Article ID: CBB470349907

A Matter of Blood. Female Health and Impurity in Byzantine Medical and Canonical Discourses (2024)

unapi

Contemporary readers of Byzantine texts concerning menstruation may discern a level of ambiguity in the portrayal of this subject. Early Jewish tradition predominantly conveys a negative perception of a woman’s blood, notably evident in various passages of Leviticus. These views subsequently had a profound influence on various aspects of Byzantine society. While Byzantine learned medicine, viewed as the heir to the Hippocratic tradition, deems engaging in sexual intercourse with a menstruating woman as nonconducive to conception, popular medical knowledge regards such an act as a source of leprosy. Furthermore, Byzantine canon law prohibits women from participating in the liturgy during active menstruation. Through an exploration of influence and consistency in Byzantine texts, this study argues that the alignment of opinions among Byzantine writers regarding women’s blood suggests a shared cultural influence stemming from Jewish sources and a potential mutual influence in their treatment of the subject. By understanding the historical context and influences, it is possible to gain insights into the formation of Byzantine biased attitudes towards women and their blood.

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Authors & Contributors
Baumgarten, Elisheva
Brookes, Barbara L.
Bynum, Caroline Walker
Caballero Navas, C.
Caballero-Navas, Carmen
Ferrario, Gabriele
Journals
Asclepio: Archivo Iberoamericano de Historia de la Medicina
Canadian Bulletin of Medical History/Bulletin Canadienne d'Histoire de la Medecine
Dynamis: Acta Hispanica ad Medicinae Scientiarumque Historiam Illustrandam
Gender and History
Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies
Medizinhistorisches Journal
Publishers
Ashgate
University of Pennsylvania Press
Lexington Books
Metropolitan Books
Palgrave Macmillan
University of Chicago Press
Concepts
Medicine
Menstruation
Women and health
Medicine and gender
Blood
Medicine and religion
People
Aristotle
Qusṭā ibn Lūqā, al-Baʿlbakī
Time Periods
Medieval
Ancient
Early modern
20th century
20th century, early
17th century
Places
Greece
United States
England
Great Britain
India
Mesopotamia
Institutions
Medical Women's Federation (Great Britain)
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