Basic HTML Version
Chapter 21—Hygiene Among the Israelites
In the teaching that God gave to Israel, the preservation of health
received careful attention. The people who had come from slavery
with the uncleanly and unhealthful habits which it engenders, were
subjected to the strictest training in the wilderness before entering
Canaan. Health principles were taught and sanitary laws enforced.
Prevention of Disease
Not only in their religious service, but in all the affairs of daily
life was observed the distinction between clean and unclean. All
who came in contact with contagious or contaminating diseases were
isolated from the encampment, and they were not permitted to return
without thorough cleansing of both the person and the clothing. In
the case of one afflicted with a contaminating disease, the direction
was given:
“Every bed, whereon he lieth, ... is unclean: and everything,
whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean. And whosoever toucheth his
bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean
until the even. And he that sitteth on anything whereon he sat ...
shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean
until the even. And he that toucheth the flesh of him ... shall wash
his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the
[278]
even.... And whosoever toucheth anything that was under him shall
be unclean until the even: and he that beareth any of those things
shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean
until the even. And whomsoever he toucheth ... and hath not rinsed
his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in
water, and be unclean until the even. And the vessel of earth, that
he toucheth, ... shall be broken: and every vessel of wood shall be
rinsed in water.”
Leviticus 15:4-12
.
The law concerning leprosy is also an illustration of the thor-
oughness with which these regulations were to be enforced:
194