tzaraat

Tzaraat is a term in the Hebrew Bible describing a category of conditions treated as ritual impurity rather than a single medical diagnosis. The word is often translated as “leprosy,” but in biblical usage it covers a range of ailments affecting people, garments, and even houses. The primary biblical manuals dealing with tzaraat are Leviticus 13–14.

In people, a person suspected of tzaraat is examined by a priest. If the affliction is deemed tzaraat, the person is declared tamei (impure) and must separate from the community until the condition is resolved. The diagnosis distinguishes several forms and requires ongoing priestly evaluation. Healing is followed by a purification process that restores the individual’s ceremonial status.

Tzaraat can also affect garments and house walls. When discoloration or lesions appear on clothing or on masonry, the priest inspects the item or structure. If the condition persists, the item or house is considered unclean and may be removed from use. If the blemish clears, purification procedures allow its return to typical use.

Purification rites for skin tzaraat after healing involve ceremonial washings and a series of offerings and symbolic actions. The process includes elements such as specific materials (for example, birds, cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet yarn) and a sequence of inspections and declarations by the priest, culminating in the person’s formal reintegration into the community.

Scholarly and traditional interpretations view tzaraat as a ritual and social mechanism that marked purity boundaries and prompted communal reflection. Modern perspectives emphasize that tzaraat represents a complex category combining health observations, ritual purity, and social order rather than a single medical condition.