This paper analyzes texts from authors within the Patriarch’s circle to explore the utilisation of biblical narratives in the polemics of the latter half of the seventeenth century. The research material includes the book Shield of Faith (Shchit very), Siberian Epistles (Sibirskiye poslaniya) by Metropolitan Ignatius (Korsakov) of Tobolsk, the works of Euthymius Chudovsky, writings by the Old Believers, and texts by Peter Artemyev. The focus is on various biblical plots and images employed in these writings (e.g., Rev. 12:1–17; Num. 16:1–35; Lev. 10:1–2; Gen. 11:1–9; 1 Sam. 16–31; Ps. 51:7–8; Acts 26:14; Matt. 14:22–33). Furthermore, the research considers the reception of biblical narratives and their authorial interpretation in relation to the contemporary events of the late seventeenth century, determining their functions within the text’s structure. Biblical narratives traditionally occupied a leading position in the hierarchy of sources; writers turned to them seeking the knowledge necessary to interpret contemporary cultural and social events. The complex imagery of Holy Scripture plots allowed authors to extract multiple meanings. Consequently, the interpretation of biblical plots and images depended on the author’s ideological stance and creative strategy. This strategy determined the semantic orientation of the text’s symbolism to defend the writer’s ideas. Ultimately, biblical texts served as authoritative and indisputable arguments in polemics against ideological opponents.
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