Diseases in the Bible and Quran: differences between grace or punishment from the Jerusalem God

Abstract

Health and religion are strongly connected. This study aims primarily to compile the diseases described in the Bible and Quran with a secondary aim to group the diseases in punishment or blessing. Diseases mentioned in the Bible and Quran were compiled by manual review and grouped as punishment if imposed by the deity as penance; blessing if cured by grace or neutral. The results show difference among the books in the distribution of the diseases as associated to punishment (more prevalent in the first testament), blessing (more prevalent in the second testament) or neutral (more prevalent in the Quran).