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Job's Disease

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature

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The opinion that the malady under which Job suffered was elephantiasis, or black leprosy, is very ancient, and, in modern times, it is entertained by the best scholars generally. The passages which are considered to indicate this disease are found in the description of his skin burning from head to foot, so that he took a potsherd to scrape himself (); in its being covered with putrefaction and crusts of earth, and being at one time stiff and hard, while at another it cracked and discharged fluid (); in the offensive breath which drove away the kindness of attendants (); in the restless nights, which were either sleepless or scared with frightful dreams (; ); in general emaciation (); and in so intense a loathing of the burden of life, that strangling and death were preferable to it ().

In this, as in most other Biblical diseases, there is too little distinct description of symptoms to enable us to determine the precise malady intended. But the general character of the complaint under which Job suffered, bears a greater resemblance to elephantiasis than to any other disease [LEPROSY].