Professional Documents
Culture Documents
#9
Eeeeew!
Whats
That?
Of
scaly
infec9ons,
mold
and
mildew
(Levi&cus
13:
1
14:
57)
Wait!
Im
confused.
I
thought
these
chapters
were
about
leprosy.
Didnt
Not
m
e.
Jesus
cure
a
man
with
leprosy?
I
thought
I
had
leprosy,
but
it
was
only
eas.
10
11
12
Pieter
de
Grebber.
Elisha
Refuses
the
GiR
of
Naaman
(oil
on
canvas),
1637.
Franz
Hals
Museum,
Haarlem,
Netherlands.
13
14
1-16);
2. Davids
commanding
general,
Joab
(2
Samuel
3:
22-30);
3. Gehazi,
the
prophet
Elishas
servant
in
the
Naaman
story
(2
Kings
5:
19a-27);
and
4. King
Uzziah
(2
Chronicles
26:
16-23)
Eeeeew!
What's
That?
15
1-16);
2. Davids
commanding
general,
Joab
(2
Samuel
3:
22-30);
3. Gehazi,
the
prophet
Elishas
servant
in
the
Naaman
story
(2
Kings
5:
19a-27);
and
4. King
Uzziah
(2
Chronicles
26:
16-23)
xxxx
Eeeeew!
What's
That?
16
17
1-16);
2. Davids
commanding
general,
Joab
(2
Samuel
3:
22-30);
3. Gehazi,
the
prophet
Elishas
servant
in
the
Naaman
story
(2
Kings
5:
19a-27);
and
4. King
Uzziah
(2
Chronicles
26:
16-23)
xxxx
Eeeeew!
What's
That?
18
Joab
Pursues
Sheba
to
the
City
of
Abel-Bethmaacah
[2
Samuel
20:
14-22]
(illuminated
manuscript),
Morgan
Bible
(Ms
M.
638),
c.
1240-1250.
The
Pierpont
Morgan
Library,
New
York.
19
1-16);
2. Davids
commanding
general,
Joab
(2
Samuel
3:
22-30);
3. Gehazi,
the
prophet
Elishas
servant
in
the
Naaman
story
(2
Kings
5:
19a-27);
and
4. King
Uzziah
(2
Chronicles
26:
16-23)
xxxx
Eeeeew!
What's
That?
20
Bernhardt
Rode.
Gehazi
akempts
to
awaken
the
son
of
the
Sunammite
woman
with
the
sta
of
Elisha
[2
Kings
4:
29-31]
(engraving),
c.
1780.
21
1-16);
2. Davids
commanding
general,
Joab
(2
Samuel
3:
22-30);
3. Gehazi,
the
prophet
Elishas
servant
in
the
Naaman
story
(2
Kings
5:
19a-27);
and
4. King
Uzziah
(2
Chronicles
26:
16-23)
xxxx
Eeeeew!
What's
That?
22
23
Interes&ng!
What
do
these
four
stories
have
in
Not
me
common?
Get
him
away
from
me!
24
25
Exactly!
So,
what
do
we
learn
from
Not
me.
this?
26
27
Example
#2,
(raw
esh,
9-17)
Example
#3,
(boil,
18-23)
Example
#4,
(burn
on
skin,
24-28)
Example
#5,
(infec&on
on
head
or
beard,
29-37)
Example
#6,
(mul&ple
blotches,
38-39)
Example
#7,
(baldness,
40-44)
Conclusion,(
vv.
45-46)
Examina&on
of
garments
(49-58)
Conclusion
(59)
28
29
Part 1
Example
#2,
(raw
esh,
9-17)
Example
#3,
(boil,
18-23)
Example
#4,
(burn
on
skin,
24-28)
Example
#5,
(infec&on
on
head
or
beard,
29-37)
Example
#6,
(mul&ple
blotches,
38-39)
Example
#7,
(baldness,
40-44)
Conclusion,(
vv.
