Lepra Hebraeorum: Ein antisemitisches Krankheitskonstrukt des 19. Jahrhunderts und seine Entwicklung
In the first half of the 19th century, based on a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of biblical texts, several German physicians transformed the phenomenon named »Zara’at« in Hebrew into a specific disease called »Lepra Hebraeorum«, »Lepra Judeorum« or »Lepra Mosaica«. The authors applied tradi...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | German |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
[2019]
|
| In: |
Aschkenas
Year: 2019, Volume: 29, Issue: 1, Pages: 27-41 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Publisher) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | In the first half of the 19th century, based on a misunderstanding and misinterpretation of biblical texts, several German physicians transformed the phenomenon named »Zara’at« in Hebrew into a specific disease called »Lepra Hebraeorum«, »Lepra Judeorum« or »Lepra Mosaica«. The authors applied traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes in order to explain the origins of this fictitious hereditary illness, which was said to befall Jews especially and to be transmitted by them to Non-Jewish populations. The genesis of »Lepra Hebraeorum« was completed by Christian ideas of the disease, linking leprosy to a sinful lifestyle and lust. However, in Jewish conceptions »Zara’at« never has been connected to sin or even to disease. It was rather regarded as a warning or punishment for derogatory speech. Soon after the discovery of »Mycobacterium leprae« in 1873 any reference to »Lepra Hebraeorum« disappeared from German medical writings. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1865-9438 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Aschkenas
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1515/asch-2019-0003 |
