The Relationship of Modern Medicine to the Book of Laws ( The Pentateuch )

Theologians for centuries thought that many laws in the Pentateuch served a ceremonial function or aimed to distinguish Israel from the neighboring pagan cultures. In today’s world, there are many infectious and epidemic transmission of a variant of diseases that are killing human beings. This paper examines the escalation of the germ theory in the modern and postmodern world to prove that obedience to God’s rules confers essential health benefits. The paper used phenomenology, ethical, and evidential tools of philosophy, and theological approach in understanding how modern medicine relates to scriptural laws. The paper ascertains that the scriptural commandments as used by the priests confer medical benefits to the people if the modern culture is inclined to obey them. Some of the diseases in conceptualization are cancer, blood clotting, germs; parasites induced diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, and addiction, among others. The paper agrees that total obedience to Mosaic laws and complete trust in Biblical injunctions provide spiritual and physical fitness.

on transformations of the society, and culture information and the contemporary role of religion have a mutual predicament.
Medical knowledge was slow to advance since the priests were not considered healers, though their medical miracles were acknowledged. The Jewish medical profession was developed during the Hellenistic period in 332-152 B.C. God's deliverance of Israel from captivity in Egypt, made it clear, in that Israel would not be visited with the diseases inflicted on Egypt providing God's commandments were obeyed, "I am the Lord, your healer" (Exodus 15:26; Cf. Deut. 32:39, "I kill, and I make alive, I wound, and I heal." For the relationship between sickness and sin, see Deut. 28:15,21,22;[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]2 Chron. 21:6,19). To be well, which included health in its broadest sense, was expressed by the term shalom, "whose root denotes completion, fulfillment, wholeness, and a restored relationship with God" (Note 10) Since sickness, regarded as the result of sin, cut the believer off from God, the patient was considered ritually unclean and in a state of unholy.

Modern Medicine & Germ Theory
For centuries the Jews, distinguished themselves in the practice of medicine, a tradition reaching back to Talmudic times when rabbis were frequently acknowledged for their healing skills (Note 11). This trend developed during the medieval period in Europe, when Jews, excluded from practically all the learned professions, turned to medicine as a means of livelihood (Note 12). As a result, the Jews have been esteemed for their medical skills. In this present time, continue to occupy a distinguished position in the medical profession throughout the world (Note 13).
The most spectacular medical advance of the 19th century was the conclusive demonstration that certain diseases, as well as the infection of surgical wounds, were directly caused by minute living organisms. This discovery changed the whole face of pathology (Note 14) and upshot a complete revolution in the practice of surgery. Another pioneer in bacteriology (Note 15) was German physician Robert Koch, who showed how bacteria could be cultivated, isolated, and examined in the laboratory.
Koch discovered the organisms of tuberculosis (Note 16) and cholera (Note 17) in 1882, and 1883, respectively. In the first half of the 20th century, emphasis continued to be placed on combating infection. In the years following World War II, insights derived from cell biology altered basic concepts of the disease process. Discoveries in biochemistry and physiology opened the way for more precise diagnostic tests and more effective therapies, and spectacular advances in biomedical engineering enabled the physician and surgeon to probe into the structures and functions of the body by noninvasive imaging techniques such as ultrasound (sonar), computerized axial tomography (CAT), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (Note 18). to an intelligent designer, known in theism as God. This same God gave the Mosaic Laws to protect human beings from diseases. There is denotative concordance in the diseased human states with revised cultures, environment, and ecology. Every cognitive process, including the conceptualization or generalization of some perceived facts-such as diseased human states-entails an emotional aspect.
Also, every evaluative process related to a fact, especially a social one is based on cognitive-emotional processes (Note 20). In this regard, values are often understood as the criteria human beings consider to select and justify behavior, to evaluate the others and us, to assess events in general, and to make decisions (Note 21). Not only the value of human life stands out, but the value of useful life, i.e., the concept of healthy human life ("health"), which has prevailed throughout entire human history (Note 22). With the progressive development of language, such states were descriptively denominated, first orally, and then in writing. Analytic Philosophy of Religion emphasizes on religious language.
Since scientific and technological advances have allowed for differentiation in living organisms' components (organs, cells, molecules), the terms to denote overall physical weakness or suffering states (disease, and illness) would not be the most adequate anymore. Indeed, strictly speaking, proposing that both a cell and an organ experience a sick state is not the most appropriate. According to current knowledge related to both neurocognitive processes and linguistics, all reviewed designations about "disease" would not be the most adequate if they are to refer only to the human being global state (perceived as physical weakness or suffering) and not include other biological systems (organs and cells).

