GÓJIM. – Hebrew term: the “nations,” the “peoples” (Gen. 10:5, 20; 17:4; etc.), often used in a pejorative sense, since “the nations” are Israel’s enemies, whereas Israel is usually called ’am, “people.” The g. are often stigmatized by the Bible as idolaters and immoral (Ex. 34:24; Lev. 18:24; etc.; V. ETNICO).
In later Judaism, hatred and the severest judgment prevail against the g., who are considered guilty of the gravest crimes: all g. gehenna (v.); their bones do not render one impure, since they are not human bones (J. Bonsirven, p. 103 ff.). For several centuries, many Jews have practically understood the term g. to mean Christians (Muslims are called jisme'e'lim).
BIBL.: J. Bonsirven, Le judaïsme palestinien, I, 2ª ed., Parigi 1935, pp. 99-107; F. Zorell, Lexicon Hebraicum, Roma 1940, p. 145 ff.; A. Romeo, Il giudaismo, in N. Turchi, Le religioni del mondo, ivi 1946, pp. 340-44. Francesco Spadafora