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Office Of Readings | Week 10, Thursday, Ordinary Time | A Reading From The Homilies Of Origen On The Book Of Joshua | The Conquest Of Jericho
‘The conquest of Jericho.’
A Trumpet That Shakes The Walls
Origen’s homily on the conquest of Jericho is far more than a meditation on ancient Israelite warfare. For Origen, the fall of Jericho symbolizes the decisive triumph of Christ over the world, sin, and spiritual blindness. It is a drama of redemption, where the unlikely heroine, Rahab the prostitute, becomes the image of the Church: redeemed, cleansed, and united to Christ.
Jericho As The World | A City Set For Judgment
Origen follows a long tradition in interpreting Jericho not merely as a Canaanite city, but as a symbol of the fallen world—a place of moral compromise and spiritual darkness. In Scripture, Jericho is associated with:
- The traveler in the parable (Luke 10:30), who ‘goes down’ from Jerusalem to Jericho and falls among robbers—a type of Adam’s descent from grace to exile.
- The blind men healed in Jericho (Matt. 20:29-34), symbolizing humanity’s ignorance awaiting enlightenment.
In Origen’s vision, Jericho must fall, not through violence, but through the divine proclamation—trumpets that announce the coming judgment and the new creation.
The Trumpets | Heralds of the Eschaton
The priests march around Jericho not to intimidate, but to proclaim. The trumpet blasts are acts of faith, not war. For Origen, these trumpets anticipate the eschatological trumpet of St. Paul:
‘The trumpet will sound, and the dead in Christ will rise imperishable.’ (1 Cor. 15:52)
This connection elevates Jericho’s fall into a cosmic event. The collapse of the city walls prefigures the collapse of the old world—a world conquered not by arms, but by the Word and Spirit of God. The priests’ trumpets thus symbolize:
- The proclamation of the Gospel.
- The voice of the Church calling the world to repentance.
- The final trumpet of the Resurrection, when Christ will return and all things will be made new.
Rahab | From Sin To Sanctity
Rahab, once a prostitute, becomes the surprising heroine of this story. She welcomes the spies (Joshua 2), hides them, and is saved because of her faith and actions—a theme echoed in Hebrews 11:31 and James 2:25.
Origen sees Rahab as a symbol of the Church:
- Once sinful, now redeemed and espoused to Christ.
- She hides the Apostles as she once hid the spies—embracing the messengers of truth and becoming their advocate.
- She is the embodiment of Paul’s words:
‘Such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified.’ (1 Cor. 6:11)
Her conversion story becomes the pattern for the Church’s own identity: not composed of the perfect, but of those saved by mercy.
The Scarlet Cord | Blood Of Redemption
Rahab is told to hang a scarlet cord from her window as a sign of safety. For Origen, this cord is a direct symbol of the Blood of Christ—visible, red, and salvific. This sacramental imagery is rich:
- Like the Paschal blood on the doorposts in Exodus, it marks the household of the faithful.
- It parallels the sacraments of the Church—especially Baptism and the Eucharist—by which the faithful are joined to Christ and spared the coming judgment.
- The Church clings to Christ’s blood as Rahab clung to the cord.
The Church As The Redeemed Jericho
After Jericho’s fall, only Rahab and her household are saved. Origen concludes with an image of Rahab transformed—not only forgiven but now a chaste virgin, joined to her heavenly spouse, Christ. This recalls:
- Paul’s image: ‘I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ.’ (2 Cor. 11:2)
- The Church’s ongoing sanctification in Christ: ‘washed clean, sanctified, justified.’ (1 Cor. 6:11)
Her story is not just individual redemption but ecclesial transformation. Jericho—the fallen city—yields Rahab—the faithful Church. Thus, from sin comes salvation, and from a ruined city comes a new creation.
Contemporary Application | Walls Still Fall | Jesus Today
The conquest of Jericho is not merely history. For every Christian:
- Jericho still stands for the world’s pride, sin, and self-reliance.
- The trumpet still sounds—through the Church’s teaching and witness.
- Rahab still welcomes the Gospel with hospitality, trust, and courage.
- The scarlet cord still waves over the homes of the faithful—a sign of mercy and protection.
Origen’s homily invites us to:
- Listen for the trumpet of Christ’s voice in our lives.
- Let go of old identities and live as Rahab did—trusting in the promise.
- Embrace the sacraments as our scarlet cord of redemption.
Reflection | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
In Origen’s hands, the fall of Jericho is not a story of conquest, but of conversion. The world will not be overcome by violence, but by the Word proclaimed, by faith lived out, and by the blood of Christ poured out for all. Like Rahab, we are not defined by our past but redeemed for a future, made new in Jesus Christ, to whom belongs all glory and power forever. Amen.