45-46)
Examina&on
of
garments
(49-58)
Conclusion
(59)
30
Saraat in People
Mark on the skin, (13: 1-4)
Part 1Examination and Quarantine
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: When someone has on
the skin a mark, lesion, or blotch which appears to develop
into a scaly infection, the person shall be brought to Aaron,
the priest, or to one of the priests among his sons. If the
priest, upon examination of the skins infection, finds that the
hair on the infection has turned white and the infection itself
appears to be deeper than the skin, it is indeed a scaly
infection; the priest, on seeing this shall declare the person
unclean. If, however, the blotch on the skin is white, but
does not seem to be deeper than the skin, nor has the hair
turned white, the priest shall quarantine the afflicted person
for seven days.
31
Saraat in People
Jacob Milgrom reminds us that the enigma of
scale disease cannot be resolved by medical
science, but it can, at least, be illuminated
once the medical approach is abandoned and
attention is directed to the text itself. We
are dealing with ritual, not medicine.
Moreover, the text stresses that it is not the
disease per se but its appearance that is the
source of the impurity.
32
Saraat in People
Mark on the skin, (13: 1-4)
When someone has on the skin a mark, lesion, or blotch
which appears to develop into a scaly infection, the person
shall be brought to the priest.
If the priest finds that
(1) the hair on the infection has turned white;
(2) the infection itself appears to be deeper than the skin:
the priest shall declare the person unclean [tame].
If, however, the
(1) blotch on the skin is white;
(2) does not seem to be deeper than the skin;
(3) nor has the hair turned white:
the priest shall quarantine the afflicted person for 7 days.
33
34
Saraat in People
Mark on the skin, (13: 5-6)
Notice once againfor the umpteenth time
the repetition of the number seven.
If we were dealing with a skin pathology,
rather than a ritual, the 7-day quarantine
periods would produce little significant
evidence for progression or remission of the
disease, reinforcing our position that we are
dealing with ritual, not pathology.
35
36
37
38
39
Got it!
40
41
Levi&cus
14
addresses
purica&on
aMer
saraat
has
been
healed
and
the
priest
has
declared
the
infected
person
clean.
And
it
is
a
very
curious
ritual!
42
Purificaiton Rite
(14: 1-4)
The Lord said to Moses: This is the ritual for someone
that had a scaly infection at the time of that persons
purification. The individual shall be brought to the
priest, who is to go outside the camp. If the priest,
upon inspection, finds that the scaly infection has
healed in the afflicted person, he shall order that two
live, clean birds, as well as some cedar wood, scarlet
yarn and hyssop be obtained for the one who is to be
purified.
43
Purification Rite
(14: 1-4)
The unclean person has already been
healed. This is not a healing rite, but a
purification rite;
the unclean person dwells outside the camp,
and the priest goes out to him and;
the four items2 live, clean birds; cedar
wood; scarlet yarn and; hyssopare brought
on behalf of the man as gifts.
44
Purificaiton Rite
(14: 5-8a)
The priest shall then order that one of the birds be
slaughtered over an earthen vessel with fresh water in
it. Taking the living bird with the cedar wood, the
scarlet yarn and the hyssop, the priest shall dip them,
including the live bird, in the blood of the bird that
was slaughtered over the fresh water, and then
sprinkle seven times on the person to be purified from
the scaly infection. When he has thus purified that
person, he shall let the living bird fly away over the
countryside. The person being purified shall then wash
his garments, shave off all hair, and bathe in water,
and so become clean.
45
46
Through
a
Chris&an
interpreta&ve
lens,
however,
we
dig
far
deeper
into
the
underlying,
typological
meaning
of
the
rite.
If
saraat
or
leprosy
is
an
emblem
of
sin
and
death,
it
is
Christ
who
conquers
sin
and
death
through
his
own
death,
burial
and
resurrec&on.
Consequently,
Chris&an
typology
invites
us
to
see
Christ
in
all
the
elements
of
the
bird
rite.
Eeeeew!
What's
That?
47
48
Purificaiton Rite
(14: 5-8a)
The priest shall then order that one of the birds be
slaughtered over an earthen vessel with fresh water in
it. Taking the living bird with the cedar wood, the
scarlet yarn and the hyssop, the priest shall dip them,
including the live bird, in the blood of the bird that
was slaughtered over the fresh water, and then
sprinkle seven times on the person to be purified from
the scaly infection. When he has thus purified that
person, he shall let the living bird fly away over the
countryside. The person being purified shall then wash
his garments, shave off all hair, and bathe in water,
and so become clean.
49
50
That
is
Not
me.
very
cool!
Wow!
51
52
53
54
55