Crown of Thorns
By Peter Leithart
Why a crown of thorns? A sign of the curse, obviously.
But thorns grow from the ground, and specifically grow from the ground when there are no people to cut them back. Thorns replace vines, grain, olive trees when Israel is driven into exile.
A king with a crown of thorns is a king suffering the curse on his land, the curse of exile.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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