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Originally posted by Fred Williams:
Bacteria
Some time after I wrote these web pages, a Bible skeptic unwittingly showed me yet another example of advanced scientific/medical knowledge in the Bible. He posted a message on a discussion board that ridiculed some verses in Leviticus 13 and 14 that mention leprosy on walls and on garments. He felt this was silly and an error since leprosy is a human disease. What this skeptic was unaware of is the fact that leprosy is a bacteria, a living organism, that certainly can live on walls and garments! How often and how sweet it is when we see skeptic's attempts to denigrate God and the Bible turned around such that they end up glorifying God!
No problem. The person to whom you were reponding was wrong. But the real issue is whether or not the Isrealites had advanced knowledge of microbes. This is not supported by the fact that they burned houses and clothing. Such action is a pretty normal reaction to combatting disease where the source is not known. The same reactions are observed during the various plagues of the middle ages.
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Scott, the onus is on you to show this was not advanced knowledge of that time.
Scott, if I may....
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The bacteria can survive three weeks or longer outside the human body, such as in dust or on clothing.
No problem so far.
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It was not until 1873 that leprosy could be shown to be infectious rather than hereditary.
Here is a problem. The Egyptians, Indians and Chinese all knew that leprosy was an infectious disease.
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Now don’t you think it was a good thing that God commanded the Levitical priests to isolate lepers, and burn their garments?
Sure, its a good thing that the Levitical priests included this injucntion, but it is hardly the result of advanced medical knowledge. It isn't a big leap of logic. Sick person. Another person comes in contact with sick person and thereafter gets sick as well. Solution: Don't come in contact with sick people, or people who have particular symptoms. And burn their stuff just to be safe.
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What other culture prior to the 1800s, let alone 4000 years ago, practiced safe leprosy?
hmmm.... every culture where the disease is prevalent.
No webpage found at provided URL: http://www.slic2.wsu.edu:82/hurlbert/micro101/pages/Chap1.html
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Feel free to chalk this up to yet another coincidence or blind luck.
Thanks for the offer, but there is no need for luck or coincidence. Common sense works just fine.
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You guys ought to be exhausted constantly having to explain away the myriad of supernatural evidences within the Bible.
... constantly having to explain over and over and over and over
By the way, the word 'leprosy' used in the Bible covered a many different diseases, not just the one known as leprosy today.
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