The Origin of Bubonic Plague

Alan L. Gillen; Frank Sherwin

The Origin of Bubonic Plague

School of Health Sciences

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Abstract

Although some forms of the bacterium Yersinia are harmless, other forms have devastated human populations, causing a plague of biblical proportions ( <a href="https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps%2091.3-7" target="_blank"> Psalm 91:3-7 </a> , <a href="https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps%2091.9-10" target="_blank"> Psalm 91:9-10 </a> ,). Bubonic plague, also known as the ‘Black Death’ that killed one fourth of Europe’s population in the 1300s, appeared as a great pestilence several times in the Old Testament, including in <a href="https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ps%2091" target="_blank"> Psalm 91 </a> and in <a href="https://biblia.com/bible/esv/2%20Sam%2024.14-25" target="_blank"> 2 Samuel 24:14-25 </a> . Perhaps the clearest example of such a plague is recorded in <a href="https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1%20Sam%206.4-19" target="_blank"> 1 Samuel 6:4-19 </a> , where there is a specific reference to the tumors on people (bubos = the tumors of lymph glands) and to rats (the animal vector that carried the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis .) The biblical time frame for the plagues described in 1 Samuel was about 3,000 years ago. <a> 1 </a> Interestingly, experts on plague ‘evolution’ estimate the emergence of Y. pestis at about 1,500-20,000 years ago (within an evolutionary timeframe, of course). <a> 2 </a>

Original language	American English
Journal	Default journal
State	Published - Apr 1 2006

Keywords

Bubonic plague

Disciplines

Biology

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title = "The Origin of Bubonic Plague",

abstract = " Although some forms of the bacterium Yersinia are harmless, other forms have devastated human populations, causing a plague of biblical proportions ( Psalm 91:3-7 , Psalm 91:9-10 ,). Bubonic plague, also known as the ‘Black Death’ that killed one fourth of Europe’s population in the 1300s, appeared as a great pestilence several times in the Old Testament, including in Psalm 91 and in 2 Samuel 24:14-25 . Perhaps the clearest example of such a plague is recorded in 1 Samuel 6:4-19 , where there is a specific reference to the tumors on people (bubos = the tumors of lymph glands) and to rats (the animal vector that carried the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis .) The biblical time frame for the plagues described in 1 Samuel was about 3,000 years ago. 1 Interestingly, experts on plague ‘evolution’ estimate the emergence of Y. pestis at about 1,500-20,000 years ago (within an evolutionary timeframe, of course). 2 ",

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AU - Gillen, Alan L.

AU - Sherwin, Frank

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N2 - Although some forms of the bacterium Yersinia are harmless, other forms have devastated human populations, causing a plague of biblical proportions ( Psalm 91:3-7 , Psalm 91:9-10 ,). Bubonic plague, also known as the ‘Black Death’ that killed one fourth of Europe’s population in the 1300s, appeared as a great pestilence several times in the Old Testament, including in Psalm 91 and in 2 Samuel 24:14-25 . Perhaps the clearest example of such a plague is recorded in 1 Samuel 6:4-19 , where there is a specific reference to the tumors on people (bubos = the tumors of lymph glands) and to rats (the animal vector that carried the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis .) The biblical time frame for the plagues described in 1 Samuel was about 3,000 years ago. 1 Interestingly, experts on plague ‘evolution’ estimate the emergence of Y. pestis at about 1,500-20,000 years ago (within an evolutionary timeframe, of course). 2

AB - Although some forms of the bacterium Yersinia are harmless, other forms have devastated human populations, causing a plague of biblical proportions ( Psalm 91:3-7 , Psalm 91:9-10 ,). Bubonic plague, also known as the ‘Black Death’ that killed one fourth of Europe’s population in the 1300s, appeared as a great pestilence several times in the Old Testament, including in Psalm 91 and in 2 Samuel 24:14-25 . Perhaps the clearest example of such a plague is recorded in 1 Samuel 6:4-19 , where there is a specific reference to the tumors on people (bubos = the tumors of lymph glands) and to rats (the animal vector that carried the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis .) The biblical time frame for the plagues described in 1 Samuel was about 3,000 years ago. 1 Interestingly, experts on plague ‘evolution’ estimate the emergence of Y. pestis at about 1,500-20,000 years ago (within an evolutionary timeframe, of course). 2

KW - Bubonic plague

UR - https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/bio_chem_fac_pubs/147

M3 - Article

JO - Default journal

JF - Default journal

ER -

The Origin of Bubonic Plague

Abstract

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