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The Laws of Moses Moses has been credited
with writing or collating the first five books of the "Bible". In
these writings we can find a mine of information about health and hygiene, as
well as many other subjects, but I have chosen to limit this discussion to
these two topics. Moses, it is written, gained the knowledge or inspiration
about these subjects through communication with his God, who gave as identity
the name ‘ I Am That I am ‘, or "Jehovah". Whatever your beliefs,
it can be kept in mind that in these books is information which, if put into
practical use could make you a happier and healthier person, assuming that
you are not already practising these precepts. It has often been said that
cleanliness is next to godliness, and with all the following edicts on
hygiene from the Pentateuch, it would seem that there is much truth in that
saying. Moses included in ‘Laws’
rules regarding the bathing of women to ensure hygiene was kept. In Leviticus
12, it is written: If women have conceived seed and born a male child, then
she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for
her infirmity shall she be unclean … and she shall then continue in the blood
of her purifying three and thirty days; shall touch no hallowed thing, nor
come into the sanctuary until the days of her purifying be fulfilled. If she bear a female child then she shall be unclean two weeks as
in her separation and shall continue in the blood of her purifying three
score and six days (a total of 80 days). That there is a difference
between the treatment of women after the birth of a
male or a female child is more likely to be attributable to the male
chauvinism of the Hebrew people at the time then it was a direct revelation
from God (Jehovah). Moses, being human, was as capable as others of
interpreting the ‘word of God’ to suit his cultural prejudices. If we look at
it from another point of view, it could be viewed that those women who gave
birth to a male child were being given extra kudos, particularly as its known
from present day statistics, that more male children are miscarried than
female, and although there are more male children born, by the age of
adulthood there are more female children who have survived. In a nation who
needed their male progeny for future soldiers in battle, males were seen to
be needed, as protectors of the nation. If we look at the
‘purifying’ period in terms of present medical knowledge, it seems that it
takes about three months before women’s hormonal balance returns to normal
after a birth. During this time the sinews and tendons which stretched in
preparation for the birth are still subject to the hormones flowing within
the body. If she were to resume her womanly tasks, which would have included
heavy lifting, for the first three months after a birth serious damage could
be done to these parts of the body thus affecting the muscular and skeletal
systems. Women who have damaged themselves through
under-exercise and over-exercise at this point, tend to have more difficulty
in future pregnancies as well as in their daily life. In both areas it
benefits a community if women are not ‘burnt out’ early owing to
childbearing. In the arduous life of the desert the women could easily have
been forced back into work immediately, just as one hears stories of women
just leaving the fields to give birth, and then returning later in the day.
The women in these societies are unfortunate for they tend to have a lower
life expectancy and suffer from crippling illnesses. Respect for them as
women is also lacking. At the end of her period,
‘her issue in her flesh be blood’ (Leviticus 16:19) and when bleeding has
finished following a birth which is usually between 7 and 14 days, a women
needed to bathe herself, along with other rituals before she was considered
to be ‘clean’. If a man was to ‘lie with her’ during this period of
separation he also was considered to be unclean. What is all this in the
light of modern day knowledge? With recent statistical knowledge regarding
cervical cancer, it appears that Jewish women, those brought up to keep the
laws related to hygiene, rarely suffer from this scourge. This has been
attributed by some to the fact that Jewish men practice circumcision. That may
be part of it, for male hygiene is necessary not only for the man’s health
but also for his mate’s. In land where water was scarce, these rules were
even more important, but their essence remains important today. If a man is
not circumcised he needs to be taught as a child how to keep the foreskin
area clean. In Urologists explain to their
patients that if the vaginal area is not kept clean with bathing (showers
will not suffice) then this area which has no other outlet for the secretions
of the womb and the vagina can become unhygienic and yeast infections such as
thrush can flourish, particularly if the acid-alkali balance of the body is
not functioning correctly. When sexual intercourse takes place and either
party is suffering from an infection of the genitals and reproductive area,
this infection can be transmitted to the other person. Now that more is
understood regarding the transmission of disease through blood, the sense of
a prohibition against a woman having sexual intercourse during her period of
menstruation becomes obvious. Unhygienic conditions in the vaginal area also effect the urethra if one is sexually active, or if the
basic feminine hygiene is incorrect, such as in a woman not having taught as
