Gad Barnea

And the people, the Jewish people are a people of leper, according to this Greek, to some of these Greek sources. And that was, of course, offensive to the Jewish people. And within the Torah, they polemicize against it. They fight against that idea. And they say, well, and that's why in the Torah you see so much about leprosy. There's so much dealing with leprosy and dealing with keeping pure.

And the people, the Jewish people are a people of leper, according to this Greek, to some of these Greek sources. And that was, of course, offensive to the Jewish people. And within the Torah, they polemicize against it. They fight against that idea. And they say, well, and that's why in the Torah you see so much about leprosy. There's so much dealing with leprosy and dealing with keeping pure.

I mean, leprosy was a fact of daily life in the ancient world. It wasn't something you would obsess over. But the Torah deals with leprosy all over the place, even with Moses. Moses is a leper for a short period of time in the story of the burning bush.

I mean, leprosy was a fact of daily life in the ancient world. It wasn't something you would obsess over. But the Torah deals with leprosy all over the place, even with Moses. Moses is a leper for a short period of time in the story of the burning bush.

I mean, leprosy was a fact of daily life in the ancient world. It wasn't something you would obsess over. But the Torah deals with leprosy all over the place, even with Moses. Moses is a leper for a short period of time in the story of the burning bush.

So in the story of the burning bush, he kind of puts his hand into his cloak and takes it out and it's leprous and then he puts it back in and it's healed. But then also all of the people have to deal with leprosy and there's a lot of rules about leprosy. Even leprosy of the house and the leprosy of the clothes. I mean things that are not natural, right?

So in the story of the burning bush, he kind of puts his hand into his cloak and takes it out and it's leprous and then he puts it back in and it's healed. But then also all of the people have to deal with leprosy and there's a lot of rules about leprosy. Even leprosy of the house and the leprosy of the clothes. I mean things that are not natural, right?

So in the story of the burning bush, he kind of puts his hand into his cloak and takes it out and it's leprous and then he puts it back in and it's healed. But then also all of the people have to deal with leprosy and there's a lot of rules about leprosy. Even leprosy of the house and the leprosy of the clothes. I mean things that are not natural, right?

And so this obsession with leprosy, I believe, is part of the pushback. against this kind of pejorative view of some of the Greek sources against the Jewish people.

And so this obsession with leprosy, I believe, is part of the pushback. against this kind of pejorative view of some of the Greek sources against the Jewish people.

And so this obsession with leprosy, I believe, is part of the pushback. against this kind of pejorative view of some of the Greek sources against the Jewish people.

Right. I mean, more specifically before the third century BCE, that corresponds to the founding of the library of Alexandria as a phenomenon.

Right. I mean, more specifically before the third century BCE, that corresponds to the founding of the library of Alexandria as a phenomenon.

Right. I mean, more specifically before the third century BCE, that corresponds to the founding of the library of Alexandria as a phenomenon.

Well, that's Alexander the Great and Ptolemy.

Well, that's Alexander the Great and Ptolemy.

Well, that's Alexander the Great and Ptolemy.

Childhood friends who studied in the academy, in Aristo's academy. And later with, I mean, Theophrastus, who was the heir of Aristo, took over the academy and was probably the visionary for the library of Alexandria or for the phenomenon of Alexandria. The reason I say phenomenon of Alexandria is is that Alexandria in antiquity was truly a science fictional city.

Childhood friends who studied in the academy, in Aristo's academy. And later with, I mean, Theophrastus, who was the heir of Aristo, took over the academy and was probably the visionary for the library of Alexandria or for the phenomenon of Alexandria. The reason I say phenomenon of Alexandria is is that Alexandria in antiquity was truly a science fictional city.

Childhood friends who studied in the academy, in Aristo's academy. And later with, I mean, Theophrastus, who was the heir of Aristo, took over the academy and was probably the visionary for the library of Alexandria or for the phenomenon of Alexandria. The reason I say phenomenon of Alexandria is is that Alexandria in antiquity was truly a science fictional city.