The COVID-19 Virus, Illness, and Biblical Interpretation in Its Ancient Context

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Life and health are important values in the biblical tradition. These are directly challenged by the COVID-19 virus that has created disease and death around the world. While the death toll has not reached the more than sixty million estimated for the influenza epidemic a century ago, there is always too much loss of life from any disease such as this. This essay will evaluate the phenomenon.
The first part of the study examines plagues in the ancient world, especially those that occurred and were recorded in cultures closely related to ancient Israel. This includes the plagues that the Hittites of ancient Anatolia experienced and those in the correspondence from ancient Mari, both occurring in the second millennium BC. By examining the biblical teaching in its ancient Near Eastern context, it is possible to consider humanity and the value of the individual, biblical references to epidemics and illness, and the place of health and healing. Thus, work turns to examine the biblical teaching of the value of the human person as created in God’s image. This emphasizes the importance of health and healing for people, no matter what their status or place of origin. Examining examples of plagues in the Bible considers how biblical characters responded to this crisis. It compares and contrasts these responses to those of the surrounding West Semitic world. Health and healing in the Bible are then considered; noting how God works to heal and the responsibility of those who follow him. Conclusions summarize the work with importance on the distinctive nature of the Old and New Testaments view of the human person, the significance and treatment of largescale illness in the Bible, and what this may teach about responses today. In this regard, some specific directions arising from the biblical text are discussed in the conclusion.

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