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Duvduv

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This story of the healing of the lepers is evidence that the author of the gospel was not familiar with Jewish history or theology in such a matter.
Tsaraat was not leprosy.
According to Judaism tsaraat in the torah was not a physical disease but a sign of the person's sin of baseless slander. It could not be healed by anyone. The person only involved a priest to determine if the rash was indeed tsaraat or if it had disappeared. The outbreak could occur on a person's home where two walls converged or on their clothes as warnings.
However, this phenomenon disappeared with the destruction of the first Temple. Therefore there was nothing a priest had to do thereafter. But the Constantinian author would not have known this. But Jews would have.
 

HTacianas

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The healing of "leprosy" is found also in Matthew and Mark, who were indeed Jews who would have been familiar with the customs of the time.

The use of the term "leprosy" in the bible refers to any type of skin disease and is not necessarily what we would describe as leprosy today.
 
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Duvduv

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Yes, I know, but the usual description of tsaraat is called leprosy in English biblical references. As they were on their way to the priests it is clear that the reference is to tsaraat, which did not exist after the first Temple period
 
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HTacianas

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Yes, I know, but the usual description of tsaraat is called leprosy in English biblical references. As they were on their way to the priests it is clear that the reference is to tsaraat, which did not exist after the first Temple period

I'm sure there were more than enough skin problems during the second temple period.
 
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Duvduv

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Please read the narrative in Luke. It is clear the author wants to refer to the case as described in Leviticus 13 and the issue of purification. But Jewish sources explain that this spiritual disease ceased at the end of the First Temple.
 
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Steve Petersen

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Please read the narrative in Luke. It is clear the author wants to refer to the case as described in Leviticus 13 and the issue of purification. But Jewish sources explain that this spiritual disease ceased at the end of the First Temple.

More likely this 'special punishment' never existed.
 
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Soyeong

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Luke 5:12 While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”

I completely agree that the description of tsaraat does not at all fit the description of leprosy, though in defense of the translators, tsaraat is not an easy concept to translate and leprosy is probably the best bad description. It should be noted that in Luke 5:12, he asked to be made clean instead of to be healed of leprosy.
 
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Duvduv

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Quid est Veritas?

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More likely this 'special punishment' never existed.
Probably some form of Vitiligo. I read an article by a dermatologist on it once, who reviewed Biblical and Talmudic descriptions, who came to this conclusion.
 
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Duvduv

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I am pointing out again that the author of Luke was not familiar with the rabbinical tradition. The rabbinical tradition taught that tsaraat was not a physical disease that needed curing. It was a spiritual manifestation caused by the sin of causeless slander band and ceased to exist at the end of the first Temple. It no longer existed in the second Temple period.
 
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