Moses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns
The aspects of the Old Testament figure of Moses highlighted in the charters of post-Nemanjić Serbia, or under the Lazarević and Branković dynasties (1371-1459), testify to a changed attitude towards Old Testament role models. While members of the Nemanjić house such as the archbishop Sava I and...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Institute for Balkan Studies SASA
2008-01-01
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Series: | Balcanica |
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Online Access: | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-7653/2008/0350-76530839069V.pdf |
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author | Vujošević Žarko |
author_facet | Vujošević Žarko |
author_sort | Vujošević Žarko |
collection | DOAJ |
description | The aspects of the Old Testament figure of Moses highlighted in the charters of post-Nemanjić Serbia, or under the Lazarević and Branković dynasties (1371-1459), testify to a changed attitude towards Old Testament role models. While members of the Nemanjić house such as the archbishop Sava I and the rulers Stefan of Dečani and Dušan look up to Moses as a "religious leader", a prayerful intercessor before God and a victorious warrior, all of that for the sake of the "chosen" people, the role he is assigned in the arengae of the charters issued by prince Lazar and despots Stefan Lazarević and Đurađ Branković is completely different. In the universal Christian context of the post-1371 arengae Moses figures as a "prophet" and the builder of the Tabernacle - a prefiguration of the Church, thereby epitomizing a major stage in the salvation history of humankind. The role of Moses, as well as that of David, the only other Old Testament figure still referred to in the charters of the period, has a universal ecclesiologically interpreted, significance. This new pattern of interpreting Moses implies that the ruler’s main virtue now becomes his concern for the "true faith" and the houses of God. The practice of the Nemanjićs as regards selection and interpretation of Old Testament themes is reestablished by the titular despots of the Branković dynasty. In their charters, the first part of the Bible with Moses as a popular leader reassumes a "national" character and becomes part of the ideological apparatus intended to posit the Serbs as a "New Israel". |
first_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:53:10Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-188fd4e4f7bf456f9bcd577d5cd325e8 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 0350-7653 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-13T07:53:10Z |
publishDate | 2008-01-01 |
publisher | Institute for Balkan Studies SASA |
record_format | Article |
series | Balcanica |
spelling | doaj.art-188fd4e4f7bf456f9bcd577d5cd325e82022-12-22T02:55:29ZengInstitute for Balkan Studies SASABalcanica0350-76532008-01-01200839697810.2298/BALC0839069VMoses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patternsVujošević ŽarkoThe aspects of the Old Testament figure of Moses highlighted in the charters of post-Nemanjić Serbia, or under the Lazarević and Branković dynasties (1371-1459), testify to a changed attitude towards Old Testament role models. While members of the Nemanjić house such as the archbishop Sava I and the rulers Stefan of Dečani and Dušan look up to Moses as a "religious leader", a prayerful intercessor before God and a victorious warrior, all of that for the sake of the "chosen" people, the role he is assigned in the arengae of the charters issued by prince Lazar and despots Stefan Lazarević and Đurađ Branković is completely different. In the universal Christian context of the post-1371 arengae Moses figures as a "prophet" and the builder of the Tabernacle - a prefiguration of the Church, thereby epitomizing a major stage in the salvation history of humankind. The role of Moses, as well as that of David, the only other Old Testament figure still referred to in the charters of the period, has a universal ecclesiologically interpreted, significance. This new pattern of interpreting Moses implies that the ruler’s main virtue now becomes his concern for the "true faith" and the houses of God. The practice of the Nemanjićs as regards selection and interpretation of Old Testament themes is reestablished by the titular despots of the Branković dynasty. In their charters, the first part of the Bible with Moses as a popular leader reassumes a "national" character and becomes part of the ideological apparatus intended to posit the Serbs as a "New Israel".http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-7653/2008/0350-76530839069V.pdfmedieval charterspost-Nemanjić SerbiaBranković and Lazarević dinastiespolitico-theological interpretationarengaeOld TestamentMosesnational leaderactor in salvation history |
spellingShingle | Vujošević Žarko Moses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns Balcanica medieval charters post-Nemanjić Serbia Branković and Lazarević dinasties politico-theological interpretation arengae Old Testament Moses national leader actor in salvation history |
title | Moses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns |
title_full | Moses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns |
title_fullStr | Moses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns |
title_full_unstemmed | Moses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns |
title_short | Moses as a role model in the Serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns |
title_sort | moses as a role model in the serbia charters after 1371 changing patterns |
topic | medieval charters post-Nemanjić Serbia Branković and Lazarević dinasties politico-theological interpretation arengae Old Testament Moses national leader actor in salvation history |
url | http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/img/doi/0350-7653/2008/0350-76530839069V.pdf |
work_keys_str_mv | AT vujoseviczarko mosesasarolemodelintheserbiachartersafter1371changingpatterns |