Table Of ContentM
In chapters that range from Babylonian and Biblical medicine to health and
medicine under Ottoman and British Mandate authority to mainstream and
E
complementary medical services in Israel today, this excellent collaborative
volume by a diverse range of first-rate scholars presents a panoramic yet rich D
and detailed account of, as its title states, ‘Medicine: From Biblical Canaan to
Modern Israel.’ It is certain to be widely consulted as the authoritative reference I
C
w ork for years to come.
Theodore M. Brown, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of History and Public Health I
Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA N
In this book leading historians and physicians tell the history of medicine in Israel E
and the Holy Land. They take us from Babylonian cuneiform medical records and
their influence on the Talmud, through the Biblical and Talmudic periods to devel-
opments during Ottoman times and finally the British Mandate, when the Jewish F
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community created many of the health bodies which were crucial for the new State. o
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Included in the comprehensive coverage of topics are: a chapter on Military
Medicine which covers the era of the Crusaders, Napoleon’s Campaign at Jaffa B
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and Acre, Allenby’s Palestine Campaign and medical innovations from Israel’s b
l
wars; while the traditional, or folk, medicine of Arabs and Jews and the history of ic
a
Islamic medicine, including the contribution of leading Jewish physicians such as
l
Maimonides, is also presented. C
MEDICINE
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The book considers medical care in contemporary Israel. The modern era
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chapters consider the delivery of health care and its parameters, emergency a
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medicine and key ethical issues which have impacted on medicine. Two n
chapters describe the importance of rehabilitation medicine, for Israel’s disabled, t
o From Biblical Canaan to Modern Israel
and the growing interest in complementary, or alternative, medicine. The book
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concludes with a chapter on Medicine in Israel Today highlighting the research
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and innovation for which Israel is known internationally. d
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This book will appeal to all those interested in the history of medicine from
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ancient to modern times, and also those who wish to see how important aspects
of medicine are provided in today’s Israel. Is
ra
Stuart Stanton is a retired Professor of Urogynaecology, London University. He has worked as e
a volunteer physician at Hadassah, Ein Kerem and helped pioneer Urogynaecology in Israel. l
Kenneth Collins is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the History of Medicine at the
University of Glasgow and Visiting Professor, History of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. KS
et
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Cover images: Cuneiform tablet by Florentina Badalanova Geller. na
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First responder on motorbike. Courtesy: Magen David Adom. ert
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VALLENTINE MITCHELL
Catalyst House 814 N. Franklin Street
720 Centennial Court Chicago
Centennial Park IL 60610
Elstree WD6 3SY, UK USA
Stuart Stanton and Kenneth Collins
VALLENTINE VALLENTINE Edited by
MITCHELL www.vmbooks.com MITCHELL
00-Prelims_Layout 1 2/18/2021 12:38 PM Page i
MEDICINE
From Biblical Canaan to Modern Israel
EDITED BY
Stuart Stanton and Kenneth Collins
VALLENTINE MITCHELL
LONDON • CHICAGO
00-Prelims_Layout 1 2/18/2021 12:38 PM Page ii
First published in 2021 by Vallentine Mitchell
Catalyst House, 814 N. Franklin Street,
720 Centennial Court, Chicago, Illinois,
Centennial Park, Elstree WD6 3SY, UK 60610 USA
www.vmbooks.com
Copyright © Vallentine Mitchell 2021
Individual chapters © contributors 2021
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:
An entry can be found on request
ISBN 978 1 912676 73 6 (Cloth)
ISBN 978 1 912676 74 3 (Ebook)
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data:
An entry can be found on request
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, reading or otherwise, without the prior
permission of Vallentine Mitchell & Co. Ltd.
01-Body_Layout 1 2/18/2021 1:26 PM Page iii
Contents
Foreword by Leslie Turnberg v
Acknowledgements vii
List of Illustrations viii
List of Contributors ix
Introduction 1
1. Introduction to Theory in Babylonian Medicine 12
MarkhaMJ. Geller
2. Surgery and Medicine in the Bible and Talmud 39
A. Surgery 39
SaMuelkottek
B. Medicine 65
kennethCollinS
3. Islamic and Jewish Traditional Medicine 72
A. Islamic: Aspects of Amulets, Charms and Evil Eye 72
arefabu-rabia
B. Traditional Jewish Medicine 92
kennethCollinS
4. Islamic Medicine from the Eighth to Eighteenth Centuries 109
arefabu-rabia
5. The History of Military Medicine in the Holy Land 126
eranDolev
6. Health and Medical Services in Ottoman Eretz Israel 151
MiriShefer-MoSSenSohn
01-Body_Layout 1 2/18/2021 1:26 PM Page iv
iv Medicine: From Biblical Canaan to Modern Israel
7. Medicine in British Palestine, 1919-1948 168
kennethCollinS
8. Health Schemes and Health in Israel 194
naDavDaviDovitCh
9. Rehabilitation Medicine in Palestine and Israel 219
aviohryanDnavabluM
10. Emergency Medical Services in Israel and Abroad 237
A. Magen David Adom 237
B. United Hatzalah 253
roManSonkin, urielGolDberGanDeliJaffe
11. Medical Ethics in Israel 258
ShiMonGliCk
12. Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Israel 276
MenaCheMoberbauM
13. Medicine in Israel Today 290
JuDySieGel-itzkoviCh, StuartStantonanDkennethCollinS
index 315
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Foreword
Leslie Turnberg
israel has taken the lead in so many ways. it is making remarkable progress,
from artificial intelligence to cyber-security and from research to
innovation. it is hardly surprising then that in medicine and health care too
it excels. research in its institutions and universities is leading to novel
diagnostic tools and treatments for disease.
