Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 86:344 (Oct 1929)
Article: Bible Leprosy Same As That Of Today
Author: Lee S. Huizenga

BSac 86:344 (Oct 1929) p. 432

Bible Leprosy Same As That Of Today

Lee S. Huizenga

In the struggle to control leprosy, various groups have for centuries harmoniously combined, such as religious institutions, the state, men of science and society in general. All looked upon the leper as a common enemy to be cast outside of the community.

Since modern society in Christian lands is considerably prejudiced against the leper, in part because of Biblical influence, we shall briefly endeavor to show that the leprosy of the Bible is the same we find today and that the Bible does not teach that leprosy is a dangerously contagious disease. The two subjects are related. If leprosy mentioned in the Bible is not the same as to-day why should the Bible influence us against the leper? If it is not spoken of in the Bible as contagious, why should the Bible make us fear it? Both the Old and the New Testament aim at abolishing fear rather than creating it.

I. The same disease: —That leprosy of the ancient Jews was the same as leprosy today has often been doubted. Some leprologists believe that the leprosy mentioned by Moses included various other skin diseases; others claim that it was leukodermia. We are inclined to believe that it is the same disease, but that the disease throughout the ages may have lost some of its former characteristics, or that certain types of the disease now less frequently found were the ones designated as unclean in Moses’ days. Reasons to believe that the disease was the same may briefly be grouped under historical, social, and scientific considerations.

Historical.—Ancient writers from various nations and dating back to Moses’ time speak of the disease. These nations even to-day suffer from the same disease and speak of it by the same name continuously throughout their history. The Hebrew name used in the Old Testament was tsaärath and was later translated by the LXX into the Greek word lepra, from which also our English word

BSac 86:344 (Oct 1929) p. 433

leper is derived. The Chinese dating back far beyond the Christian era use the same word continuously in their history to indicate seemingly the same disease. Archaeological records seems to indicate that leprosy, as we know it to-day, existed at the time of the Egyptians whose mummies tell the story.

Social.—Of all diseased persons only the leper of to-day as a class is an outcast and apparently has always been. It points to the fact that the outcast of former centuries was probably the sufferer of the same disease. To cast the leper out of society is quite universal especially among peoples dating far back in history and with leprosy indigenous amongst them for centuries.

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