Chapter Thirteen

1–46. Leprosy as a source of ritual uncleanness in Israel; its various kinds and signs — for the guidance of priests. 47–59. Leprosy of garments.

Leviticus 13:1. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, saying: 2–8. Leprous sore on the skin. The presence in the legislation of Moses of such detailed information about leprosy (physicians of modern times marvel at the accuracy of Moses’ diagnosis of leprosy) attests to the widespread nature of leprosy, this scourge of mankind, this “stroke” or “affliction” of God (the meaning of Hebrew terms for leprosy—tsaraʿat and nega) among the Hebrews. In the Law of Moses, leprosy is treated not only as physical suffering and public misfortune, but also as ritual uncleanness; hence the law speaks not of treating this rarely and scarcely curable disease, but of examination by priests, measures of isolation for the leprous, and ritual cleansing for those recovered. Therefore in Deuteronomy every Israelite is commanded: “Take heed, with respect to the plague of leprosy, carefully observe and fulfill all the law which the priests and Levites will teach you” (Deut 24:8). Josephus, refuting the Egyptian legend (recorded by Manetho and repeated by Appian) that the Israelites were lepers expelled from Egypt together with Moses because of this disease, says: “If this had been true, Moses would not have issued such ordinances which would logically contradict his own condition, as well as that of his companions… Nothing would have prevented him from issuing the mildest ordinances on this matter, rather than determining such punishment—separation of the sick from the healthy. Moses himself, as well as his kinsmen, were free from this disease, and therefore he issued such ordinances for the glory of God” (Antiquities of the Jews, 3:11, 3:4). The extreme denial of the very existence of leprosy among the Hebrews is evident, yet the general sense of Moses’ ordinances is fully conveyed here. But the blessed Theodoret understands the laws concerning leprosy even more deeply: “By bodily diseases he indicates diseases of the soul, and speaking of involuntary diseases, explains them as voluntary. For if natural diseases seem unclean, how much more the diseases of morals. He speaks also of distinctions in leprosy, because there is also a distinction in sins. There is a beginning of leprosy, because there is also a beginning of sin. But as the priest discerns leprosy, so he must also be a judge of spiritual sins of the soul. He calls patchiness of color on the skin leprosy; thus vice, entering the soul, makes it leprous” (Question 15 on Leviticus).

Leviticus 13:2. When anyone has a swelling, rash, or bright spot on the skin of his body, and it becomes the appearance of a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons, the priests; Leviticus 13:3. And the priest shall examine the sore on the skin of his body; and if the hair on the sore has turned white, and the sore appears deeper than the skin of his body, then it is a leprous sore; the priest shall examine him and pronounce him unclean. When a suspicious rash appears on the skin of a person, he must immediately present himself to the priest, who distinguishes harmless skin conditions from the signs of tsaraʿat—leprosy. The primary distinguishing signs were two: 1) a change in hair color (normally dark among peoples of the East) to white, and 2) a depression of the appeared swelling into the skin itself.

Leviticus 13:4. But if the white spot on the skin of his body is not deeper than the skin, and the hair has not turned white, then the priest having the sore shall isolate him for seven days; Otherwise the swelling (seet, or rash, sappachat, or bright spot, baheret; Vulg.: diversus color) might not be a leprous sore, a harbinger of it, so for testing, the priest isolated the affected person from other people for seven days.

