Water does not bite and soap washes hands, ears and neck! Every preschooler knows this. From an early age, we are taught the principles of hygiene in line with the spirit of our times. St. Jerome would probably have had a heart attack if he heard about them.
The subject of the approach of Christians and Christianity to chastity deserves a considerable book, and in fact more than one such book has been written. Today we will deal with the views of only one figure:an outstanding ascetic, a holy Catholic Church, and at the same time a man who clearly did not like clean hands.
Saint Jerome (approx. 340-420), because of him, had quite specific views (looking from today's perspective). Living austerely himself, he advocated a similar attitude among all Christians, especially women. His views on the fair sex could be summarized in one sentence:a woman should walk dirty, disfigure her beauty, and in general it is best to die a virgin ...
To be "fit" according to Saint Jerome
Today it arouses considerable disgust, but in those days, St. Jerome was not alone in his views. They were shared by, among others, his friend, Paula Rzymianka, the abbess of the convent in Bethlehem. As a good mother instructed her nuns with the words: A clean body and dress hide an impure soul . But let's get back to our saint
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In the 21st century, women take care of themselves and want to be "fit". To this end, many of them become vegetarians or temporarily switch to a vegetable diet. In addition, they take cold baths, for example (it is said to help keep them young) and avoid alcohol. Jerome would be proud of them! Although… probably not entirely.
First, the matter of virginity. The famous ascetic was his ardent advocate. He believed that it is best to keep them as long as possible, and the greatest happiness would be the death of a woman, unspotted with physical love. In order to preserve virginity as long as possible, a woman should live peacefully from an early age, avoid strong sensations and follow a delicate diet (vegetables or herbs - delete as appropriate). Saint Jerome recognized two dependencies, that is, "wine =sex" and "hot bath =sex". Is that not an exaggeration?
Saint Jerome and Paula.
Dirt, virginity, sobriety…
In any case, both wine and hot baths were completely inadvisable for a virgin. The first made the blood warm and speed up its flow, which of course must have resulted in sex, or at least they thought about it. The second ... well ... According to St. Jerome the virtuous woman by willful neglect rushes to spoil her natural beauty . Moreover, such a zealous lady should avoid bathing, especially hot ones, because heat carries the risk of awakening a sinful interest in her own body in the youngster.
Anyway:after all, why wash? Hieronim belonged to a group of scholars who believed that baptism is the only bath a person needs in his life. And if a woman would already be - God forbid! - she washed, so at least she shouldn't show the effects to anyone:
Therefore I implore you before God and Christ Jesus, (...) not to display temple vessels, which only priests can see, so that no one looks at the object Dedicated to God. For illegally touching the Ark, Oz was struck down with sudden death. Yet the vessels of gold and silver were not as dear to God as the temple of virginal flesh.
It is difficult to guess what exactly the saint meant, but probably not only about touching, but also looking.
The funeral of St. Jerome. No, the Romans didn't kill him for bringing Blesylla to death.
It is worth adding that Hieronim even shocked his contemporaries with the severity of his views. While teaching in Rome, he convinced a daughter from an influential patrician and senatorial family, a certain Blesylla, to his lifestyle. Nota bene the daughter of the aforementioned Paula. And everything would be fine if the exhausted girl hadn't died just four months later. The enraged Romans expected an explanation from Hieronim, but he did not feel responsible and even condemned Paula for mourning his daughter. Under pressure from the inhabitants of the Eternal City, the ascetic was forced to leave as quickly as possible.
Finally, a word about Jews
The article is based on, inter alia, the book "The History of Dirt" by K. Ashenburg.
Of course, the controversial ascetic had specific views not only about the purity (physical and spiritual) of women. As one of the precursors (along with e.g. Saint Augustine) of the Christian attachment to dirt, he was also one of the proponents of anti-Judaism widespread in medieval European culture. The church father wrote: If [the Jewish synagogue] is called a brothel, a cave of vice [or] the devil's refuge, it will still be less than it deserves . What a paradox that he knew Hebrew which he learned from a converted Jew ...