The condition borne by the “leprous” person in this passage is different from our modern idea of leprosy.

Based on the descriptions offered in Leviticus, this skin condition involved discoloration and ulceration of the skin, something akin to Hansen’s disease.

Whatever the exact nature of this condition, it was an ominous sign for an individual and their community.

“The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.” – Leviticus 13:45-46

Divine displeasure and community fear

Throughout the ancient Near East, leprosy was interpreted as a sign of divine displeasure.

The leper’s skin condition served as a visible indicator of divine wrath, threatening the well-being of the entire community.

Anxious to avoid divine violence, the community banished the leper from their midst.

The leper even enacted their own death by performing mourning rites—tearing their clothes and letting their hair hang loose.

By these means, the leper bore divine wrath a safe distance from everyone else.

Comparing ancient purity laws to modern quarantines

We might cringe at this prescribed treatment, labelling it barbaric or inhumane.

Yet we managed the recent global pandemic by similar means.

Those considered infected or potentially infected were quarantined to protect the rest of the community.

Rules and protocols were defined for where we could go and how we could act.

Looking back, we can appreciate the purity protocols that protected ancient Israel.

Just as we wore face masks to limit viral spread, the leper covered their lips and cried out to warn others.

While these practices may seem odd, the motivation behind them is remarkably similar to our own public health measures.

The social cost of scapegoating

There is another dimension to the leper’s treatment that exposes our own behaviour.

The leper is banished so that the community might live.

This collective impulse repeats whenever people unite against a scapegoat.

Like a cancer that threatens communal health, society believes it must eradicate the “unclean” to preserve itself.

We persecute, expel, or even destroy those we label evil. Our horrified reaction to Leviticus calls us to reflect on how we treat those we regard as dangerous.

• Dr Simon Skidmore is a Brisbane-based biblical scholar and educator. He is the creator of The Mimetic Exegete podcast, which applies mimetic theory to biblical texts, offering unique insights and practical applications. His recent book, Capital Punishment in the Pentateuch, explores ritual killing through René Girard’s mimetic theory.