Editing Amalek (section)

=== Christian traditions ===
Early Church fathers such as [[Justin Martyr]], [[Irenaeus]] and [[Cyprian]] consider the defeat of Amalek in {{Bibleverse|Exodus|17:8-13}} to be reminiscent of [[Jesus]] defeating the powers of the [[devil]] at the [[Crucifixion of Jesus|cross]]. Origen sees the battle as an allegory of the [[Mosaic Law|Law]] mysteriously invoking [[Christ]], who recruits strong people (i.e. [[Christians]]) to defeat the demonic Strong Man, as described in {{Bibleverse|Ephesians|6:12}}.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Paczkowski |first=Mieczysław |date=2014 |title=Amalek and the amalekites in the ancient christian literature |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280211465 |journal=Teologia i Człowiek |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=137–155 |doi=10.12775/TiCz.2014.021 |via=ResearchGate}}</ref>

John Gill believes that Amalek is a type of [[antichrist]] that 'raises his hand against the throne of God, his tabernacle and his saints'. He believes the phrase "from generation to generation" in {{Bibleverse|Exodus|17:16}} specifically refers to the [[Messianic Age]], where Amalek and other antichristian states are exterminated by the [[Lamb of God|Lamb]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=Exodus 17 Gill's Exposition |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/exodus/17.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212053408/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/gill/exodus/17.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref> Likewise, Charles Ellicott notes that the Amalekites were collectively called 'the sinners' in {{Bibleverse|1 Samuel|15:18}}, which was only used elsewhere for the [[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodomites]] in {{Bibleverse|Genesis|13:13}}.<ref name="ellicott" />

[[Carl Friedrich Keil]] and [[Franz Delitzsch]] state that the Amalekites were extinct by the second half of Hezekiah's reign.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024 |title=1 Chronicles 4 Keil and Delitzsch OT Commentary |url=https://biblehub.com/commentaries/kad/1_chronicles/4.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212081010/https://biblehub.com/commentaries/kad/1_chronicles/4.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2024 |website=Biblehub.com}}</ref>

Professor Philip Jenkins notes that Christian extremists have historically labelled enemies such as Native Americans, Protestants, Catholics and Tutsis as Amalekites to justify their genocides.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jenkins |first=Philip |title=Laying Down the Sword: Why We Can't Ignore the Bible's Violent Verses |date=2013 |publisher=HarperCollins Religious US |isbn=978-0061990724}}</ref> Jews and victims of the Crusades were also called Amalekites. Because of this, modern Christian scholars have re-examined the Biblical narratives that inspired these atrocities using philology, literary analysis, archaeology and historical evidence.{{sfn|Kugler|2020}}