Origen’s Challenge to the Patriarch’s Authority

In book 4 of his On First Principles, Origen distinguishes between other ancient lawgivers and the biblical figures of Moses and Jesus, claiming that the great power of the latter two rested in their ability to attract followers. Origen further considers Genesis 49:10 (“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him and the obedience of the peoples is his” [NRSV]), which, interpreted messianically, speaks of an unbroken chain of sovereigns ruling over Judah until a specific king arrives who commands the allegiance of foreign nations. Origen writes that certain Jews believe their continued sovereignty to be fulfilled in the Jewish patriarch, despite the fact that Palestine remained subject to the authority of a foreign power. Origen enlists the prophecy of Hosea 3:4 (“For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim” [NRSV]), which envisions a prolonged period of Israel lacking kings, princes, and sacrificial rites. Origen is thus dismissive of the Jewish patriarch’s authority and argues that the gentiles who have adopted Jesus as their king and messiah are the true fulfillment of Genesis 49:10.