Leprosy

Leprosy, as described in ancient and biblical literature, does not correspond to what is now called Hansen’s disease. Instead, the term was used for a range of visible conditions affecting skin, hair, clothing, or even buildings. These conditions were identified by appearance and change over time rather than by medical cause. In these texts, leprosy functioned as a system of classification that affected social and ritual participation, not as a diagnosis of disease or a sign of moral failure. Hansen’s disease, by contrast, is a specific bacterial infection defined by modern medical criteria and should not be projected back onto ancient descriptions.