its health care system ensures that its whole population has access to
high quality care, and it is based on the strong ethical principle of the
sanctity of life regardless of religion or ethnicity. a visit to any hospital
provides a heartening picture of the care being given to children and adults
from Gaza, the West bank and across the Middle east. the care system is
at ready alert to cope with any emergency arising from war or terrorism.
and its volunteer medical force is ready, at the drop of a hat, to fly out
around the world to assist at scenes of devastation, as was the case in haiti
and nepal in recent years.
of course, israeli medicine did not reach this enviable position
overnight and this book, in a series of erudite and authoritative essays, lays
out, in a clear and accessible way, the history of medicine in the holy land
from the time of the babylonians until today.
Jews have always been drawn to medicine. the combination of
intellectual challenge together with a desire to assist those in need is a very
Jewish characteristic and it is that which has led many into medicine. and
that history has many towering figures, from rabbi abbaye in the third and
fourth century Ce who wrote of many therapies in the talmud, to Moses
Maimonides in twelfth-century Spain and Cairo, and on to recent israeli
medical nobel laureates: Daniel kahneman, a psychologist/economist,
aharon Ciechanover and avraham hershko (both medical men, one a
surgeon, but typically gained their prize in Chemistry). this is hardly
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vi Medicine: From Biblical Canaan to Modern Israel
unexpected, since the Jews were spread across the world in the diaspora for
2,000 years, that they imbibed much of their medical knowledge and
practice from wherever they were.
the influence of the cultures of the byzantines, the Persians, the Greeks
and the romans is clearly laid out here. there is so much of intriguing
interest in this history of pre-israeli medicine and i learnt so much of this
period that i had not grasped before. and then, we come to the british
influence during the Mandate period in the last century. but it is clear that
the zionists, valuing health and education above most else, relied on
themselves using funds derived from the Jewish diaspora. they sought, and
received, little from the Mandate administration as they set up their clinics
and hospitals.
there is much else of interest here. a chapter on ‘Popular Medicine’ as
described in the bible and talmud is a revelation. it is fascinating to learn
that the talmud recommended that no wise person should live in a town
where there was no doctor. for those unfamiliar with medical practice in
the ottoman period in the Middle east it has been generally assumed to be
primitive and fatalistic. but Professor Shefer-Mossensohn disabuses us of
that view in her description of a more sophisticated system of medicine
gleaned from her analysis of arabic and ottoman sources.
the medical picture is brought right up to date in a series of chapters
on modern medical practice in israel. We are enlightened by essays on the
modern health care system, on emergency and military medicine, on
rehabilitation medicine and on the underlying ethical principles of
medicine. it is a feast of information on ancient and recent history of
medicine with clear expositions on the state of modern medicine in israel
today, describing in detail many of the innovations which have transformed
aspects of medicine across the globe.
the editors are to be congratulated on gathering such a remarkably well
informed and lucid group of authorities together in one volume.
leslie turnberg, baron turnberg of Cheadle, is a former Consultant
Gastroenterologist, Professor of Medicine and Dean of the Medical faculty
at the university of Manchester. he is a former President of the royal
College of Physicians and was made a life Peer in 2000.
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Acknowledgements
We express our gratitude to the authors who have co-operated in the production of
this book, which tells a story which we felt from the outset needs to be told. as
editors we have enjoyed our contacts with the authors and our partnership has been
one of effective co-operation. We have to thank avi ohry for bringing us together
and helping us to take the important steps in defining the scope of the book.
We are delighted to thank David Dangoor for the sponsorship of Dangoor
education in the publication of this book. Dangoor education is part of the
philanthropy of the exilarch’s foundation which provides support to major
institutions in britain and israel, associated with health, education and interfaith
activities, as well as to charities associated with Sephardi Jewish heritage and the
story of the Jewish community of iraq.
We are also grateful to David and Marion Cohen for their generous support.
eli Jaffe, uriel Goldberg and roman Sonkin gave us a guided tour of Magen David
adom headquarters in Jerusalem and provided an understanding of the complexity
and efficiency of their organisation.
