-123. Hanson demonstrates that Origen had access to etymological lists both in the Hebrew and Greek classes, some that were ordered according to Biblical book and verse, some alphabetically (see 107-119). Furthermore he argues that not only the Hebrew class etymologies but also the Greek class are more likely compiled by Jews than Christians (see 121-122).
Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 53.3 (ccl 61 130.1-2): Ipsa autem secundum hebraeam proprietatem interpretatio nominis adfert non exiguum nobis ad intellegendum profectum. Unless otherwise noted, all translations of ancient texts are my own.
Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 38.1 (ccl 38 401.7-9): nos autem audiamus quid interpretetur hoc nomen, et in ipsa interpretatione nominis quaeramus intellegentiam ueritatis.
Augustine, De doctrina christiana 2.11.16 (ccl 32 42.1-4; Hill 135-136): “The best remedy for ignorance of proper signs is the knowledge of languages; and in addition to the English and Latin languages, the people whom I have now undertaken to advise have need of the two other languages of the divine Scriptures, namely Hebrew and Greek” [Contra ignota signa propria magnum remedium est linguarum cognitio. Et latinae quidem linguae homines, quos nunc instruendos suscepimus, duabus aliis ad scripturarum diuinarum cognitionem opus habent, hebraea scilicet et graeca . . .]. The English translation is taken from E. Hill (trans.) Teaching Christianity (Hyde Park, ny: New City Press, 1996). “English,” though not found in the Latin, is added to this translation by Hill in his effort to make Augustine’s text resonate with the English speaker.
Augustine, De doctrina christiana 2.15.23 (ccl 32 48.7-49.19; Hill 141): Sic etiam multa, quae ab auctoribus eorundem librorum interpretata non sunt, nomina hebraea non est dubitandum habere non paruam uim atque adiutorium ad soluenda aenigmata scripturarum, si quis ea possit interpretari. Quod nonnulli eiusdem linguae periti uiri non sane paruum beneficium posteris contulerunt, qui separata de scripturis eadem omnia uerba interpretati sunt; et quid sit Adam, quid Eua, quid Abraham, quid Moyses; siue etiam locorum nomina, quid sit Hierusalem uel Sion uel Hiericho uel Sina uel Libanus uel Iordanis et quaecumque alia in illa lingua nobis sunt incognita nomina, quibus apertis et interpretatis multae in scripturis figuratae locutiones manifestantur. See also Augustine, De ciuitate dei 16.28 (ccl 48 532.1-533.17).
See Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 132.6 (ccl 61b 136.8-10).
See Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 60.8 (ccl 39 770.30-31).
See Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 82.7 (ccl 39 1143.21).
Ambrose, De fuga saeculi 5.6.31 (csel 32.2 188.18-22): Et dominus dicit: Tunc qui in Iudaea sunt fugiant [Matt 24:16] in montes, ubi mons Sion et ciuitas pacis Hierusalem non terrenis, sed uiuis constructa lapidibus et decem milia angelorum, primitiuorum ecclesia, perfectorum spiritus, iustorum deus, qui in sanguine suo melius locutus est quam Abel. It must be noted that Ambrose does not present his use of ciuitas pacis non terrenis as an etymology of Jerusalem.
Ambrosiaster, Commentarius ad Romanos 10.15 (ccl 81.1 354.6-7): Denique Hierusalem superior ciuitas pacis interpretatur, quae est mater nostra.
Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 52.18 (ccl 61 126.13-15): Haec caro et Sion et Hierusalem est, ciuitas nobis pacis et speculatorium nostrum; 3 times in 147.2 (ccl 61B 292.4-5): Hierusalem enim est ciuitas pacis; 147.2 (ccl 61b 292.5-8): et, quia domini nostri regnum in pace et unanimitate sanctorum est—et factus est, inquit, in pace locus eius [Ps 75:3]—, conuentus ille beatorum, qui dei regnum est, Hierusalem tamquam ciuitas pacis est dictus; 147.2 (ccl 61b 292.15-16): Sed ciuitas illa, quae Hierusalem est, quae propter unanimitatem ciuitas pacis est; 147.7 (ccl 61b 296.13): qui ipse Hierusalem et pacis est ciuitas.
Maximinus (dubium), Collectio Veronensis: De sollemnitatibus sermones xv, 10.6 (ccl 87 77.10-20): Ergo dicamus iste dies que(m) fecit d(omi)n(u)s exultemus et laetemur in eo hymnis psalmis canticis spiritalibus dicentes iterum cu(m) profheta factus est in pace locus eius et habitatio eius in Sion in illa Hierusalem caelesti quae dicitur ciuitas pacis habitatio eius in Sion in illa inuisibili sede ubi aeterno regi aeternae referuntur laudes.
Philo, De Somniis 2.250 (Loeb, vol. 5, ed. Colson and Whitaker, 554): ἡ δὲ θεοῦ πόλις ὑπὸ Ἑβραίων Ἱερουσαλὴμ καλεῖται, ἧς μεταληφθὲν τοὔνομα ὅρασίς ἐστιν εἰρήνης.
Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 1.5.29.4 (in O. Stählin and L. Früchtel [eds.] Clemens Alexandrinus 2, 3rd ed., gcs 15 [Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1960] 18.18-19): Ἱερουσαλὴμ δὲ «ὅρασις εἰρήνης» ἑρμηνεύεται.
Eusebius of Caesarea, Demonstratio euangelica 6.24.7 (in I.A. Heikel [ed.], Eusebius’ Werke 6, gcs 23 [Leipzig: Hinrichs, 1913] 293.24-25): Ἱερουσαλὴμ αὐτὴν ἀποκαλῶν («ὅρασιν» γὰρ «εἰρήνης» μεταληφθὲν τοὔνομα σημαίνει). See also Generalis elementaria introductio and Commentaria in Psalmos.
Didymus, Commentarius in Zacchariam 1.48 (sc 83 216.6-9): Ἐὰν οὖν ἡ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἡ τελεία καὶ πεφωτισμένη ψυχὴ λαμβάνοιτο εἰρηνικῶς καὶ εὐσταθῶς πάντα θεωροῦσα—μεταλαμβάνεται γὰρ εἰς τὸ «ὅρασις εἰρήνης»—πόλεις τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰσὶν αἱ ὑποδεέστεραι ψυχαὶ τῷ ἔτι προκόπτειν.
Apponius, In Canticum canticorum expositio 8.6.65 (ccl 19 209.971-972): Decor autem in amore pacis monstratur, eo quod Hierusalem “uisio pacis” interpretetur.
Hilary, In Matthaeum 4.12 (sc 254 130.3-9): Ciuitatem carnem quam adsumpserat nuncupat, quia, ut ciuitas ex uarietate ac multitudine consistit habitantium, ita in eo per naturam suscepti corporis quaedam uniuersi generis humani congregatio continetur. Atque ita et ille ex nostra in se congregatione fit ciuitas et nos per consortium carnis suae sumus ciuitatis habitatio. Page and line number follow J. Doignon (ed.) Sur Matthieu, 2 vols., sc 254 (ch. 1-13) and 258 (ch. 14-33), (Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1978-1979).
Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 68.31 (ccl 61 316.7-12): Sion enim, licet colliculus templo, quod in Hierusalem fuit, iunctus sit, tamen secundum interpretationem ex hebraeo in latinum graecumque sermonem speculatio dicitur. In hoc ergo corpore Domini, quo resurrexit ex mortuis, quo a dextris uirtutis consedit, quo in gloria Dei patris est, spem nostram uitamque speculamur.
Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 64.2 (ccl 61 221.12-14): Sion mons quidem Hierusalem adiacens est; sed montem hunc eius que nomen atque etiam urbis ipsius ecclesiam, quae corpus est Christi, nuncupatam semper accepimus. . . .
Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 14.5 (ccl 61 84.10-19): Mons autem eius est illud quod ex homine corpus adsumpsit, in quo nunc habitat et sublimis et excelsus super omnem principatum et potestatem et omne nomen. Super hunc montem aedificata est ciuitas, quae non possit abscondi, quia, sicut ait apostolus, non est aliud fundamentum nisi Christus [1 Cor 3:11]. Ergo quia qui Christi sunt in Christi corpore ante constitutionem mundi electi sunt et ecclesia corpus est Christi et fundamentum aedificationis nostrae Christus est et ciuitas super montem aedificata, hic ille mons est, in quo quaeritur quis possit esse requiescens.
Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 136.11 (ccl 61b 178.17-179.22): Sed propheta Hierusalem sibi initium laetitiae praeponit . . . quod in Hierusalem receptus immortalis ex mortali erit, quod angelorum frequentium coetu admiscebitur, quod in regno domini recipietur, quod conformis gloriae ipsius fiet.
Hilary, Tractatus super Psalmos 147.2 (ccl 61b 292.4-8): Hierusalem enim est ciuitas pacis, et, quia Domini nostri regnum in pace et unanimitate sanctorum est . . . conuentus ille beatorum, qui Dei regnum est, Hierusalem tamquam ciuitas pacis est dictus.
Augustine, De Genesi contra Manichaeos 2.13 (csel 91 134.14-22): sicut Hierusalem, quamuis sit uisibilis et terrenus locus, significat tamen ciuitatem pacis spiritualiter et Sion, quamuis sit mons in terra, speculationem tamen significat, et hoc nomen in scripturarum allegoriis ad spiritualia intelligenda saepe transfertur: et ille qui descendebat ab Hierusalem in Hiericho, sicut dominus dicit, et in uia uulneratus, saucius et semiuiuus relictus est a latronibus, utique locos istos terrarum, quamuis secundum historiam in terra inueniantur, spiritualiter cogit intelligi. Though Augustine’s interpretation of Jerusalem as a metaphor for the protological state of original innocence in the parable of the Good Samaritan follows a trajectory that can be traced back through Ambrose to Origen, Augustine is the first to introduce the etymology of Jerusalem (as “city of peace”) into the discussion. See Origen, In Euangelium Lucam 34 (according to the translation of Jerome, pl 26 316b-317b); Ambrose, Expositio Euangelii secundum Lucam 7.73 (ccl 14 238.735-739).