a child to wipe herself correctly after going to the toilet. If women were separated for
the duration of their ‘period’ they would have been tended to by the rest of
the community. This would be unlikely to have happened for every woman each
month, for once a girl started to menstruate, it was not long before she
married, and not long after that, that if she and her husband were fertile
she would give birth to a child. Then while she breast fed her children, she
would have been unlikely to have menstruated for up to three years. It is
theorized that one of the reasons for such a high incidence these days of
womb trouble, is that women were not made to repeatedly shed the linings of
their womb quite so often in their lives. Some illnesses such as endometritis – a thickening of the womb wall, has been dubbed the Career Woman’s Disease. In ages gone
by, women could count the number of menstruation’s
in their lifetime. A lowered food intake also limited the fertility of a
nation, just as it does today. Women who were not married suffered in many
ways, not the least of which being that they suffered from ‘the curse’ every
month. Their society also demanded that they have a male protector if not in
the form of a husband, then in the form of a son when the woman was an older
widow. If we look at various other
cultures, including those of the indigenous people of The rules regarding the
treatment of women who are menstruating are not just fairy tale
superstitions, but are verifiable by modern medicine as sensible and also as
being chivalrous towards women; seeing women as worthy of respect and
preferential treatment on such occasions. I’m not sure though how western women
would react to their father’s throwing a party when they got their first
period as the North American Indians did. Moses seems to have given
instructions regarding sacrifice of animals and birds as burnt offerings. It
is interesting to note that although Moses wrote in (Exodus 13:2) ‘Sanctify
unto me all first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb
among the children of Israel, both man and beast, it is mine’, this appears
to be a hangover from ancient practices when we look back to the time of
Abraham. At that time sacrifices of the first-born child, who was regarded as
the special property of the ‘deity’, occurred in Jeremiah testifies to the
fact that burn offerings and sacrifices were not ordered on the day This reminds me of one of
the passages in the New Testament when Jesus Christ speaks of those who cry,
‘Lord, Lord’, but whose heart were never with him. From looking at these
passages, it shows that within the laws which had great sense and saved many
lives, not just at the times of wandering through the desert but also
throughout the centuries, which have followed, there were also the vestiges
of practices which either the people found it difficult to relinquish or that
Moses found it expedient to retain. You must remember that his group of
people threatened to stone him when they were charged by him to try to break
through into As there were no facilities for nursing sick people nor the medicines
available, prevention was the emphasis of his edicts. The high priests were
the religious and medical police. The Israelite population
were largely illiterate so strict rules about health and hygiene had
to be incorporated into their religion. The first and most important stressed
cleanliness. It is also known that a similar emphasis can be found in the
religious practice of the Arabic people. They also being descendants of Abraham, used the left hand for performing any ablutions
and the right hand for any eating. This created extra problems for those who
had their right hand removed (cut off) owing to an infringement of the law,
particularly where eating was communal, these people had to wait until last,
sometimes starving or being fed by others. Moses was the first to
insist on hand washing after coming into contact with or being near any
unclean body or condition. The first duty of his people on rising was and is,
to wash their hands. Think ahead many centuries past the time of Moses to the
fighting men like Lister who had to get doctors to wash their hands in
between treating patients and to change their clothes which were covered in
filth and often blood. Some of the doctors who refused to listen would have
claimed to be ‘Christian’ and yet they didn’t know the very basics of their
religious practice. Strict rules were enforced
regarding the disposal of sewage. ‘You shall set off a place outside the
camp, and when you go out to use it, you must carry a spade among your gear
and dig a hole, have easement, and turn to cover the excrement’. Today our
public lavatories usually have running water and hand basins but Moses was
the first recorded as having insisted on hand washing after coming into
contact with or being near any unclean body or condition. All refuse from the
slaughter of animals was burned outside the camp and the slaughter did not
take place in the middle of everyday life. (Leviticus 1:4) It is unlikely that Moses
understood exactly how infectious diseases were transmitted but his
experience, particularly with the Egyptian army’s, had taught him that when
the healthy came into contact with the sick, they too often fell ill. He
therefore instigated quarantine measures. The sick were segregated. In
particular it is mentioned that those suffering from leprosy were so treated,
and by this measure alone, the disease was eradicated from the Twelve Tribes.