The Mosaic Laws and Their Medical Benefits
In biblical times sickness and death were interpreted, as God's punishment for disobedience to his will.
It is presumed that punishment was in the hand of God, and so was healing. Specific Old Testament laws are efficacious in modern medicine. Moses left a legacy of unmatched medical advancement. The Law is more noteworthy because thereby a significant source of the food supply is cast away as useless. Whence had the Biblical writer this insight, two or three thousand years in advance of his day (Note 31)?
In furtherance to the claims of respected medical scholars, this paper will now examine specific passages of the O.T. concerning its efficacy to modern medicine.

Leviticus 13-15
Leviticus 13-15 depicts Laws instructing people to wash after touching the dead or sick; the Quarantine (isolate) law of diseased individuals and anything they touch, and competent laws at limiting the spread of disease. In Leviticus 13 alone, 46 instances can be found, but none in chapter 14, although it also deals with scale disease (Note 32). Of these 46 instances, 34, that is, about 75%, refer to some human skin disorder (Note 33). This is also almost two-thirds of the total of 56 explicit references to the human skin in the Old Testament. As Hartley (Note 34) pointed out, the diagnoses in this Leviticus 13 had to be accurate, as the consequences could be so severe. Incidentally, some rabbinic sources claim verse 33 in this chapter to be the exact middle of the Pentateuch (Note 35). There are seven categories of skin appearances in Leviticus 13: a shiny mark, which is probably a scab, white discoloration (not swelling) (Note 36), a boil, a burn from a fire, a scar, a scall, literally a 'tearing-off', a tetter or a variety of leukoderma, vitiligo, which has no flaking, alopecia on his head or crown or from the front part of his forehead and more particularly a white-reddish mark on his bald crown or bald forehead. The five symptoms, some of which are common to several of these seven appearances, are whether the mark is deeper or lower than the skin, in These skin appearances are dealt with in Leviticus 13-14 between the associated conditions of the two transitional processes of childbirth in chapter 12 and one who has an issue, i.e., a genital discharge in chapter 15, both to be privately controlled whereas scale diseases were a public and visible matter, dealt with only by professionals, the priests (Note 37) who themselves acted as "skin" by mediating the inside and the outside of the social body: the priest had to leave the camp in Leviticus 14:3 and so opens himself up for "infection" in the presence of the patient.
The purification rituals for all three states are also similar though not identical. All three involved the prohibition to touch: those in chapters 12 and 15 to control the sexual drive and that in chapters 13-14 to control the aggressive drive (Note 38). All three were seen as some 'emission.' All three threaten the integrity of the body by the breach of the body's containing walls and thus making it vulnerable and countering the creation of boundaries by God who, when angry destroys this order and floods the world with emissions (Note 39).

Bodily Discharges
There are four types of bodily discharges mentioned in Leviticus 15, and all the four rendered one "unclean" for at least seven days and required sacrifices to be declared "clean" again. The four types of discharge are (1)  The latter is based upon the Greek version of the Old Testament (Septuagint), and most commentators accept this diagnosis. The striking thing about the uncleanness associated with these discharges is that not only the affected person became unclean, but also people and objects that came in contact with him, and these in their turn could become secondary sources of uncleanness. The type of uncleanness was more "infectious" than the uncleanness of skin diseases dealt with (in chapters 13 and 14), or unclean animals (in chapter 11). For example, any "bed" (verse 4-5), chair (verse 6), or "saddle" (verse 9), became unclean and also a source of secondary pollution. Verses 16-18 contain regulations governing an occasional emission of semen. The "seed of copulation" (Literally "outpouring of seed"), in intercourse (verse 18), or at other times (verses 16-17), also caused pollution (compare Exodus 19:15;Lev. 22:4;1 Sam. 21:5;2 Sam.11: 11). No sacrifice was required, but the man and woman had to wash and wait until evening, verse 16-18. The practical effect of this legislation was that when a man had religious duties to perform, whether this involved worship or participation in God's holy wars, sexual intercourse was not permitted. Verses 19-24, relate to women and the intermittent discharges associated with menstruation. Then certain rules governing a chronic emission are dealt with in verses 25-30.