A Reading From The Homilies Of Origen On The Book Of Joshua | The Conquest Of Jericho
Jericho is besieged and surrounded but has yet to fall. How is it to be conquered? Not with arrows or swords or battering-ram. Nothing is deployed but the priests’ trumpets, and the walls of Jericho crumble.
In Scripture we often find Jericho used as a symbol of the world. Even in the Gospel, when the traveller from Jerusalem to Jericho is set upon by robbers, is he not an image of Adam, thrown out of paradise into exile in this world? And again, those blind men who were in Jericho, when Jesus came to them to give them sight, are they not an example of those who live in this world, oppressed by the blindness of ignorance until the Son of God enlightens them?
And so this Jericho – this world – must fall. The consummation of this present age has long been prophesied by the sacred books.
How will this consummation come about? By what means? Scripture tells us, at the sound of the trumpet. What trumpet is that? Paul gives you the key to this secret. Listen to him: The trumpet will sound, and the dead who are in Christ will be raised, imperishable. At the trumpet of God, the voice of the archangel will call out the command and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Then, therefore, our Lord Jesus will come with trumpets to conquer Jericho and throw it down, so that out of all its people there will survive only the prostitute and her household. Our Lord Jesus will come down, come down with the sound of the trumpet.
May he save that one woman who gave succour to his spies, who received his Apostles in trust and obedience and hid them in her roof. May he take that prostitute and give her a share with the house of Israel. But let us not go over this story again and label her with the name of her past sin. She may have been a prostitute once but now she is a chaste virgin, joined to her chaste spouse, who is Christ. Listen to what St Paul says about her: I arranged for you to marry Christ so that I might give you away as a chaste virgin to this one husband. And he was still speaking of her when he said: There was a time when we too were ignorant, disobedient and misled and enslaved by different passions and luxuries.
Do you want to know more about how the prostitute ceased to be a prostitute? Listen again to Paul: These are the sort of people you were once, but now you have been washed clean, and sanctified, and justified through the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God. To enable her to escape the destruction of Jericho she received from the spies a powerful sign of safety, the scarlet rope. For it is through the blood of Christ that the whole Church is saved, in Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom belong glory and power throughout all the ages. Amen.
Glossary Of Christian Terms
Jericho – A city near the Jordan River. In this homily, Jericho symbolizes the fallen world destined for judgment and renewal in Christ.
Rahab – A Canaanite woman, formerly a prostitute, who sheltered Israelite spies (Joshua 2). In Christian tradition, she prefigures the Church—once sinful, now redeemed and joined to Christ.
Trumpets – Instruments sounded by priests in the siege of Jericho. Spiritually interpreted as the proclamation of the Gospel or the eschatological call at Christ’s return.
Scarlet cord – A red rope Rahab used to mark her home, ensuring her household’s safety during Jericho’s fall. It symbolizes the blood of Christ and the sign of salvation.
Typology – A method of biblical interpretation where events, persons, or institutions in the Old Testament prefigure those in the New Testament. Origen uses typology extensively in his homily.
Eschaton / Eschatological – Referring to the end of time and the final judgment. The fall of Jericho is interpreted by Origen as a foreshadowing of this cosmic event.
Sanctification – The process of becoming holy, purified from sin, and conformed to God. For Origen, Rahab’s transformation is a type of sanctification in the Church.
Catechumen – A person preparing for baptism in the early Church. Origen often addresses them in his homilies, using Old Testament stories to illustrate stages of conversion.
Mystagogy – The deepening of understanding after receiving the sacraments. Origen’s commentary functions mystagogically, interpreting Old Testament events in light of Christian mystery.
Prayer With Jesus
Lord Jesus Christ,
at the sound of Your voice the walls of the world fall,
and the strongholds of sin are shattered.
You come not with weapons, but with mercy,
not to destroy but to redeem.
Let the trumpet of Your Gospel sound in my heart.
Break down every wall I have built in pride, fear, or disobedience.
Make me like Rahab: open to Your messengers,
welcoming Your truth, and clinging to the sign of Your blood.
By Your scarlet cord, save me from the judgment of this world.
Wash me, sanctify me, and make me a pure dwelling for Your Spirit.
Let my past be left behind,
and my future be joined to You, my faithful and loving Spouse.
Come again in glory, O Lord,
and bring down every Jericho that opposes Your reign,
that Your Church may stand redeemed, radiant, and ready.
To You be all power, honor, and glory,
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
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