The Effect of a Disease During the Time of Christ

Rating: Null/10 (14 September 2006)

I was particularly interested in the way the director, William Wyler, graphically depicted leprosy during the time of Christ and the affect it had on the people. Judah Ben Hur's mother, Miriam, and his sister, Tirzah, were imprisoned and found four years later having advanced cases of leprosy. They were let go and outcast to a leper colony, which was a deserted rock quarry with many caves. The unaffected citizenry feared the disease and avoided anyone who had it. The residents of the colony were fed by lowering food from the rim of the quarry.
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium lepta bacterium that can lead to desecration of the body or skin. The modern term for the disease is named after the discoverer of the bacterium, Gerhard Armauer Hansen.
Today, there are cures for this disease and it's effects have been reduced. For most people, a six month course of tablets for the milder form of leprosy and two years for the more severe form will cure them of the disease. However, for those who suffer a disabling reaction caused by the build-up of dead bacilli in the body, additional steroid treatment is given. According to recent figures from the World Health Organization (WHO), there has been a decreasing occurrence of new cases by 21% from 2003 to 2004, or approximately 107,000 cases. (RE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leprosy)