In the book of Samuel in the Old Testament is the following text: \u201cBut the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.\u201d 1 Samuel 5:6 (KJV)<\/p>\n
What are Biblical \u201cemerods\u201d (KJV)? \u201cHemorrhoids\u201d as in some other translations? \u201cTumors\u201d as in more recent translations? Or buboes?<\/p>\n
Most people know about the Black Death, the plague that killed a third to a half of the population of Europe in a few years around 1350 AD. But how many know of the plague among the Philistines about 1320 BC? In 1 Samuel 5 & 6 there is a description of a plague of swellings in the groins of the victims (\u201cthey had emerods in their secret parts\u201d). When the Philistines interpreted the plague as a result of their angering the God of the Israelites by their capturing of the Ark of the Covenant, the Philistines determined to send the Ark back with a guilt offering consisting of five gold \u201cemerods\u201d and five gold rats. Obviously they associated rats with the plague which certainly suggests that this was indeed bubonic plague.<\/p>\n
Now if only they had known of the rat fleas, they might have sent an offering of five gold fleas instead of the rats and saved themselves considerable gold!<\/p>\n
Gordon Short, MD<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In the book of Samuel in the Old Testament is the following text: \u201cBut the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.\u201d 1 Samuel 5:6 (KJV) What are Biblical \u201cemerods\u201d (KJV)? \u201cHemorrhoids\u201d as in some other translations? … Continue reading Is Bubonic Plague a Biblical disease?<\/span>