In this episode, Helen and Lloyd step into the fascinating world of women’s health in the New Testament world. With help from Professor Laurence Totelin, they explore who provided care, how medicine related to magic, and what medicinal recipes a first-century woman might employ. Along the way, they revisit the woman with chronic bleeding in Mark 5, asking what ancient medical assumptions stand behind her treatments.

Laurence Totelin is Professor of Ancient History in School of History, Archaeology and Religion at the University of Cardiff, specialising in Greek and Roman medicine, particularly women’s health, reproduction, and botanical knowledge. She is the author of Hippocratic Recipes (2009), the co-author of Ancient Botany (2018), and is known for her public scholarship on ancient reproductive and cosmetic practices.

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Theme music written and performed by Dave Roos, creator of Biblical Time Machine. Season 4 produced by John Nelson.

Women's Health in the New Testament World

Biblical Time Machine