Augustine, Quaestiones Euangeliorum 2.19 (ccl 44b 62.2-4): Homo quidam descendebat ab Hierusalem in Hiericho, ipse Adam intellegitur in genere humano; Hierusalem ciuitas pacis illa caelestis, a cuius beatitudine lapsus est.
Augustine, Soliloquiorum libri duo 1.6.13 (csel 89 21.10-13, 18-22): Aspectus animae, ratio est. Sed quia non sequitur ut omnis qui aspicit uideat, aspectus rectus atque perfectus, id est quem uisio sequitur, uirtus uocatur; est enim uirtus uel recta uel perfecta ratio. . . . Iam aspectum sequitur ipsa uisio dei, qui est finis aspectus; non quod iam non sit, sed quod nihil amplius habeat quo se intendat. Et haec est uere perfecta uirtus, ratio perueniens ad finem suum, quam beata uita consequitur.
Augustine, Enarratio in Psalmum 9.12 (ccl 38 64.1-12; Boulding 147): Psallite domino, qui habitat in Sion; his dicitur, quos non derelinquit quaerentes se Dominus. Ipse habitat in Sion, quod interpretatur speculatio, et gestat imaginem ecclesiae quae nunc est; sicut Ierusalem gestat imaginem ecclesiae quae futura est, id est ciuitatis sanctorum iam angelica uita fruentium, quia Ierusalem interpretatur uisio pacis. Praecedit autem speculatio uisionem, sicut ista ecclesia praecedit eam quae promittitur, ciuitatem immortalem et aeternam. Sed praecedit tempore, non dignitate, quia honorabilius est quo peruenire nitimur, quam id quod agimus, ut peruenire mereamur; agimus autem speculationem, ut perueniamus ad uisionem. English translation taken from M. Boulding (trans.) St. Augustine: Exposition of the Psalms 1-32 (Hyde Park, ny: New City Press, 2000).
In Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 148.4 (ccl 40 2168-2169) and 145.20 (ccl 40 2120-2121). See van Oort, Jerusalem and Babylon, 118.
See van Oort, Jerusalem and Babylon, 115. Also see the relevant entries in the Augustinus-Lexikon (C. Mayer [ed.] [Basel/Stuttgart: Schwabe, 1986-]. For Augustine’s use of Babylon (almost always in opposition to Jerusalem) to signify evil, see E. Lamirande, “Babylon,” vol. 1, 566-569.
As in Augustine, De ciuitate dei 14.1 (ccl 47 414.17-18): quas ciuitates duas secundum scripturas nostras merito appellare possemus. See also van Oort, Jerusalem and Babylon, 117.
See Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 9.12 (ccl 38 64) and 134.26 (ccl 40 1956-1957).
See van Oort, Jerusalem and Babylon, 121-122; Lauras and Rondet, “La thème des deux cités,” 118 no. 48.
Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 64.3 (ccl 39 825.3-4): Sicut Ierusalem interpretatur Visio pacis, ita Sion Speculatio, id est uisio et contemplatio.
Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 26.2.18 (ccl 38 164.26-165.27): cognouimus aliam matrem, Ierusalem caelestem, quae est sancta ecclesia . . .
Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 9.12 (ccl 38 64.4-6): . . . Ierusalem gestat imaginem ecclesiae quae futura est, id est ciuitatis sanctorum iam angelica uita fruentium, quia Ierusalem interpretatur uisio pacis.
Augustine, Enarrationes in Psalmos 134.26 (ccl 40 1956.8-1957.16; Boulding, 212): Finita uia habitabimus in illa ciuitate, quae numquam ruitura est; quia et dominus habitat in ea, et custodit eam: quae est uisio pacis aeterna ierusalem . . . et uacabimus ad uidendum deum in pace aeterna, ciues ierusalem facti ciuitatis dei.
M. Barnes, “The Invisible Christ and Invisible Trinity: Mt. 5:8 in Augustine’s Trinitarian Theology of 400,” Modern Theology 19 (2003) 329-355 at 350 no. 24.
Augustine, De ciuitate dei 15.8 (ccl 48 464.66-67): . . . ciuitas, quae nihil est aliud quam hominum multitudo aliquo societatis uinculo conligata.
Augustine, De Genesi contra Manichaeos 2.13 (csel 91 134.14-15): sicut Hierusalem, quamuis sit uisibilis et terrenus locus, significat tamen ciuitatem pacis spiritualiter.
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This article analyzes the transition from one etymology for Jerusalem (“city of peace”) to another (“vision of peace”) in the late fourth century and the effects of this transition on the Latin eschatological tradition. My thesis is that Augustine’s conscious preference for the etymology of “vision of peace” over that of “city of peace” is motivated by the greater usefulness of “vision of peace” within his already established eschatological system that links vision with beatitude. Augustine’s preference for “vision of peace” influenced the eschatological trajectory of the Latin patristic and medieval tradition.
All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
---|---|---|---|
Abstract Views | 392 | 49 | 10 |
Full Text Views | 249 | 8 | 0 |
PDF Views & Downloads | 102 | 21 | 1 |