Later these people again came into contact with such contagious diseases when
the governing bodies of the countries in which they lived did not follow the
‘Laws of the Jewish people’. The writings in Leviticus
are quite specific that a person must be clear of their illness for a period
of time before they were no longer considered to be unclean and were accepted
back into society. In consideration of the wisdom herein, it is worth taking
note of the opinion of a Circumcision is mentioned
as bring a surgical removal of the foreskin of a male child. This is required
to be done after the eighth day. It is now known that the blood clotting
element in a babies body does not form until between
the firth and seventh day after birth. Prior to this, a child may have bled
to death. This practice of circumcision was instigated during the Age of
Aries, the ruler of which is Mars, here indicated through a cutting
instrument in connection with the genital area. Although circumcision of
females is not mentioned in the Bible, this practice has been carried out
over the centuries in various cultures, but is not always practiced in conjunction
with male circumcision, nor is there any hygienic reason for this practice.
The emphasis behind female circumcision is control and subjugation of women
by removing their likelihood of sexual pleasure. Many women who have had
their labia and clitoris removed in this way have also suffered from scarring
which hindered pain-free intercourse and caused difficulty in childbirth.
Female circumcision is more likely to be performed at the onset of puberty
than as a small child. (Deuteronomy 10:16)
‘Circumcise, therefore, the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff
necked’. There obviously were definite hygienic reasons for circumcision in
the desert, particularly when considering the lack of water for cleansing.
Moses still gave instructions regarding washing after sexual intercourse. The
emphasis put on the physical act of this surgical operation tended to obscure
the symbolic emphasis which is apparent behind much of the message Moses had
to give to ‘His People’. The ‘Circumcision’, the
control of the spiritual, the spirit, the heart of mankind was more important
and this is also evident when we look at the cutting, the control of the
sexual act and energy related to it. Moses was not indicating that no
pleasure should be gained through sexual intercourse between loving partners,
but the subservience to the desire nature of mankind, is the battle of
‘undoing’. Later the N.T gives evidence that this over-emphasis on the
physical act of circumcision obscured the view of the spiritual side of
things when arguments arose about this as being a necessary part of accepting
the Christian faith. (Clossians
3:11) ‘Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond or free, but
Christ is all and in all’. Just as the symbolic meaning behind the sacrifices
and burnt offerings which were to be discarded in later generations, had its
place in the perpetuation of the message which God (Jehovah) gave for the way
of mankind to find their way ‘back to God’. So did the other acts which
became part of religious ritual. The sacrifice of perfect first-born rams
prepared the way for an understanding of the sacrifice of the Messiah, (The
Lamb of God). There is now no need for any of us to continually sacrifice
ourselves unnecessarily and when, God willing, the Age of Aquarius brings
with it freedoms, it will also bring responsibilities, a time when we will have
to accept our sins without a scapegoat. It is this scapegoat philosophy which
is at the back of these ritual sacrifices. It is in keeping with the
philosophy behind confession with its cathartic release of guilt and anxiety,
complete with an absolution of sins. Fortunately or unfortunately, the
ancient law of Karma – an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth is still in
force as it has always been in the history of mankind, but the action –
reaction process is likely to take more than one lifetime to resolve. Much ridicule has been made
over the centuries about the Jews not eating pork, but there are much more to
the laws than just this one rule and quite a specific reason behind it. It is
necessary here to look at Leviticus 11, to see which animals were approved
for food and which were forbidden. The forbidden or ‘unclean’ beasts were
those who ‘divide not the hoof’ and this included the camel, the rock badger
and the pig. Camels are known to be carriers of a disease very similar to
syphilis. In order to get a camel onto a boat a man has the job of biting the
