By Jacqueline Kelly –
A pandemic is a global outbreak of a disease. There are many examples right from Biblical times. Many infectious diseases have afflicted mankind since the dawn of history. The Bible describes the case of a woman with high fever cured by our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to Mark 1:29-33 and Matthew 8:14-15, the mother-in-law of Simon Peter “lay sick” with fever. When Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up, the fever immediately left.
Infectious diseases afflicted the people of Jericho in ancient times. The Prophet Elisha dwelled in Jericho [11Kings 2:18]. The people of Jericho called on him for help, because their drinking water was polluted, probably due to some infectious disease that was killing many local citizens “the water is bad, and the ground causeth bereavement” [2:19]. This water was eventually dried:
“And the Prophet Elisha went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt there …. there shall not be from thence any more death and bereavement”. [2:21]
These verses indicate the presence in the Jordan Valley of a serious infectious disease, with water as an important factor in its transmission. When the Prophet cast salt into the waters, by using the technique of salination or drying the waters, the cycle of disease transmission was broken and the disease was eradicated. Of the 32 diseases that are referred to in the Bible three could have afflicted the people of Jericho city – Yellow fever, Dengue fever and Malaria.
Yellow Fever is similar to malaria and is carried by mosquitoes. It originated in Africa in the early 1500s. The first outbreak in the 1690’s was in the United States and throughout the 17th and 18th Centuries the Coastal Towns of North and South America were hit by this dreaded infection.
Dengue Fever is a mosquito-borne viral infection that causes a severe flu-like illness and sometimes causes a potentially lethal complication called severe dengue. The disease, which is also called Breakbone Fever because of the intensity of the pain in the joints and muscles, has no warning symptoms other than high fever and severe body pain.
Malaria is a disastrous disease that has accompanied the human race for around 130 million years. The first description of malaria dates back to 2700 B.C. Malaria was first described in the ancient medical text as Nei Ching. Malaria led to the death of the great Genghis Khan. By the 4th century BC, it was a common epidemic in Ancient Greece. The infected Romans would wear an amulet around the neck. There was an inscription known as “abracadabra”. The disease is still widespread in certain countries.
Anthrax is one of the oldest infectious diseases known to humans. Anthrax in humans is a disease acquired from contact with anthrax-infected animals or anthrax-contaminated animal products. Anthrax is caused by spores that enter via small abrasions or by inhalation or ingestion.
For centuries, it has caused widespread death in animals and serious illness in humans. The Biblical description of anthrax is probably the earliest source of data on this disease. A description of anthrax is given in Exodus 9: 8-12, using the term boils that is translated from the Hebrew word Shehin, the sixth of the ten plagues of Egypt.
Treatment given is related to King of the Judah Hezekiah [689-727 B.C.] who was seriously ill [11 Kings 20:1]. His recovery was associated with Prophet Isaiah, who can be regarded as an ancient doctor. The King, who was afflicted by severe skin anthrax, recovered when figs were administered. It is more likely that the ancients for therapy of anthrax used fresh figs or some preparation of fresh figs.
Typhoid is highly contagious. The greatest devastation occurred in 430-424 B.C. when it wiped out one third of the population of Athens in Ancient Greece. It was a frequent epidemic in ancient times when the sanitation was at its lowest.
The influence was very strong on the Greeks and brought an end to the Golden Age of Pericles that symbolized Athenians dominance over the Ancient World. Had the famous Athenian historian Thucydides not survived after contracting typhoid back then, we might not have had any records of this devastating outbreak.
Plague is a disease that has been present for centuries. It is an infectious bacterial disease. The first available record of this calamity in humans is found in the Bible in the City of Ashdod.
In the 5th Chapter of 1 Samuel the capture of the Ark of the Covenant from the Israelites by the Philistines at the Battle of Aphek was followed by the outbreak of what appears to be plague in the five cities of the Philistines starting in Ashdod.
In 1 Samuel 5:6 the NIV [New International Version] states that Philistines were afflicted with tumours and the Septuagint [a translation by Saint Jerome into Latin from the Septuagint] state that “rats appeared in their land, and death and destruction were throughout the city” and 5:9 “He afflicted the people, both young and old with an outbreak of tumours”.
The Philistine rulers and their Priests decided to send the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel, and on the advice of their Priests [1 Samuel 6:4] provided a guilt offering of “five gold tumours gold rats according to the number of the Philistine rulers of their cities”. The Priests advised [6:5] “make models of the tumours and of the rats that are destroying the country and pay honour of Israel’s God”.
Tomorrow: Ten Plagues That Find Mention in Old Testament