2025/01/03 by Tom de Bruin · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · #Art #Biblical studies #Classical Philosophy and Thought #Exorcism #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies #Judaism #Literature #Medieval and Classical Philosophy #Philosophy #Theology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1163/15685365-bja10089
openalex publication_date 2025/01/03 · openalex created_date 2025/01/09 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract In Mark 9:43–48, Jesus suggests amputating an eye, hand or foot in response to sinfulness. This article contextualises Jesus’s sayings among ancient Jewish traditions of the body and the demonic. Several ancient Jewish texts associate demons with specific body parts. The author here argues that it is not unreasonable to propose that Jesus’s command to auto-amputate was an exorcistic suggestion. In some ancient Jewish and early Christian contexts, sinfulness was understood as a demonic force that has gained control over a specific organ, and excision would have been a viable therapeutic solution.