Circumcision
Circumcision is the surgical removal of the prepuce, or foreskin, of a male. The word 'circumcise' literally means "to cut around." As a religious rite, circumcision was required of all of Abraham's descendants as a sign of the covenant God made with him (Genesis 17:9-14; Acts 7:8 practice circumcision (Joshua 5:2-3; Luke 1:59; Acts 16:3; Philippians 3:5). The rite of circumcision was given to Abraham in Genesis 17. All the males among God's people were to be physically marked (on the sexual organ) as set apart for the Lord. Abraham and all his "seeds" were to "walk before God faithfully and be blameless" In the light of circumcision as a covenantal sign, an entire chapter These bible passages are to dispose of excrement and blood properly. The effective disposal will save people from contagious diseases and epidemics.

Addiction
In avoiding addictions, one will be spared one from alcohol, drug, and tobacco-related diseases (Pr 20: 1;(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35). The general meaning and thesaurus of addiction are Habit, Compulsion, Dependence, Need, Obsession, Craving, and Infatuation. To be an addict is to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively. Addiction is the quality or state of being addicted. The causes and meaning of addiction vary from people to people depending on perspective and background: • Addiction to some is a failure of morality, a spiritual weakness, sin, or crime by people who will not take responsibility for their behavior. To these people if addicts want to self-destruct, let them; it is their fault; they choose to abuse themselves.
• For the teetotaler and politicians, it is a self-control problem. • For sociologists, it is poverty.
• For educators, it is ignorance.
• Psychiatrists or psychologists will say personality traits; temperament and character are at the root of addictive personalities.
• Biologically oriented people will consign it to the genes and heredity.
• Social-learning & cognitive-behavior theorists will say it is a case of conditioned response, intended or unintended reinforcement of inappropriate behaviors • To Anthropologists, addiction is culturally determined • Dan Quayle, an American citizen, blames addiction on the breakdown of family values.
• The most popular theory is that addictive behavior diseases.
There are various types of addiction that break family values and turn upside down the unity in a family. The new view on addiction is that addiction theories and policies are woefully outdated. Research shows that there are no demon drugs; nor are addicts innately defective. Nature supplies all people with the ability to become hooked, and all engage in addictive behaviors to some degree. However, the brain, mind, and behavior specialists are re-thinking the whole notion of addiction. With help from neuroscience, molecular biology, pharmacology, psychology, and genetics, they are challenging their hard-core assumptions and famous "certainties" and finding surprisingly common characteristics among addictions. They are using new imaging techniques to see how addiction looks and feels and where cravings "live" in the brain and mind. They are concluding that things are far from hopeless and they are rapidly replacing conjecture with facts. "Everyone engages in addictive behaviors to some extent because such things as eating, drinking, and sex are essential to survival and highly reinforcing (Note 41)", The fact remains that personality without God tends towards addiction. When a man realizes that he is God's creation and everything about him including his activities are from the hand of God, and without God, can never be whole or happy; addiction will only then become extinct. According to King Solomon, God gives wisdom, knowledge one, and happiness to those that please Him. Those addicted are looking for these things that only God can give.

Conclusion
The uniqueness of the medical benefits from the Mosaic laws transcends generations and centuries, which support the theism belief in God. Some scholars term these laws as a ceremonial function of the priests but have served to prevent infectious and epidemic transmission of diseases. In essence, obedience to God's laws confers health benefits. Humankind will continue to enjoy spiritual and physical fitness as long as they obey God's laws. The duty of the priest, therefore, included the protection of the community from infectious disease.
Similarly, the priests also possessed some knowledge of medicine, as witnessed in the treatment by Elijah of the dead son of the widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-23). On the restoration of her son, the widow acknowledged Elijah as a man of God in whose mouth "the word of the Lord is the truth" (v. 24). Whether these miracles were the result of natural phenomena or not, they were carried out by God's agents, the priests, and prophets, whose function was to act on the Lord's behalf. Modern medicine agrees to the prophylactic and curative dimensions of the Pentateuch laws.