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'''Mammon''' in the New Testament of the [[Bible]] is commonly thought to mean money, material wealth, or any entity that promises wealth, and is associated with the greedy pursuit of gain. The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke both quote [[Jesus Christ]] using the word in a phrase often rendered in English as "You cannot serve both [[Yahweh|God]] and mammon." | '''Mammon''' in the New Testament of the [[Bible]] is commonly thought to mean money, material wealth, or any entity that promises wealth, and is associated with the greedy pursuit of gain. The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke both quote [[Jesus Christ]] using the word in a phrase often rendered in English as "You cannot serve both [[Yahweh|God]] and mammon." | ||
In the Middle Ages, it was often personified and sometimes included in the [[hierarchy of Hell]]. Mammon in Hebrew (ממון) means "money" | In the Middle Ages, it was often personified and sometimes included in the [[hierarchy of Hell]]. Mammon in Hebrew (ממון) means "money." The word was adopted to modern Hebrew to mean wealth. | ||
==Biblical history== | ==Biblical history== | ||
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During the Middle Ages, Mammon was commonly personified as the demon of wealth and greed. Thus Peter Lombard (II, dist. 6) says, "Riches are called by the name of a devil, namely Mammon, for Mammon is the name of a devil, by which name riches are called according to the Syrian tongue." Piers Plowman also regards Mammon as a deity. Nicholas de Lyra, commenting on the passage in Luke, says: "Mammon est nomen daemonis" (Mammon is the name of a [[demon]]). | During the Middle Ages, Mammon was commonly personified as the demon of wealth and greed. Thus Peter Lombard (II, dist. 6) says, "Riches are called by the name of a devil, namely Mammon, for Mammon is the name of a devil, by which name riches are called according to the Syrian tongue." Piers Plowman also regards Mammon as a deity. Nicholas de Lyra, commenting on the passage in Luke, says: "Mammon est nomen daemonis" (Mammon is the name of a [[demon]]). | ||
Mammon is somewhat similar to the Greek god [[Pluto|Plutus]], and the Roman Dis Pater, in his description, and it is likely that he was at some point based on them; especially since Plutus appears in The Divine Comedy as a wolf-like demon of wealth, wolves having been associated with greed in the Middle Ages. Thomas Aquinas metaphorically described the sin of Avarice as "Mammon being carried up from Hell by a wolf, coming to inflame the human heart with Greed." | Mammon is somewhat similar to the Greek god [[Pluto|Plutus]], and the Roman god Dis Pater, in his description, and it is likely that he was at some point based on them; especially since Plutus appears in [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''The Divine Comedy'' as a wolf-like demon of wealth, wolves having been associated with greed in the Middle Ages. Thomas Aquinas metaphorically described the sin of Avarice as "Mammon being carried up from Hell by a wolf, coming to inflame the human heart with Greed." | ||
==Popular culture== | ==Popular culture== | ||
The common literary identification of the name with a god of covetousness or avarice likely stems from Spenser's ''The Faerie Queene'', where Mammon oversees a cave of worldly wealth. Milton's ''Paradise Lost'' describes a fallen angel who values earthly treasure over all other things. Later [[occult]] writings such as [[Jacques Collin de Plancy]]'s ''[[Dictionnaire Infernal]]'' describe Mammon as [[Hell]]'s ambassador to England. | The common literary identification of the name with a god of covetousness or avarice likely stems from Spenser's ''The [[Fairy|Faerie]] Queene'', where Mammon oversees a cave of worldly wealth. | ||
Milton's ''Paradise Lost'' describes a [[fallen angel]] who values earthly treasure over all other things. | |||
Later [[occult]] writings such as [[Jacques Collin de Plancy]]'s ''[[Dictionnaire Infernal]]'' describe Mammon as [[Hell]]'s ambassador to England. | |||
[[Category:Demons]] | [[Category:Demons]] | ||
[[Category:Deities]] | [[Category:Deities]] | ||