10 Medicines Used During Jesus' Times

Medicine in Ancient Times

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It has been reported that medicine during the life and times of Jesus was strongly influenced by Greek medicinal standards [1]. The Greeks had revolutionized the concepts and practices of medicine and these new practices were adopted by the Romans of Jesus’ time. Because much of the Greek medicine revolved around the four fluids, or ‘humors’, of the human body (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile), much of the medicine practiced at the time involved altering the levels of these fluids. Therefore, medical practices such as bloodletting, vomiting, baths, heating, cooling, and sweating were common.

However, these were not the only forms of medicine practiced. In addition to various traditional folk medicines and magical practices, numerous herbs were used to treat common conditions of the times. While few of these are mentioned in the Bible, descriptions of commonly used herbal medications were recorded in texts written by learned men of Jesus’ time. These include Di Medicina by Celsus and Naturalis Historia by Gaius Plinius Secundus (Pliny the Elder).

[1] Madsen AN. Wilt Thou Be Made Whole? In: The Lord of the Gospels: The 1990 Sperry Symposium on the New Testament. Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1991, pages 113-128.

Hyssop

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The hyssop is though of as “The Holy Herb” by many because it was used to sprinkle water and blood during ritualistic cleansing of lepers and to paint blood on homes of the Israelites during the Passover. A stalk of the hyssop plant was also used to lift a sponge soaked in wine to Jesus’ lips at his crucifixion. From a medicinal standpoint, hyssop was commonly used in tea for coughs and shortness of breath and in plasters and chest rubs as a chest decongestant. Hyssop has also been used for the relief of arthritis and rheumatism and to treat bruises, cuts, and wounds.

While medicine has change in innumerable ways since the life and times of Jesus, many of today’s modern medical practices remain rooted in many of the traditional forms of medicine, particularly those of the Greek and Roman times.

Photo courtesy of ICM1863