camels upper lip thus immobilizing it. The man who
does this job is scorned for he is considered a potential harbinger of
disease to this day. Pigs have no sweat glands and roll in their own muck in
order to cool down, if there is no water available. In tropical and
semitropical countries, trichina and other parasites are apt to infect pigs
and if the infected flesh is eaten, the eater may contract trichinosis – a
disease in which the trichina spiralis, a tiny
round worm, invade the voluntary muscles setting up inflammation. These trichina become encysted between the muscle fibers
and remain alive for years. Even today there is no satisfactory cure. It is
because of this that the Health Authorities advise the pork should be
thoroughly boiled. Rather than accept risks, both Moses and Mohammed banned
pork. If we look at the animals
which were approved for eating, those of cloved
hoof and chew their cud, it is obvious that these
are herbivores; cattle and sheep being notable. There appears here something
of interest when we consider the societies which have been influenced by the
Judeo-Christian practices that these animals are still the most common ones
for food. The ‘unclean’ animals were
also scavengers and would eat any rubbish or offal left lying around. The
fish in the water were also categorized. Those forbidden for eating had no
find and no scales. These included eels, whales, porpoises, shark, turtle and
crab. The whale is an excessively oily beast but it is unlikely the Hebrew
people would have needed to worry about this considering their climate and
inland seas, but some whales may have become beached and people may have been
tempted to eat them. These forbidden animals of the water are scavengers and
the large rivers mentioned the Biblical lands all had large cities built on
their banks and these cities disposed of their effluent into the rivers.
Shellfish, also forbidden food, are filtering agents. No-one in their right
mind would take shellfish from Moa Point in Wellington/New Zealand, as this
is one of the main sewerage outlets. There are large notices warning people
against collecting shellfish in this area. But three thousand years ago there
were no such warnings, nor was there the understanding of cause and effect
concerning diet and health. Moses also insisted that everything had to be
washed before before being cooked. Birds forbidden to be eaten
were the eagle, ossifrage, osprey, kite, falcon,
vulture, raven, ostrich, seagull, hawk, white owl, cormorant, horned owl,
swan, pelican, carrion eagle, stork, heron and lapwing. Each of these birds are scavengers. Snakes were also considered to be unclean
as were rodents, tortoises, chameleons, lizards, snails, bats and moles. When
we look at the history of plague, especially the ‘Black Death’, rodents were
considered to be responsible. It was at one time thought, that these animals
spread the plague by biting people, but it seems that fleas or similar
parasites which these rodents carried were actually responsible for the
spread of such mayhem. It was forbidden to east
any winged insects going on all fours, except locusts, beetles and
grasshoppers. I cannot claim to know or appreciate the nutritional value or
otherwise of these insects, but any insect which might carry venom or fed off
the dead bodies of scavengers or sucked blood would surely be suspect,
particularly in the light of present day knowledge regarding the transfer of
disease. It seems that the insects which are recommended for eating were herbivores
like the animals. (Leviticus 7:23) ‘Speak
unto the children of It is now days know, that toxins such as Agent Orange, 245-T and Dioxin
are stored in the fat cells of animals and human bodies. In humans it is
known that when a weight loss occurs these toxins, if they are in the body,
are released into the blood stream and lymphatic system. People who have
suffered adverse exposure to these toxins either by inhaling, swallowing them
with food and drink or by exposure to them on the skin, tend to maintain
their health as long as they can keep their weight up with some fat in their
bodies. Once their weight drops, so does their general health suffer. The
tragedy here is that these people so exposed tend to suffer from debilitating
illnesses which create severe weight loss by themselves. Moses unknowing
about the scientific reasoning was taking extra precautions against slow and
wasting illness among the people in his charge. Home Email About Alison Condensed
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