Leviticus 13:5. On the seventh day the priest shall examine him, and if the sore remains unchanged and does not spread on the skin, then the priest shall isolate him for another seven days; Leviticus 13:6. On the seventh day again the priest shall examine him, and if the sore is less prominent and has not spread on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean: it is a rash, and let him wash his garments, and he will be clean. Leviticus 13:7. But if the rash spreads on the skin after he appeared to the priest for cleansing, then he shall appear again to the priest; Leviticus 13:8. And the priest, seeing that the rash is spreading on the skin, shall pronounce him unclean: it is leprosy. With great care the priest repeatedly, to avoid error, examines the patient. If the spread of the sore was not observed—it remained in the same position—the seven-day test was repeated, and then the priest either decided that the sore was not dangerous (simple rash), as if extinguished, and the patient, already free from suspicion of leprosy, performed the washing of his garments, or he established the undeniable fact of leprosy (if there was spreading of the sore on the skin or into the depth of the skin) and pronounced the affected person unclean. Into this description of the incubation period of leprosy, which has two forms—tuberculous (skin damage) and anesthetic (nerve damage)—many internal symptoms (drowsiness, chills, heaviness of the head, nausea, etc.) are not introduced, but the two mentioned skin changes are undoubtedly the most typical for true leprosy in its two forms.

Leviticus 13:9. If anyone has a leprous sore, then he shall be brought to the priest; Leviticus 13:10. And the priest shall examine him; and if the swelling on the skin is white, and the hair has turned white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling, Leviticus 13:11. It is chronic leprosy on the skin of his body; and the priest shall pronounce him unclean and shall isolate him, because he is unclean. Leviticus 13:12. But if leprosy breaks out all over the skin, and the leprosy covers all the skin of the affected person from his head to his feet, as far as the priest’s eyes can see, Leviticus 13:13. And the priest shall see that the leprosy has covered all his body, then he shall pronounce the affected person clean, because it has all turned white: he is clean. Leviticus 13:14. But when raw flesh appears on him, then he is unclean; Leviticus 13:15. And the priest, seeing the raw flesh, shall pronounce him unclean; the raw flesh is unclean: it is leprosy. Leviticus 13:16. But if the raw flesh changes and turns white, then let him come to the priest; Leviticus 13:17. And the priest shall examine him, and if the sore has turned white, the priest shall pronounce the affected person clean; he is clean. Chronic leprosy. Leprosy could manifest itself without the preliminary signs mentioned, in which case there was no need to test the patient. Here only the mentioned principal signs of the disease were unchanging and necessary: 1) deepening of the sore into the skin and its spread across it, and 2) the appearance of white swellings and “raw flesh” with a change in hair color. At a further stage of disease development these signs were complicated by very many morbid phenomena, for example, cracking of the skin, abundant and foul-smelling discharge of lymph and drooling, swellings of the extremities, etc. At this point the two named forms of leprosy became distinctly differentiated: tuberculous, nodular (called leontiasis or satyriasis—from the terrible disfigurement of the face in this form of leprosy) and anesthetic, insensible (“white swellings,” Lev 13:10). Making an imperfectly clear allusion to this distinction, the biblical text indicates (Lev 13:12-13) also the possibility of a favorable crisis—leprosy “broke out” on the skin, that is, dark skin color everywhere transformed to white: the disease came to the surface, a crust formed on the skin, gradually falling away, the patient recovered and was pronounced clean, if only afterward living flesh did not appear on the healing scars.

Leviticus 13:18. If anyone has had a boil on his skin and it has healed, Leviticus 13:19. And in the place of the boil there appears a white swelling, or a white or reddish spot, then he shall appear before the priest; Leviticus 13:20. And the priest shall examine it; and if it appears deeper than the skin, and the hair has turned white, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a leprous sore that has broken out on the boil; Leviticus 13:21. But if the priest sees that the hair on it is not white, and it is not deeper than the skin, and it is somewhat dim, then the priest shall isolate him for seven days; Leviticus 13:22. If it spreads very much on the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is a sore; Leviticus 13:23. But if the spot remains in its place and does not spread, it is the inflammation of the boil, and the priest shall pronounce him clean. A similar progression and twofold outcome occurred with leprosy that formed on a previously existing and already healed boil (schechin, Vulg.: ulcus), and also, Lev 13:24-28, on a burn (mikvat-esch), except that, in contrast to initial infection, it was considered sufficient to isolate the patient once for seven days (Lev 13:21).

