Eunuch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eunuch - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "- Religious Castration"

Apparently this was practiced in the early days of Christianity:

Religious castration

Castration as part of religious practice, and eunuchs occupying religious roles have been established prior to classical antiquity. Archaeological finds at Çatalhöyük in Anatolia indicate worship of a 'Magna Mater' figure, a forerunner of the Cybele goddess found in later Anatolia and other parts of the near East.[17] Later Roman followers of Cybele, were called Galli, who practiced ritual self-castration, known as sanguinaria.[17]

The practice of religious castration continued into the Christian era, with members of the early church castrating themselves for religious purposes,[18] although the extent and even the existence of this practice among Christians is subject to debate.[19] The early theologian Origen found scriptural justification for the practice in Matthew 19:12,[20]. where Jesus says, "For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can." (NRSV)

Tertullian, a 2nd century Church Father, described Jesus himself and Paul of Tarsus as spadones, which is translated as "eunuchs" in some contexts.[21] Quoting from the cited book:[21]"...Tertullian takes 'spado' to mean virgin...". The meaning of spado in late antiquity can be interpreted as a metaphor for celibacy, however Tertullian's specifically refers to St. Paul as being castrated.[21] (?? this seems to misquote the cited book. Quoting the reference directly: "...speaks of Paul as "castrated", a shockingly strong term if what Tertullian meant was a continent[22] lifestyle.")

Eunuch priests have served various goddesses from India for many centuries. Similar phenomena are exemplified by some modern Indian communities of the Hijra type, which are associated with a deity and with certain rituals and festivals – notably the devotees of Yellammadevi, or jogappas, who are not castrated[23] and the Ali of southern India, of whom at least some are.[24]

The 18th-century Russian Skoptzy (скопцы) sect was an example of a castration cult, where its members regarded castration as a way of renouncing the sins of the flesh.[25] Several members of the 20th century Heaven's Gate cult were found to have been castrated, apparently voluntarily and for the same reasons.[26]
[edit] Eunuchs in the Bible

Eunuchs are mentioned many times in the Bible. Although the Ancient Hebrews did not practice castration, eunuchs were common in other cultures featured in the Bible, such as Ancient Egypt, Babylonia, and Ancient Rome. Deuteronomy 23:1 specifically excluded men who had been castrated or suffered genital mutilation from Jewish congregations.

There is some confusion regarding eunuchs in Old Testament passages, since the Hebrew word for eunuch, saris (סריס), could also refer to other servants and officials who had not been castrated but served in similar capacities.[27][28] The Egyptian royal servant Potiphar is described as a saris in Genesis 39:1, although he was married and hence unlikely to have been a eunuch.

The reference to "eunuchs" in Matthew 19:12 has been considered by some Christians as referring to homosexual men, particularly in the case of those eunuchs "so born from their mother's womb".[29][30] Some other Christians oppose this argument and state that the Bible's use of the word "eunuch" refers strictly to men incapable of sexual intercourse or reproduction, through either birth defect or castration.[31][32]