Was Ezekiel an epileptic?

Jerusalem Post ^ | 4 Kislev 5762 01:53 Monday November 19, 2001 | By Judy Siegel

[Thinkin' Gal]

Was Ezekiel an epileptic?

By Judy Siegel

JERUSALEM (November 19) - Ezekiel's visions may have resulted as much from disease as from divine inspiration, according to a California neuroscientist, who believes the prophet suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy.

Dr. Eric Altschuler, of the University of California at San Diego, presented his theory about Ezekiel and epilepsy before last week's meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego and reported in the latest issue of New Scientist. Altschuler said a careful reading of the Book of Ezekiel shows he had "all the classic signs of the condition."

Sufferers of temporal lobe epilepsy experience partial seizures, often accompanied by a dreamy feeling that things are not quite as they should be, said Altschuler. Ezekiel - who lived some 2,600 years ago - displayed some obvious signs of epilepsy, such as frequent fainting spells and episodes of being unable to speak, Altschuler said.

The prophet, who foretold the fall of Jerusalem and the First Temple in 586 BCE at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, exhibited other peculiarities associated with the disease, the neuroscientist claims. For instance, "he wrote compulsively, a trait known as hypergraphia."

Altschuler said the Book of Ezekiel is the fourth longest book in the Bible - only slightly shorter than Genesis. "It's impenetrable," Altschuler maintains. "He goes on and on."

He was a young widower, as his wife reputedly died during the siege of Jerusalem. "Ezekiel was also extremely religious, another characteristic associated with this form of epilepsy. While many Biblical figures are pious, none was as aggressively religious as Ezekiel," said Altschuler. "Other signs of epilepsy can include aggression, delusions, and pedantic speech - and the man had them all."

Altschuler made headlines earlier this year when he claimed that the biblical strongman Samson, who brought an amphitheater down on himself and his Philistine captors, may have suffered from "antisocial personality disorder."

[Thinkin' Gal]

I don't recall ever seeing a news article about Ezekiel, in the JPost or anywhere else. Talk about timing!

[damnlimey]

I believe the good doctor may also suffer from temporal lobe epilepsy
or maybe it's delerium tremens

[Noslrac]

Thats some money well spent on research!

Noslrac

[Noslrac]

Maybe he is just plain stupid.

Noslrac

[Thinkin' Gal]

FYI

[JmyBryan]

Nah, he was just a party animal

[Thinkin' Gal]

Altschuler said the Book of Ezekiel is the fourth longest book in the Bible - only slightly shorter than Genesis. "It's impenetrable," Altschuler maintains. "He goes on and on."

Not for long.

[Lent]

Altschuler said the Book of Ezekiel is the fourth longest book in the Bible - only slightly shorter than Genesis. "It's impenetrable," Altschuler maintains. "He goes on and on."

So much for War and Peace.

[Free Vulcan]

I think Dr. Altschuler may suffer from egoist grandioses, secularus humanisma, and also likely agendaces ulteriorii, socialista strain.

[OHelix]

While many Biblical figures are pious, none was as aggressively religious as Ezekiel

And what the heck does THIS mean???

[Le-Roy]

...or perhaps he is simply scientifically accurate.

Does this in any way threaten your preferred interpretation of what Ezekiel wrote? Lacking the 'pseudepigrapha' of current psychology, earlier historians would describe the condition as being 'touched by God'.

[IRtorqued]

he is confusing being religious with living a life according to God's will and it appears to be driving him nuts.

[Free Vulcan]

What about Dr. Altschuler's speculations complies with the scientific method? He doesn't even have forensics to support him. I think he wanted to reach a certain conclusion and wordsmithed in great leaps of logic till he reached that conclusion. Using scientific terms gives the appearance of science, using logic and evidence to back his hypothesis is actual science.

Does the possibility that Ezekiel may have been writing God's commands threaten your current world view so much that you are willing to embrace such a poorly supported hypothesis?

[BenR2]

Ezekiel accurately predicted the revival of Israel as a nation in the latter days (dry bones prophecy).

This article is a blasphemous, liberal slam on Sacred Writ.

Amazing how God blinds the eyes of the unbelieving to the truth presented before their very eyes.

[Reaganesque]

Ezekiel, an epileptic? Nah, but I did hear someone say that Jeremiah was a bullfrog.

[Free the USA]

I suffer from a similar type of seizures and much of what this Doctor says is true. I would not claim to have the type of understanding of God that Ezekiel had but I believe it is possible that certain patterns of brain activity could lead an individual to have a closer and more accurate understanding of God than that of more normal people. The Doctor is probably an atheist trying to discredit Ezekiel and has only second hand knowledge of the theory he presents. Even if his theory is true, which I don’t have enough info to decide yet, it does not necessarily discredit Ezekiel.

[John H K]

There actually is a form of epilepsy associated with intense religious feeling...saw a documentary on it; hard to describe, but the epileptic after the seizures was......amazing. Very easy for me to believe that 2,000 years ago someone with the same condition would be regarded as a prophet. Being studied by a neurologist in San Diego who theorizes there actually are parts of the brain devoted to religion..which raises the question of why there are parts of the brain devoted to religion.

[Le-Roy]

What about Dr. Altschuler's speculations complies with the scientific method?

   I didn't say that they did. It is possible to be scientifically accurate, without any hint of scientific methodology in research of formulation of hypothesis (some parts of the Bible, for instance).

   Lincoln likely had Marfan's Syndrome. Though it would be nearly impossible to prove scientifically, it fits with aspects of his life, and whether he did or did not would in no way diminish the magnitude of the effects of his actions as President. In the same manner, whether Ezekiel was or was not epileptic has no effect on my perception of the words that he wrote, or someone else's belief that those words were 'inspired by God'.

   Why would you deign to limit the manner of God's expression?