medievalistsnet:The ancients and kidneys! ~SThe use of the kidneys in secular and ritual practices a
medievalistsnet:The ancients and kidneys! ~SThe use of the kidneys in secular and ritual practices according to ancient Greek and Byzantine textsAthanasios Diamandopoulos, Andreas Skarpelos, and Georgios Tsiros (Renal Department, St. Andrew’s Regional Hospital, Patras, Greece)Kidney International: Vol. 68 (2005), pp. 399–404AbstractThe use of the kidneys in secular and spiritual practices according to ancient Greek and Byzantine texts. The use of kidneys in secular and spiritual practices was very common for centuries. In this article we present some references on their employment as sacrificial offers, as plain food or as a source for medicaments. Our material derives from Greek texts of the Classical, Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine eras. Relevant ex- tracts from the Old Testament are also included, as they have become part of a common cultural heritage in that period of syncretism, when Jews were Hellenized and Greeks orientized. From the fragments cited in this article, it is obvious that the practical use of kidneys by priests, doctors, and lay persons in the periods under discussion was widespread… -- source link
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