Science and the Bible
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- For criticism see Criticism of Science_and_the_Bible
The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament include information that can be used as a source for study of the history of science in the Iron Age Levant.
Contents |
Tanakh (Christian Old Testament)
The Bible opens with a historical reference to the creation of the universe. Part of that is the teaching that the sun, moon and stars were created on the fourth day of creation (Genesis 1:14–19) and that they were put into the expanse (usually translated as “firmament”) of the heavens. It was never defined how large that expanse is nor the relationship between the earth and the heavenly bodies. Most references to the heavenly bodies as well as the shape of the earth are idiomatic, therefore not to be taken as physical descriptions.
Leviticus 25:1-12 speaks of leaving fields fallow for a year, advice regarded sound by modern science.[1]
While modern agricultural science recognizes intercropping can be beneficial in providing increased resistance against pests and disease, and there is mounting scientific evidence that intercropping increase yields and sustainability, [2][3] the Jewish religious laws proscribe it(Lev. 19:19, Deut 22:9).
Leprosy is described in sufficient detail that it can be recognize not to be the same as modern leprosy. Modern leprosy is mainly a disease of the respiratory and nervous systems caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, where most injuries are self-inflicted. There is no cure. Ancient leprosy seems mainly a disease of the circulation system, mainly to the skin: the skin turns white (no blood) then becomes indented and ulcerated (skin dies off). Sometimes there is swelling around the ulceration. It is apparently easily caught, apparently caused by a fungus which also infects cloth, leather and even houses, that enters the body through breaks in the skin (cuts, burns, etc.). A person can become healed from it or remain infected the rest of his life. (Leviticus 13 and 14)
Deuteronomy 14:7 also described hares and rock badger as cud-chewers. While they have no compartmentalized stomachs that the modern definition of ruminants includes in order to be determined cud-chewers, the close relation to rumination is apparent in many English translations of the Bible, which use the word cud in an expanded sense to indicate food that is re-chewed through the coprophagy process used by lagomorphs.[4] [5] Coprophagy, the eating of their own feces, is used as a dietary supplement[6] through the production of special soft pellets, called cecotropes, which recycle B vitamins, fiber, and bacteria required for proper digestion.[7] [8] The cecotropes (or caecal pellets) are eaten directly from the anus, unless the animal is pregnant or obese.[7] This process is also used by guinea pigs. The Hebrew word refers to a repeated chewing of food, which fits both chewing the cud and cecotropy.
The Old Testament contains a variety of health related instructions, such as isolating infected people (Leviticus 13:45-46), washing after handling a dead body (Numbers 19:11-19), and burying excrement away from a camp (Deuteronomy 23:12-13).
The Mosaic code has provisions concerning the conservation of natural resources, such as trees (Deuteronomy 20:19-20) and birds (Deuteronomy 22:6-7).
Proverbs 6:6-8 described the ant as an industrious creature, "which having no chief, overseer, or ruler provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in harvest." Although ants are labeled as queens, workers, soldiers, and drones, biologist Deborah Gordon points out there is no authority in the queen as she does not oversee the workers.[9] She also states that "no ant is able to assess the global needs of the colony, or to count how many workers are engaged in each task and decide how many should be allocated differently".[9]
The correlation between mental and physical health has found much examination and discussion in modern psychiatric research.[10] [11] [12] Passages within the Book of Proverbs relate the two: Proverbs 12:4}}, Proverbs 14:30, Proverbs 15:30}}, Proverbs 16:24}}, Proverbs 17:22, and modern science has found that these proverbs contain accurate advice toward sound mental and physical well-being.[13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18]
New Testament
In the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:31, Luke 13:18–19), the Kingdom of God is compared to a mustard seed, "smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil" which "grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches". Gleason Archer points out that there are smaller seeds known, but they are not seeds planted upon the soil. Further, Jesus was speaking within the framework of ancient Palestinian farming.[19] While it is not clear what plant "mustard" is, the question of how the information necessary for the growth of an elaborate organism could be present in a tiny seed is presented. This question was not resolved until the discovery of DNA.
In the Parable of the Fruitless Fig Tree, (Luke 13:6–9) recognition is given to proper agricultural techniques in order to maximize fruit bearing, and without it, fruit trees may bear no fruit at all.
