Biblical Characters

In the Bible, calling prophets “mad” often served to discredit unwelcome messages, rather than diagnose actual insanity.

Introduction Judas Iscariot, history’s most infamous traitor, is practically a case study in guilt. Psychologically, Judas’s story arc...

Introduction Jesus of Nazareth presents perhaps the most intriguing case of “messianic consciousness” in history. He openly believed and...

Now, let’s don our 21st-century lab coats and examine these prophetic experiences through the lens of modern psychology and psychiatry ....

From a theological or faith-based standpoint, the experiences of Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the rest are not symptoms to be cured but...

Analyzing Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and their fellow prophets through both psychiatric and theological lenses has been a bit like...

John is often portrayed as an eccentric outsider, a rugged ascetic who lived in the desert, wore camel-hair clothes, and dined on locusts...

Let’s address the elephant in the room: the challenge of trying to diagnose historical figures (especially quasi-legendary ones from...

Introduction Saul, the first king of Israel (circa 11th century BCE), presents a tragic figure of promise turned to paranoia. His story,...

Introduction Noah emerges in the Old Testament as the righteous man chosen to survive a world-destroying Flood. In Genesis, when...

Introduction Moses, the great lawgiver of Israel, led the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, guided them through 40 years in the wilderness,...

Elijah hears a whisper on a mountain. Jeremiah is convinced the voice of God speaks to him. Ezekiel sees surreal visions of heavenly...

Introduction Job, the central figure of the eponymous Book of Job (likely written between 7th–4th century BCE as wisdom literature), is...

Introduction Abraham, revered as the founding patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, is best known for his unwavering faith in...

Introduction Cain is introduced in Genesis as the firstborn son of Adam and Eve and the older brother of Abel. His story tragically marks...

Introduction King David of Israel (10th century BCE) is one of history’s most multifaceted characters: shepherd, giant-slayer,...

Introduction Adam and Eve stand at the beginning of the Old Testament narrative as the first humans in the Garden of Eden. According to...

A brief note on how this section will be written. We are diving into some dense and potentially sensitive material, a mix of psychiatry...

Before we start diagnosing Noah with seasonal affective disorder during his long voyage (tongue firmly in cheek), we must understand how...

Analyzing historical and religious figures with modern psychiatry is a bit like doing therapy via time-travel – fascinating, but fraught...