by truthseeker 7 Replies latest watchtower bible
I was always fascinated by the Apostle Luke. As a physician, what kind of medical knowledge would he have in the 1st century, and where would he have learned it?
The only vague reference to his profession was Luke 8:43 " A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any"
Next there is nothing in Luke or Acts (written by or more likely edited by same hand) that suggests trained medical knowledge. Many years ago HJ Cadbury wrote The Style and Literary Method of Luke that showed that the language in Luke/Acts reveals no more medical knowledge than what was commonly known.
Next the woman with a flow of blood for 12 years, seems to have been a protoGnostic contribution to the Jesus miracles. Later Gnostics understood the story as drawn from Egyptian mythology wherein appparently Horus cures a woman (Sophia) bleeding for 12 years. At any rate the "12" (celestrial/astrological number) gives the symbolic/mystical intent of the story away.
But, what would any doctor from 2000 years ago know? - Probably not much more than bleeding with leaches, the basic four elements, and what poultice to apply for "the vapors".
The gospel of Mark (especially 8:22-26) seems to assume an extramissionary theory of vision:
http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/10/67190/1.ashx
This was the contemporary understanding that vision is produced by beams of light originating in the eyes and illuminating the things that people see.
The reason Luke is considered to have been a doctor is the statement at Colossians 4:14 - "Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you."
I remember there was one scholar who claimed that Luke was actually a horse doctor! If anyone knows about this, perhaps they can inform us.
At any rate, for the medical knowledge available in the first century, I would recommend Hippocrates (the "Father of Medicine") who lived four centuries prior, and perhaps Galen - although he lived two centuries later.
For Hippocrates, see Internet Classics Archive/Works by Hippocrates .
For Galen, http://www.med.virginia.edu/hs-library/historical/antiqua/galen.htm .
Wow, some excellent points to consider there!
About 10-40 AD Celsus (???s??) a Roman physician writes the eight volume "De Medicina" that is a part of a larger encyclopedia. It was among the first medical texts to be published by the printing press in 1478. Many of the practices were used up till the 19th century. He named heat, pain, redness, and swellings as the four telltale signs of inflammation. He discussed such topics as: the history of medicine, diet and regimen, fevers, ulcers, venereal disease, facial plastic surgery using skin transplants, antiseptics, eye surgery, surgical hygiene, heart disease, the use of ligatures to stop arterial hemorrhage, insanity, hydrotherapy, tonsillectomy, oral and dental surgery, and the removal of bladder stones.from http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/TLMedicine.htm ~Merry
I wanted to retract a part of the earlier comment I made about the woman healed after 12 years. I picked that up from an antiquated book and forgot that when I sought out the source I came up empty. It is true that certain Gnostic Christians understood it as a Sopia reference and the number 12 figured in somehow but I can't recall in detail the connections beyond that. Anyway the story variations are interesting and worth a thread by themselves.
