Talk:Tzaraath

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The "Tzaraas as reward" section is meant to include the midrash about the Jews' entering the Land, finding houses with tzaraas, and tearing them down to find treasure hidden in the walls. —msh210 16:43, 7 Apr 2005 (UTC)

[edit] replaced poorly supported version with new version and gave sources

Here are the two key pargraphs I added:

According to Dr. Harold Spinka, M.D., and Wycliff Bible Encyclopedia Biblical leprosy describes a number of conditions. Dr. Spinka states that besides including the modern leprosy, Biblical leprosy can also include various skin conditions, syphilis, small pox, and not merely the disease leprosy as we understood today (experts appear divided on whether Biblical leprosy includes modern leprosy, see Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia citation in the references section).[1] The Wycliffe Bible Encylopedia and the journal Perspectives in Biological Medicine states that Biblical leprosy may include mold which will be discussed later in greater length.[2]

Dr. Harold Spinka, M.D wrote regarding the Levitical law regarding Biblical leprosy, "A review of Leviticus of the Old Testament shows that the priests were in charge of infectious diseases, as well as of the moral and religious welfare of the nation. The differential diagnosis between infectious and non-infectious cutaneous diseases is quite modern." [3] Similarly, Arturo Castiglioni in A History of Medicine wrote, "The laws against leprosy in Leviticus 13 may be regarded as the first model of a sanitary legislation" (p. 71). Castiglioni also stated, "Study of Biblical texts appears to have demonstrated that the ancient Semitic peoples, in agreement with the most modern tenets of epidemiology, attributed more importance to animal transmitters of disease, like the rat and the fly, than to the contagious individual" (p. 71).

ken 20:55, 12 December 2005 (UTC)kdbuffalo

What other diseases could there be that so closely parallel what we currently call leprosy? How can anyone know whether it really was or not? It's not like there were cell cultures left around. They simply described an infectious skin disease that made the skin rot.. and we translated it as leprosy.. sounds right to me!

[edit] Causes of Tzaraath

It seems that the author is a bit too authoritative in his statement that Tzaraath is not leprosy. No references are stated other than ancient Jewish texts. In addition, the language of the article seems to grant too much authority to these texts. The section "Causes of Tzaraath" does not describe any scientifically supportable causes, but rather flatly states the Talmud's seven causes, never questioning them. No alternative possible cause is given, nor is a concession made that these are ancient superstitions.

[edit] Tzaraath of Houses

I suspect that the houses of ancient Israel were often made of mudbrick, which only lasts about 30 years as useful building blocks - and thus tzaraath could mean "deterioration" or "erosion", in the context of a house. Thus, the need to remove furniture, replace bricks, and/or demolish the house entirely. The principle can be extended to modern buildings, as well: structural deterioration could be counted as a type of tzaraath of buildings, and rust can be counted as tzaraath of bicycles and cars. Of course, this is the same sort of thinking that led to the overlegislation of the Talmud to begin with, but whatever. 204.52.215.107 17:23, 12 October 2006 (UTC)

you were correct in puting this on the talk page and not in the article itself. Theories, such as the one you stated are only able to be included in the article they can be sources to a particlar bible critic (or groups of bible critics) (see WP:OR and WP:V). If you can find published works that present decenting views of tzaraath please add it to the article presenting it as such. Jon513 20:23, 12 October 2006 (UTC)