Leviticus 13:29. If a man or a woman has a sore on the head or on the beard, Leviticus 13:30. And the priest shall examine the sore; and if it appears deeper in the skin, and the hair on it is yellowish and thin, then the priest shall pronounce them unclean: it is scall, it is leprosy on the head or on the beard; Leviticus 13:31. But if the priest examines the sore of scall and it does not appear deeper in the skin, and there is no black hair on it, then the priest having the sore of scall shall isolate him for seven days; Leviticus 13:32. On the seventh day the priest shall examine the sore; and if the scall has not spread, and there is no yellowish hair on it, and the scall does not appear deeper in the skin, Leviticus 13:33. Then the affected person shall be shaved, but the scall shall not be shaved, and the priest shall isolate the scall again for seven days; Leviticus 13:34. On the seventh day the priest shall examine the scall; and if the scall has not spread on the skin and does not appear deeper in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; let him wash his garments, and he will be clean. Leviticus 13:35. But if after his cleansing the scall spreads very much on the skin, Leviticus 13:36. And the priest sees that the scall is spreading on the skin, then the priest need not look for yellowish hair: he is unclean. Leviticus 13:37. But if the scall remains in its appearance, and black hair appears on it, then the scall has passed; he is clean; the priest shall pronounce him clean. Leprosy could appear not only on clean skin but also on hairy skin—on the head and the chin; this is leprosy—neteq, a kind of known scabies or mange, more accurately: sycosis. The signs are the same, only the hair color changed not to white but to golden-yellow (zachob, Lev 13:30), and the hair soon completely fell out. The test was two weeks. If black hair began to grow on the affected spot, this was a sign of recovery.

Leviticus 13:40. If the hair has fallen off anyone’s head, he is bald: he is clean; Leviticus 13:41. And if the hair has fallen off the front of his head, he is bald on the forehead: he is clean. Leviticus 13:42. But if there is a white or reddish spot on his baldness or on his forehead baldness, then leprosy is breaking out on his baldness or on his forehead baldness; Leviticus 13:43. And the priest shall examine him; and if the swelling of the sore is white or reddish on his baldness or on his forehead baldness, resembling leprosy of the skin of the body, Leviticus 13:44. Then he is a leper, he is unclean; the priest must pronounce him unclean; he has a sore on his head. On the bald part of the head too leprosy could appear; the signs are a white or reddish swelling on the bare part of the head.

Leviticus 13:45. The leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn, and his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mouth and cry: “Unclean! Unclean! Leviticus 13:46. All the days in which the sore is on him, he shall be unclean; he is unclean; he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. Once pronounced unclean, the leper must immediately assume the costume of one in mourning and wear it throughout the disease: his head was bare, his garment (on the chest) torn, the hair on his head in disorder, his chin bound, and he must, warning the clean from defilement, cry: “tame, tame” (“unclean, unclean!”), cf. Lam 4:15. This presupposes the contagiousness of leprosy according to ancient Hebrew understanding (in medicine, in ancient and modern times, there existed two opposite views on this). According to the Talmudists, a leper who entered a clean house made everyone there and all vessels unclean, except only covered or bound ones (Mishnah, Kelim 1:4; Negaim 13:11). Since a single touch of a leper made one unclean, the leper during all the time of illness was to live separately from the healthy outside the camp or city (cf. Num 5:2-3; 2 Sam 7:3; Luke 17:12) and in special buildings set apart for lepers. In later times, if a leper wished to visit the synagogue or temple, he occupied a specially partitioned place there, and had to be the first to enter and the last to leave the building (Negaim, 13:12). This Talmudic evidence, however, little agrees with biblical data (Lev 13:14).