The New Testament mentions demons as responsible for some physical and mental illnesses (Matthew 17:14-20, etc.).[20]
According to James 5:14-16, faith healing can cure the sick. However, James chapter four shows why prayer and other similar actions, including faith healing, are often ineffectual.
- See also: Faith healing and Exorcism
Other writings sometimes included as Biblical by some groups
I have not read any of these, so cannot comment.
See also
References
- ^ Straczynska S. "The effects of leaving fields fallow upon selected fertility elements in soil", Acta Agrophysica (2001) 6:52, pp. 265-270
- ^ Andrews, D.J., A.H. Kassam. 1976. The importance of multiple cropping in increasing world food supplies. pp. 1-10 in R.I. Papendick, A. Sanchez, G.B. Triplett (Eds.), Multiple Cropping. ASA Special Publication 27. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI.
- ^ The Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Dec., 1982), pp. 901-916 (JSTOR Subscription required)
- ^ Brand, Leonard R. (1977). "Do Rabbits Chew the Cud?". Origins 4 (2): 102-104. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
- ^ "Are Rabbits Erroneously Called Ruminants in the Bible?". Bible Study Manuals. Retrieved on 2007-08-27.
- ^ Richardson, V.C.G. (2000). Diseases of Domestic Guinea Pigs, 2nd edition, Blackwell, pp. 50-51. ISBN 0-632-05209-0.
- ^ a b Terril, Lizabeth A. (1998). The Laboratory Guinea Pig. CRC Press, p. 41. ISBN 0-8493-2564-1.
- ^ Wagner, Joseph E. (1976). The Biology of the Guinea Pig. Academic Press, p. 236. ISBN 0-12-730050-3.
- ^ a b Gordon, Deborah. "Ants At Work: How An Insect Society Is Organized", Free Press (October 6, 1999), pg. 118. ISBN 0684857332. ("...the queen is not an authority figure. She lays eggs and is fed and cared for by the workers. She does not decide which worker does what.")
- ^ Somatic Presentations of Mental Disorders, (September 6-8, 2006)
- ^ The Cognitive Costs of Physical and Mental Health: Applying the Psychology of the Developed World to the Problems of the Developing World
- ^ Prevalence, Severity, and Co-occurrence of Chronic Physical Health Problems of Persons With Serious Mental Illness
- ^ Parsons, Greg W. (April-June 1993). "Guidelines for Understanding and Proclaiming the Book of Proverbs". Bibliotheca Sacra 150: 151-70. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Lea, Gary (December, 1982). "Religion, mental health, and clinical issues". Journal of Religion and Health 21 (4): 336-351. DOI:10.1007/BF02274140. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Goodnick, Benjamin (April, 1977). "Mental health from the Jewish standpoint". Journal of Religion and Health 16 (2): 110-115. DOI:10.1007/BF01533152. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Al-Krenawi, Alean (June, 2000). "Bedouin-Arab clients' use of proverbs in the therapeutic setting". International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling 22 (2): 91-102. DOI:10.1023/A:1005583920356. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Susan J. Bartlett, Ralph Piedmont, Andrew Bilderback, Alan K. Matsumoto, Joan M. Bathon (2003). "Spirituality, well-being, and quality of life in people with rheumatoid arthritis". Arthritis Care & Research 49 (6): 778-783. DOI:10.1002/art.11456. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/art.11456. Retrieved on 2008-05-29. ("By viewing their illness in a positive context, having hope and optimism about the future, flexible life goals, and a supportive social network, spiritual individuals may be more resilient to the host of challenges imposed by chronic illness. As noted long ago in the Old Testament, A merry heart doeth good like medicine; but a broken spirit drieth the bones (Proverbs 17:22).")
- ^ Mohr, Wanda K. PhD, RN, FAAN (August 2006). "Spiritual Issues in Psychiatric Care". Perspectives In Psychiatric Care 42 (3): 174–183. DOI:10.1111/j.1744-6163.2006.00076.x. Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ Archer, Gleason L. Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, Zondervan (1982), pg. 329.
- ^ Biblegateway.com, Topical Index, "Demons".
Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Science and the Bible" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_and_the_Bible, used under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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