Leviticus 13
Skin diseases
The Existing One told Moses and Aaron:
“When anyone’s skin is swelling, has an eruption, or has a spot that turns out to be a skin disease, that person should be brought to a priest (Aaron or his sons) to be examined. If the hair on the diseased area turns white and the disease seems to be deeper than just the skin, then it is a leprous disease. After the priest examines him, he will pronounce him unclean. But if the white spot doesn’t appear to be deeper than the skin, and the hair hasn’t turned white, then the priest should quarantine the diseased person for 7 days. The priest should examine him on the 7th day and if the disease hasn’t spread, then he should quarantine for another 7 days. The priest should examine him again on the 7th day, and if the diseased area has faded and hasn’t spread, then its only an eruption and the priest should pronounce him clean. But if the eruption spreads on his skin after being pronounced clean, he needs to go back to the priest. The priest will examine the affected area and if it has spread, then it’s a leprous disease and the priest should pronounce him unclean.
Chronic skin diseases & raw flesh
“When someone has a leprous disease, he should be brought to the priest, and the priest should examine it. If the skin has a white swollen area that has turned the hair white and has raw flesh, then it is a chronic leprous disease, and the priest should pronounce him unclean. He shouldn’t quarantine him, because he is unclean. If the disease breaks out and covers the man from head to toe, then the priest should examine it. If the disease really has covered the man’s entire body, then the priest should pronounce him clean of the disease—it has all turned white and he is clean. But if he gets any spots where his flesh is raw, then he will be unclean, and the priest will need to examine it and pronounce him unclean. Raw flesh is unclean, because it’s a leprous disease. But if the raw flesh heals and turns white again, then he should go back to the priest, and the priest can pronounce him clean after examining him if it has all turned white.
Infections from boils
“If someone has a boil that heals and then the boil is replaced by a swollen white area or a reddish-white spot, then it needs to be shown to the priest. The priest will examine it, and if it seems deeper than the skin and its hair has turned white, then the priest should pronounce him as unclean because a leprous disease has broke out in the boil. But if the priest examines it and decides it isn’t deeper than the skin because it faded and the hair hasn’t turned white, then he should quarantine him for 7 days. If it spreads, then it is a disease and the priest should pronounce him unclean. But if the spot doesn’t spread, then it’s just the scar from the boil, and the priest should pronounce him as clean.
Infections from burns
“Or when the skin is burned and the raw flesh becomes a reddish-white or white spot, the priest should examine it, and if the hair has turned white and it seems deeper than the skin, then it’s a leprous disease. It has broken out in the burn, and the priest should pronounce him unclean. But if the priest examines it and there isn’t any white hair, it’s only surface level, and has faded, then the priest should quarantine him for seven days and examine him again on the 7th day. If it is spreading, then it’s leprous and the priest should pronounce him unclean. But if the spot fades instead of spreading, then it’s just swelling and scaring from the burn, and the priest should pronounce him clean.
Itches on the head and beard
When anyone has a disease on the head or beard, the priest should examine the condition. If it seems deeper than the skin and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then it is diseased and the priest should pronounce him unclean. If the priest examines it and it seems to only be surface-level and there’s no black hair in it, then the priest should quarantine that person for 7 days and re-examine him on the 7th day. If the condition hasn’t spread, it’s free of yellow hair, and it seems to be surface-level, then he should shave his body (except for the affected area) and quarantine for another 7 days. The priest should re-examine him on the 7th day, and if it hasn’t spread and seems to be surface-level, then the priest should pronounce him clean. But if the itch spreads after being pronounced clean, then the priest will have to re-examine him. If the itch has spread, then the priest doesn’t even need to check for yellow hair—he is unclean. But if the itch seems unchanged and has black hair, then the itch has healed and the priest should pronounce him clean.
White spots
“When someone has white spots on their skin, the priest should look at them. If they are a dull white, it is just a leukoderma break out, and he is clean.
Hair falling out
“If a mans hair falls out and he is bald, then he is clean. If a man’s hair falls out only in the front, then he is clean. But if there is a reddish-white diseased are on his head, then it’s leprous, and the priest will need to examine him. If the affected area is swollen and reddish-white (similar to leprous diseases elsewhere), then the man is leprous and unclean. The priest should pronounce him unclean.
People in quarantine
“The person with the leprous disease should wear torn clothes, let his hair down, cover his mustache, and cry out ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He will remain unclean for as long as he has the disease. Because he’s unclean, he should live alone outside of the camp.
Rotting areas on items
“When there is a leprous disease on a garment (whether wool or linen) or in anything made of skin, if it looks greenish or reddish it is leprous and needs to be shown to the priest. The priest should examine it and put it in quarantine for 7 days. Then he should re-examine it on the 7th day. If it has spread, it’s a persistent leprous disease, and it’s unclean. He should then burn the item.
“If the priest examines it and it hasn’t spread, then he should order for it to be washed and then have it quarantined for another 7 days. When he re-examines it, if the affected area still looks the same, that item is unclean (even if the disease didn’t spread). That item needs to be burned.
“But if the priest re-examines it and the diseased area has faded after being washed, he should tear it out of the item. If the rot shows up again on the item, that means it’s spreading, and it needs to be burned. If the disease disappears after being washed, then it should be washed a second a time and will be clean after that.
This is the law for determining if an item with a leprous diseases is clean or unclean.