Leviticus 13:47. If a leprous sore is on a garment, on a woolen garment, or on a linen garment, Leviticus 13:48. Or on the warp or woof of linen or wool, or on leather, or on any work of leather, Leviticus 13:49. And the spot is greenish or reddish on the garment, or on the leather, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on any leather work, then it is a leprous sore: it shall be shown to the priest; Leviticus 13:50. And the priest shall examine the sore and shall isolate the affected article for seven days; Leviticus 13:51. On the seventh day he shall examine the affected article, and if the sore has spread on the garment, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on the leather, or on any work made of leather, then it is a corrosive leprosy; the article is unclean; Leviticus 13:52. He shall burn the garment, or the warp, or the woof of wool or linen, or any leather work on which is the sore, because it is a corrosive leprosy: it shall be burned with fire. Leviticus 13:53. But if the priest sees that the sore has not spread on the garment, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on any leather work, Leviticus 13:54. Then the priest shall command that it be washed, the article on which the sore is, and he shall isolate it again for seven days; Leviticus 13:55. And if after washing the affected item the priest sees that the sore has not changed its appearance and has not spread, then it is unclean; burn it with fire; it is an eating away on the outer surface or on the inner surface; Leviticus 13:56. But if the priest sees that the sore after washing it has become less prominent, then the priest shall tear it off from the garment, or from the leather, or from the warp, or from the woof. Leviticus 13:57. But if it appears again on the garment, or on the warp, or on the woof, or on any leather article, then it is a spreading sore: burn with fire that on which the sore is. Leviticus 13:58. But if you wash the garment, or the warp, or the woof, or any leather article, and the sore goes away from them, then wash them again, and they will be clean. Leviticus 13:59. This is the law for a leprous sore on a woolen or linen garment, or on the warp and woof, or on any leather article, to pronounce it clean or unclean. Leprosy on woolen and linen garments, on materials of linen and wool, on hides and leather works. The method of the priest’s action when examining the affected garment closely resembles the rules for examining a person afflicted with leprosy (Lev 13:50-55, as leprosy is distinguished on the back of the head, on the nape, qereach, Lev 13:40, and on the front, gibbeach, Lev 13:41, so in material qereach is the back side and gibbeach is the outer surface, Lev 13:55), with understandable differences in individual points. As to the nature of leprosy on garments, it is certain first of all that it was not transmitted to garments from lepers (as Abarbanel, Treusen, and others thought): there is no hint whatsoever in the biblical text of the identity of garment leprosy with human leprosy or of a causal connection between them: and in the law of cleansing a leper, no special cleansing of his garments is required, but simple washing, as in any defilement. Equally implausible are the following two opinions: 1) Michaelis and Rosenmüller—that the spots on woolen materials came from the wool or hair of sick or dead sheep (Michael. Mos. Rech., IV, § 211, S. 262; Rosenm., Scholia in Levit. p. 87); but the considered section of the law concerns not only woolen materials and works, but also linen and leather; therefore another explanation is needed that covers all these objects; 2) Jahn (Archaeol. 1:1, 165)—that leprosy was produced by microscopic insects appearing in materials and corroding them. It is more reasonable to agree with Sommer’s proposal that the enigmatic phenomenon in question consisted of a particular kind of erosion occurring from dampness and insufficient ventilation of materials: on hides, the spots of this sore appear as corroded indentations of various colors, on fabrics—as colored spots which, spreading through the fabric, make it a prey to moths. Yet no final judgment about such distinctive phenomena of ancient Hebrew life as the leprosy of garments and houses (Lev 14:34-55) can be pronounced due to the absence of both clear biblical data and any analogs in the life of modern European peoples. * * * In verse 11, where mention is made of chronic leprosy, according to the Church Slavonic and Russian texts, as in the accepted Greek text, there is an error: (the priest) “shall exclude” (Church Slavonic), “shall isolate” (Russian), ἀφορίσει (LXX). But to isolate or exclude an avowed leper the priest could not do—one must read: “shall not isolate,” “shall not exclude.” So—with negation—read in the Hebrew masoretic text and in the codex of the LXX—in Holmes (codices 53, 56, 57)