Etymology and Cognate Terms
The three terms herem (censure), excommunication, herem (war or property) the devotion of enemies by annihilation in the Tanakh, and herem (priestly gift) the devotion of property to a kohen, are all three variant English transliterations of the same Hebrew noun. This noun comes from the semitic root Ḥ-R-M.
There is also an identically spelled (homonym) Hebrew noun herem, fisherman's net, which appears 9 times in the masoretic text of the Tanakh but has no etymological connection to herem as devoted objects.
The Talmudic usage of herem, for excommunication, can be distinguished from the usage of herem described in the Tanakh in the time of Joshua and the early Hebrew monarchy, which was the practice of consecration by total annihilation at the command of Yahweh carried out against peoples such as the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the entire population of Jericho. The neglect of Saul to carry out such a command as delivered by Samuel resulted in the selection of David as his replacement.
Read more about this topic: Herem (censure)
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