Toto

Hector Avalos is a medical anthropologist. Healthcare and the Rise of Christianity (or via: amazon.co.uk) is an interesting book, but it seems to mix exorcism and healing - possibly because medical care was so primitive in those days.

But if you read the book, or the excerpts available on Amazon, there is much more to the story than "free health care." It would be more accurate to call it "free demon extraction."

aa5874

Demons exist??? Extraction of Demons??

outhouse

Correct. I would also guess that if there was a traveling teacher and healer, he would have done more then chasing those pesky demons out.

Local herbs ect for infection as well as cleanliness, clay for antacid, ect ect ect

Toto

A traveling healer/exorcist would not know about local herbs. Those would be the province of the local women.

There is no record of any Christian promotion of cleanliness.

As Avalos notes, one of the features of traveling healers is that they can get out of town before it is clear that their remedies are not going to work.

outhouse

One who traveled "only" in the same geographic location, as written, would know about local methods of healing.


And Jesus had nothing at all to do with Christianity. As a Jew ritual purification in mikvas was followed, and any healer worth his salts would understand how this applies to health and healing.

healing was known to be preformed by many "male" leaders, this was not all about hocus pocus. Their survival depended on getting dinner scraps fed to them. They had to produce and be successful if one is going to be "listened to" preaching the coming kingdom of god.

Toto

Jesus nothing to do with Christianity??

I guess that's less outrageous than the idea that any healer would be able to extrapolate from ritual mikvahs to the germ theory of disease.

The idea that cleanliness is related to preventing disease is entirely modern. The germ theory of disease was established with great difficulty in the 19th century.

And this talk about "dinner scraps" is without any foundation. Do you think Benny Hinn survives on dinner scraps?

outhouse

Toto, Toto, Toto


Jesus was a Jew, teaching and healing Jews. His movement was for Jews only.

Only after his death, did God-Fearers expand upon the movement in Judaism.




As far as healing goes, im suprised your missing the boat so bad on this. The bible is full of healing without ooogedy boogedy spirit cleansing.


Why do you think they have Laws not just rules, that after touching certain things, you are required to wash. ???? because they knew it was unhealthy and washed themselves. Cleanliness and Germ theory are two different things.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/...3_0_13493.html


With the one exception of the incurable serpent bite (Num. 21:9), biblical remedies and treatments are all of a rational character and do not involve incantations or magic rites, nor do they include the so-called "filth pharmacy." Biblical therapeutics consisted of washing; the use of oils, balsams, and bandages for wounds and bone fractures; bathing in therapeutic waters (II Kings 5:10), especially in the case of skin diseases; sun rays, medicated drinks, etc. Among medicaments mentioned by name are myrrh, sweet cinnamon, cassia, galbanum, niter, and the mandrake (dudaʾim) which was considered to possess aphrodisiac properties. The modern method of mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration was also known, as testified by the accounts of Elijah and Elisha (I Kings 17:22; II Kings 4:34–35). The only surgical operations mentioned are circumcision and castration, and these were not specifically Jewish practices. *Embalming, though unusual, was not forbidden.




The Hebrews were aware of the fact that contagious diseases are spread by direct contact as well as by clothing, household utensils, etc. To prevent the spread of epidemics or infectious maladies they therefore compiled a series of sanitary regulations

(Lev. 13–14). Anyone coming into contact with a corpse or carrion, or suffering from purulent discharges from any part of his body, also required a thorough cleansing of himself and his belongings before being allowed back into the encampment (Num. 19:7–16; Lev. 15:2–13).

The garments, weapons, and utensils of soldiers returning to the camp after a battle had to be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected to prevent the spread of diseases possibly picked up during contact with the enemy (Num. 31:20, 22–24).

outhouse

Stop right there lassie!


It is written, Jesus traveled and healed for no charge. he did however want to be fed, and be able to preach at dinner.

Poor peasants in Galilee were his targets. He never once is said to have gone to the oppulance in cities he could see from his house looking at Sepphoris. He was a village healer only as written. People were dying of starvation, how much food do you think peasant families could afford? Food scraps, was as good as it was ever going to get.

Do you understand the diet these people survived on? Bread for a family took the wife atleast 3 hours to make, there would have been olive oil, vinigar to dip bread in. Legumes were common, lentils being predominant.

You can be sure his timing entering villages was key to his survival.



You do know Judaism has a history of helping its needy and poor dont you? Abba Umana used to give money back to those who were poor students. And Jesus healed for free.

Toto

Where in the gospels is Jesus portrayed as eating? Hmm .. the risen Jesus does eat a fish .. but before the resurrection, the gospels only portray Jesus as present where others are eating, or feeding his disciples or the multitudes.

But you never get the idea from the gospels that there was a lack of food. It's not like modern third world poverty. This was a traditional agricultural area. Josephus describes Galilee as Where do you get the idea that people were dying of starvation, except during wars?

outhouse

Because the rich Roman authors did not highlight the poverty they severely inflicted.

Roman oppression is the key word here. They were masters of bleeding cultures dry, stopping only short of death, choking their victims to the point of turning purple.