We would like to acknowledge the help of eli beer, founder and President of
united hatzalah of israel, Daniel katzenstein, Director of international Donor
relations and raphael Poch, international Media Spokesperson, for their help in
compiling the material about united hatzalah of israel. We acknowledge
permission of the Pharmaceutical Press to quote from an article on Jewish
traditional Medicine by kenneth Collins, in Steven b. kayne, Traditional Medicine:
A Global Perspective(london: 2010).
it has been a great pleasure to work with the publishers vallentine Mitchell as
they have steered this book to publication. our thanks to toby harris, lisa hyde
and cover designer Jenni tinson. We acknowledge permission of the Pharmaceutical
Press to quote from an article on Jewish traditional Medicine by kenneth Collins,
in Steven b. kayne, Traditional Medicine: A Global Perspective(london: 2010).
Stuart Stanton dedicates this work to his parents Michael and Sarah Stanton,
and to Julia, Claire, talia, Jo, tamara and noah. kenneth Collins dedicates this
work to his parents, Dr. David and Dr. hetty Collins.
Stuart Stanton and kenneth Collins
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List of Illustrations
1. the babylonian empire in the Sixth Century bCe.
2. babylonian cuneiform medical text. (f. badalanova Geller)
3. avicenna Portrait on Silver vase, Museum at avicenna Mausoleum,
hamadan, iran.
4. ottoman-era Muslim prayer beads (sub aor tasbī ).
ḥ ḥ
5. the iznaq, a silver chain descending from either side of the burqa’ and
fastened under the chin is believed to have medicinal properties.
6. Moses Maimonides (rambam), 1138-1204, practised in fostat (Cairo)
and his medical texts were written in arabic. (image from the
eighteenth century)
7. Pistacia lentiscus: (mastic) a favourite remedy of Maimonides for
melancholy.
8. hebrew amulet against the plague to protect the holy rabbi isaac
luria (ha-ari). from Shaar HaYichudim (the Gate of unifications)
by the Safed kabbalist hayyim ben Joseph vital.
9. napoleon: Siege of akko (acre), 1799.
10. General edmund allenby enters the old City of Jerusalem on foot, 11
December 1917.
11. Palestine Mandate Map.
12. outpatient Clinic at Shaarei tzedek hospital, Jerusalem, around 1910.
13. tipat Chalav baby Clinic, Jerusalem, 1930s.
14. ambulance outside the hospital in tiberias, 1938. (from MDA and the
State, the History of Magen David Adom in Israel, 2018)
15. nepal earthquake 2015: treating a wounded child. (from MDA and
the State, p.294)
16. MDa Medicycle, 2019. (Shachar hezkelevich, MDa)
17. ambucycle of united hatzalah of israel.
18. Professor tal Dvir presents his 3-D printed heart to Prince Charles at
the british ambassador’s residence, ramat Gan, January 2020.
(courtesy of flaSh 90)
19. Stamp celebrating Medical Clowning in israel.
01-Body_Layout 1 2/18/2021 1:26 PM Page ix
List of Contributors
Aref Abu-Rafia is Professor emeritus at ben Gurion university of the
negev. he has successfully completed his administrative responsibilities as
Chair of the Department of Middle eastern Studies. his research has
included anthropology and Public health. his main publications are
on traditional medicine, family customs, holy saints, education,
cosmopolitanism, Sufism, islamic medical law and ethics and alternative
and complementary medicine. his research focuses on the Middle east,
north africa and islamic communities. based on this research and
fellowship he has received several awards and honours, such as the berelson
Prize for Jewish-arab understanding and Co-existence in israel and has
been a Greenberg Middle east Scholar and fulbright Scholar for the
Muslim World.
Nava Blum, bPt, Mocch., Ph.D (haifa), has had fellowships in the Mayo
Clinic and post-doctoral in the national institute of health, bethesda, uSa.
her area of expertise is in clinical rehabilitation, public health services and
history of medicine. She was the Director of rehabilitation and
Physiotherapy, developing new services in a rehabilitation hospital and in
rehabilitation Centres in the Ministry of health and the Clalit hMo. She
is a Senior lecturer at the Department of health Systems Management at
the Max Stern academic College and directs courses related to public
health, rehabilitation, occupational health, risk management and advanced
new technologies. She has published a book, many chapters and articles in
peer review journals and has been a keynote lecturer at national and
international meetings.
Kenneth Collins, PhD frCGP, was a general medical practitioner in
Glasgow, Scotland for over 30 years. he served as Chairman of the Scottish
Council of Jewish Communities and has been the Chairman of the Scottish
Jewish archives Centre since it was founded in 1987. he is Senior research
fellow at the Centre for the history of Medicine, university of Glasgow and
visiting Professor, history of Medicine, at the hebrew university of
