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Supernatural Healing

Happy Easter! Every year for Easter Sunday, Christians around the world pray to Jesus Christ, their Savior. It is the fundamental belief of the Christian faith that Christ came on earth to heal humans and rid them of their pains and sicknesses.

On this occasion, I thought it would be cool to look at some of the supernatural beliefs related to medicine in the ancient world. Most of the ancient civilizations had a close relationship with god. All suffering and diseases were attributed to the wrath of the gods. This was most evident in the oldest civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt.

The ancient Egyptians believed that gods, demons, and spirits played a key role in causing diseases. They believed that spirits blocked channels in the body and affected the way the body functioned. They used prayer as a solution to their diseases, and priests played the role of doctors. Similarly, the Babylonians believed spirits were responsible for illness, with each spirit responsible for one disease. Exorcists, called Ashipu, were used to rid people of these spirits to heal them by means of charms and spells.

Mesopotamian amulet to protect from plague believed to be caused by the god Erra

The Ancient Greeks also believed in the power of the gods to cause sickness and health. Apollo was the god of healing and medicine, as was his son, Asclepius, who learned the secrets of medicine from his father. Asclepius was also revered in Rome. People in both places believed illnesses were a punishment, and healing was a gift from the gods. Temples dedicated to Asclepius were erected throughout the regions, and the sick would make pilgrimages to these temples to pray and offer sacrifices.

Although we now know that diseases are caused by pathogens and cannot be cured simply through prayer, religion and spirituality continue to play a major role today, just as they did in the ancient times. Even though there is no scientific basis for the healing power of prayer, many experts believe that prayer can have a strong placebo effect, resulting in healing in some cases. It can have a powerful effect on healing the mind, if not the body (in the case of believers).

In the spirit of Easter amid the coronavirus pandemic, Rio's famous Christ the Redeemer statue was lit up as a doctor, in tribute to healthcare workers! I think it is a powerful image that reminds us that doctors working during these scary times are the true healers.

Rio's Christ the Redeemer statue lit up as a doctor. Image: Artnet



Sources:
https://www.ancient-egypt-online.com/ancient-egyptian-medicine.html
https://www.wrf.org/ancient-medicine/belief-and-the-healing-arts-of-ancient-civilizations.php
https://www.ancient.eu/image/4933/mesopotamian-amulet-against-plague/

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