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Palestinian
:
Hebrew medicine was mostly influenced by contact with Mesopotamian
medicine during the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities. Disease
was considered evidence of the wrath of God. The priesthood acquired
the responsibility for compiling hygienic regulations, and the status
of the midwife as an assistant in childbirth was clearly defined.
Although the Old Testament contains a few references to diseases
caused by the intrusion of spirits, the tone of biblical medicine
is modern in its marked emphasis on preventing disease. The Book
of Leviticus includes precise instructions on such varied subjects
as feminine hygiene, segregation of the sick, and cleaning of materials
capable of harboring and transmitting disease. Although circumcision,
the surgical removal of the foreskin on the male's penis, is the
only surgical procedure clearly described in the Bible, common medical
practices include wounds dressed with oil, wine, and balsam. The
leprosy so frequently mentioned in the Bible is now believed to
have embraced many skin diseases, including psoriasis.
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