Chapter 13 continues the instruction from Yahweh to Aaron and Moses around distinctions between clean and unclean, this time related to diseases. There are two basic sections to this chapter, the treatment of human skin diseases and the treatment of diseases that are on materials. Already, based upon that second section, we can recognize that any translation of “leprosy” here to represent the diseases in question falls far short of what is actually being described (the same term is what describes the problems with houses in the next chapter. Houses don’t get leprosy). Additionally, the symptoms of leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) do not correspond to the complaints actually laid out in this chapter, and in fact are directly opposite of what one would expect in some cases. Further, archaeological evidence has no evidence of anyone suffering from leprosy prior to the fifth century A.D.
So how should we understand the “skin disease” represented here? The root of the Greek word lepra as well as the underlying Hebrew word both have connotations of scaliness, so we can potentially think of the term to describe a variety of skin diseases that produce “flaky” skin (which explains the whiteness of the hair in some situations, representing not changes in hair color specifically but hair having the flakes of skin in it.
The broad notion of the evaluations in the chapter are consistent. A symptom presents itself then the priest takes a look to see whether what’s going on is superficial or pervasive. The priest can then either declare the person clean or unclean or, where the initial evaluation is inconclusive, have the person hang tight and away from folks for a week and then take another look to see if the proper diagnosis can be made (often by seeing whether the condition has spread or presented itself more emphatically since the initial inspection.) To be declared unclean, the “skin disease” has to be long and lasting, it had to be old, and it had to be deeper than the skin or unable to removed by washing. It also had to be something that impacted only part of the person, if it covered the whole body it did not defile them. With garments and clothes, the same is true, only part of the object is impacted.
There are multiple consequences of being unclean. For one, the diseased person must call out that they are unclean when among others and also rip their clothes and wear their hair down (in addition to covering their mustache). Why? The calling out makes sense for hygienic purposes. The other actions are indications of mourning, actions taken in other Biblical stories after a death. This level of mourning makes sense when combined with the other consequence, being removed from the camp. If you think of the Israelite camp as an egg, the Tabernacle would be the yolk (the holy place where Yahweh dwells), the white would be the main camp where people lived in relationship with Yahweh, and the egg shell would be outside of the camp. Those outside the camp are the non-Israelites and the unclean. Being unclean, they are not allowed to live in the camp lest they bring uncleanness into the people and into contact with the Tabernacle.
To live outside the camp was to live cut off from the Tabernacle, your friends and family, your normal life and the blessings of the covenant. The diseased person mourns because they experience a “living death” (Wenham 201). We see similarities to this in the experience of Adam and Eve in Eden in Genesis 3. Their disobedience ultimately meant the introduction of death, but it wasn’t immediate. What was immediate was being excluded from Eden and all of the blessings and benefits that came with it. Now, that part may make sense to us, Adam and Even chose to disobey. But what about these folk who came down with this skin disease? Aren’t they paying a heavy price for something that may not be a result of anything they have actually done? The simple answer is yes, it is indeed a heavy price.
This points us again back to the importance of purity and holiness. It was considered important to preserve purity of the tabernacle and holiness of the nation that individual discomfort was not allowed to jeopardize that. God’s presence depended on uncleanness being excluded from the camp. That is a harsh reality. It makes me think back to the consequences of Genesis 3, which seem so distant from us. But this introduction of disobedience, the choice to act against Yahweh’s intention for the world, created these distinctions. In Eden, no one ever lives outside the camp. But the introduction of sin into the world produces complications between a fallen society and humanity and a holy God. This earthly reality is not an eternal shackle, but it is difficult nonetheless.