Herem (war or property)

Herem or cherem (Hebrew: חרם, ḥērem), as used in the Tanakh, means something given over to the Lord, or under a ban, and sometimes refers to things or persons to be utterly destroyed. The term has been explained in different and sometimes conflicting ways by different scholars. It has been defined as "a mode of secluding, and rendering harmless, anything imperilling the religious life of the nation", or "the total destruction of the enemy and his goods at the conclusion of a campaign", or "uncompromising consecration of property and dedication of the property to God without possibility of recall or redemption". It is translated into Latin as devotio, a word used for human sacrifice, and into Greek as anathema, which was a sacrifice to the gods (and later to God).

For the same Hebrew word, when used to mean a form of excommunication, see Herem (censure). For the Kohanic gift, see Herem (priestly gift). For the related Arabic word, see Haram.

There is a related verb, heḥərîm (החרים), meaning "to treat as ḥērem", or "destroy utterly".

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