Google Gemini: That is a sharp biblical and linguistic observation—and a fascinating entry point for an economic platform like yours.
The short answer is yes: the word «Mammon» (usually derived from the Aramaic māmōnā, meaning wealth, property, or money) never appears in the Old Testament.
1. The Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) Perspective
In the Hebrew Scriptures, wealth itself is not personified as a false god or idol under the name «Mammon.» While the Old Testament frequently warns against covetousness, greed, unjust gain, and placing wealth above God, it uses standard Hebrew words like:
- Osher (‚ōšer) – standard wealth or riches (often seen as a potential blessing if gained uprightly, e.g., Proverbs 10:22).
- Besa (beṣa‘) – dishonest gain or profit.
- Keseph (kesep) – silver or money.
Specific false deities in the Old Testament are physical idols or pagan gods with distinct regional cults (such as Baal, Molech, or Asherah), but wealth as an abstract concept was not named or worshipped as «Mammon.»
2. The New Testament Shift & Jesus’s Usage
The term enters the biblical text in the New Testament via the Greek transliteration (μαμωνα~ς), reflecting the common Aramaic spoken in 1st-century Judea.
Jesus uses the term directly in two famous passages:
- Matthew 6:24 / Luke 16:13: «No one can serve two masters… You cannot serve God and Mammon.»
- Luke 16:9–11: Referring to «unrighteous mammon» (mamōna tēs adikias).
In these passages, Jesus does something culturally striking: he treats Mammon not merely as neutral currency, but almost as a rival deity or a master demanding allegiance. By setting «God» and «Mammon» as mutually exclusive masters, the text frames unchecked accumulation or service to wealth as a form of idolatry—subverting the idea that material riches are inherently a sign of divine favor.
3. Historical & Literary Personification
While Jesus used the word as a common Aramaic noun for wealth/money, later Christian theologians and medieval literature fully personified Mammon as a literal demon or fallen angel of greed:
- Early Church Fathers (like Origen and Augustine) began interpreting Mammon as an abstract force of greed personified.
- Medieval Demonology classified Mammon as one of the princes of Hell, representing the sin of Greed (Avaritia).
- John Milton’s Paradise Lost permanently cemented this image in Western culture, portraying Mammon as a fallen angel who spends eternity admiring the gold pavement of Heaven rather than God.