Biblical Hebrew Forum

[peter_kirk AT sil.org]

Dear Ita, Ben, Matthew and others,

I am taking much of my information on leprosy from the excursus "CR(T 
and Leprosy" in John E. Hartley's Word Biblical Commentary on 
Leviticus (Word, Dallas 1992, ISBN 0-8499-0203-7), pp.187-189. This 
discussion concludes that CR(T in the Hebrew Bible was not Hansen's 
disease. A major argument is that (from skeleton evidence) Hansen's 
disease was known only in India and China, not in Europe, until the 
3rd century BC; and when it appeared in Europe it was considered a new 
disease and called (in Greek) ELEFANTIASIS, not LEPRA. LEPRA, Hartley 
argues, was a more generic term for a variety of skin diseases, which 
was first applied to Hansen's disease by medieval Arabic authors.

Hartley refers to S.G. Browne, "Leprosy in the Bible", London: 
Christian Medical Fellowship, 1970; E.V. Hulse, "The Nature of 
Biblical 'Leprosy' and the Use of Alternative Medical Terms in Modern 
Translations of the Bible", PEQ 107 (1975) 87-105; H.P. Lie, "On 
Leprosy in the Bible", Leprosy Review 9 (1938) 25-31, 55-67 (=Acta 
Dermato-Venereologia 18 (1937) 624ff); R.G. Cochrane "Biblical 
Leprosy: A Suggested Interpretation", Glasgow: Pickering & Inglis, 
1963. Hartley mentions that a different view is found in R.K. 
Harrison, "Leprosy", ISBE rev 3:105. So perhaps the issue is not as 
settled as Hartley would like to think.

But elsewhere (in the UBS Handbook on Leviticus) I found a quote from 
"one physician who is very familiar with the problem" who wrote that 
"we can state quite definitely that at the time when the Old Testament 
literature was created, leprosy simply did not exist in that part of 
the world." The reference is The Bible Translator, April 1980, vol.31 
no.2, pp.208-209.

I hope this is helpful for your researches.

Peter Kirk




______________________________ Reply Separator 
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Leprosy
Author:  isheres AT mail.sdsu.edu at internet 
Date:    29/05/1999 14:46


Could you please list the references you used describing some of the more 
medical/scientific "signs" relating to leprosy.  Also, are you aware of a 
detailed study dealing with Biblical leprosy?  I am now trying to research 
the topic specifically in its relation to the sectarians in the DSS. 
Thanks,

 Ita Sheres.
<snip>