Leprosy is mentioned in the Bible upwards of 40 times, depending on the version being used. Leprosy was common in Bible times, and the many references to it were well understood by those who lived in unsanitary conditions. The term "leper" is used in some translations of the Bible to describe those who were affected by leprosy, but it is a derogatory term that is used to hurt people affected by leprosy across the world. Regardless of this, those who were perceived to have leprosy in the regions where the Bible was written were considered the lowest in society. They faced rejection and were beggars who lived on the side of the road.

In the Old Testament, leprosy was viewed as a curse from God, often connected with sin. It was not a lethal disease, but neither did it seem to cease. Instead, it remained for years, causing the skin tissues to degenerate and disfiguring the body. Those with leprosy were so despised and loathed that they were not allowed to live in any community with their own people. Among the sixty-one defilements of ancient Jewish laws, leprosy was second only to a dead body in seriousness. A leper wasn’t allowed to come within six feet of any other human, including his own family.

Jesus is said to have healed persons affected by leprosy, and there are several references to leprosy in the New Testament. In one of Jesus’ well-known miracles, He was able to cure a man of his leprosy. The key lesson to be learned from this incident is that sin defiles us in the sight of God, but through Christ, we can be healed of the plague of sin that separates us from God.