(5.) The fifth case is leprosy which shows itself in white polished spots, and is not regarded as unclean (Lev. xiii, 38, 39). It is called hohak (pri3, from pr!3, tobe n'hite), or, as the Sept. has it, aX(t>ug, vitilirjo alba, white scurf.
(6.) The sixth case is of leprosy either at the back or in the front of the head (Lev. xiii, 40-44). When a man loses his hair either at the back or in the front of his head, it is a simple case of baldness, and he is clean (ver.40,4]). But if a wliitish red spot forms itself on the bald place at the back or in the front of the head, then it is leprosy, which is to be recognised b}' the fact that tlie swelling or scab on the spot has the appearance of leprosy in the skin of the body; and the priest is to declare the man's head leprous audimclean (ver. 42-44). Though there is only one symptom mentioned whereby head leprosy is to be recognised, and nothing is said about remanding the patient if the distemper should appear doubtful, as in the other cases of leprosy, yet the ancient rabbins inferred from the remark, " It is like lep- rosy in the skin of the flesh," that all the criteria spec- ified in the latter are implied in the former. Hence the Hebrew canons submit that "there are two symptoms which render baldness in the front or at the back of the head unclean, viz. live or sound flesh, and spreading; tlic patient is also shut up for them two weeks, because it is said of them that ' they are [and therefore must be treated] like leprosy in tlie skin of the flesh'" (Lev. xiii, 43). Of course, the fact that the distemper in this instance develops itself on baldness^ precludes white hair being among the criteria indicating uncleanness. The manner in which the patient in question i* de- clared luiclean by two symptoms and in two weeks is as follows: " If live or sound flesh is found in the bright sjxit on the baldness at the back or in the front of the head, he is pronounced unclean ; if there is no live flesh he is shut up and examined at the end of the week, and if live flesh has developed itself, and it has spread, he is declared unclean, and if not he is shut up for another week. If it has spread during this time, or engendered live flesh, he is declared unclean, and if not he is pro- noimced clean. He is also pronounced unclean if it spreads or engenders sound flesh after he has been de- clared clean" {Negaim, x, 10 ; Maimonides, On Leprosy, V, 9, 10).
2. Reyidations about the Conduct and Purification of leprous Men. — Lepers w'ere to rend their garments, let the hair of their head hang down dishevelled, cover themselves up to the upper lip, like mourners, and warn off every one whom they happened to meet by calling out " Unclean ! unclean !" since they defiled every one and everytliing they touched. For tliis reason they were also obliged to live in exclusion outside the camp or city (Lev. xiii, 45, 4G ; Numb, v, 1-4; xii, 10-15; 2 Kings vii, 3, etc.). " The very entrance of a leper into a house," according to the Jewish canons, " renders ev- erything in it unclean" {Neyaim, xii, 11; Kelim, i, 4). " If he stands under a tree and a clean man passes by, he renders him unclean. In the synagogue which he wislies to attend they are obliged to make him a sep- arate compartment, ten handbrcadths high and four cu- bits long and broad ; he has to be the first to go hi, and the last to leave the synagogue" {Neyaim., xii, 12 ; Mai- monides, On Leprosy, x, 12) ; and if he transgressed the
prescribed boundaries he was to receive forty stripes {Pesachim, G7, «). All this only applies to those who had been jironounced lepers by the priest, but not to those who were on quarantine {Neyaim, i, 7). The rabbinic law also exempts women from the obligation to rend their garments and let the hair of their head fall down {Sota, iii, 8). It is tlierefore no wonder that the Jews regarded leprosy as a living death (comp. Jo- sephus, ^4 ?if. iii, 11,3, and the well-known rabbinic say- ing r'23 SViTn ""ll^J'S), and as an awful punishment from the Lord (2 Kings v, 7 ; 2 Chron. xxvi, 20), which they wished all their mortal enemies (2 Sam. iii, 29 ; 2 Kings V, 27).
The healed leper had to pass through two stages of purification before he could be received back into the community. As soon as the distemper disappeared he sent for the priest, who had to go outside the camp or town to convince himself of the fact. Thereupon the priest ordered two clean and live birds, a piece of cedar wood, crimson wool, and hyssop ; killed one bird over a vessel containing spring water, so that the blood might run into it, tied together the hyssop and the cedar wood with the crimson wool, put about them the tops of the wings and the tip of the tail of the living bird, dipped all the four in the blood and water which were in the vessel, then sprinkled the hand of the healed leper seven times, let the bird loose, and pronounced the restored man clean (Lev. xiv, I 7; Neyaim, yM, 1). The healed leper was then to wash his garments, cut off all his hair, be immersed, and return to the camp or city, but re- main outside his house seven daj-s, which the Mishna {Neyaim, xiv, 2), the Chaldee Paraphrase, Maimonides {On Leprosy, xi, 1), etc., rightly regard as a euphemism for exclusion from connubial intercourse during that time (ver. 8), in order that he might not contract impurity (comp. Lev. xv, 18). With this ended the first stage of purification. According to the Jewish canons, the birds are to be " free, and not caged," or sparrows ; the piece of cedar wood is to be " a cubit long, and a quar- ter of the foot of the bed thick ;" the crimson wool is to be a shekel's weight, i. e. 320 grains of barley ; the hys- sop must at least be a handbreadth in size, and is nei- ther to be the so-called Greek, nor ornamental, nor Ko- man, nor wild hyssop, nor have any name whatever ; the vessel must be an earthen one, and new ; and the dead bird must be buried in a hole dug before their ej'es {Neyaim, xiv, 1-G ; Maimonides, On Leprosy, xi, 1),