The English translation of the artistic etude by Sergei Arkhipov «Врачи, ставшие Богами: Рационально-критическое богословие». The etude that mentions LCF is based on the Prologue and Epilogue of the essay: Архипов СВ. Дети человеческие: истоки библейских преданий в обозрении врача. Йоэнсуу: Издание Автора, 2025. [Arkhipov SV. Human Children: The Origins of Biblical Legends from a Physician's Perspective].
Physicians Who Became Gods: Rational-Critical Theology
CONTENT The Prolegomena The Scene The play “Immanuel” The Divertissement The Prelude The Creation and Birth The Ministry and Teaching The Coda The Reflections after Word and Sound |
The Prolegomena
Is it ethical to offer
children, the sick, and the less educated a literal or supernatural
interpretation of Genesis and the Gospels when a reasonable explanation exists?
I propose a rational, interdisciplinary reading of the Scriptures from the
perspective of a physician. As a result, through the veil of mysticism emerge
the outlines of ancient medicine – early conceptions of the human body,
diseases, and healing. This essay does not reject the spiritual quest, but
defends the right to understand the foundational texts of religion as cultural,
philosophical, and, in part, scientific writings. Such texts can serve humanity
without binding it in fear. By approaching Genesis and the Gospels as a
collection of metaphorical, medical, and historical parables, we transcend the
illusion of miracle and gain knowledge that strengthens both health and reason.
The Scene
Nurmes is a quiet town, anchored among the emerald
waves of the hills of Northern Karelia. At night, the windows and lanterns of
the settlement are reflected in the adjacent lakes, like the lights of an
impressive ship mirrored in a calm harbor. During the day, along the long
street-deck, past birch trees standing like masts, wise “passengers”
slowly walk and talkative young cyclists rush by. Screaming gulls, damp gusty
winds, the roar of boat motors, glimmering ripples, and the abundance of small
craft leave no doubt about where you are.
The liner
is securely held by invisible chains, and thus, despite the splashing waters,
the pitching is imperceptible. The huge vessel does not even tilt under the
weight of loaded cars and trains crossing the bridges. There are no peakless
caps in sight, but the naval order all around implies that the sailors
conscientiously carry out their watch. Instead of short strikes on a gong, the
hours are measured by church chimes, spreading over the water area. At some
moment, the ship's bell will ring and the boatswain's pipe will sing
melodiously: “All hands on deck!”, and the skipper will order: “Hoist the
sails!”. And can hear an invisible
crew, seemingly preparing to sail, loudly rolls logs and throws them with a
clang, perhaps into the ship’s hold.
In
daylight hours, the workers salute passing boats with rainbow fountains from
watering machines, and in the twilight, they light up the fairway and the
firmament with a pink-gold glow. The air, filled with the aroma of sawn
resinous wood, is transparent, assertive, and fresh. The captain hesitates,
waiting for either the tide, a favorable breeze, or perhaps a cherished sign by
which to set off.
The frozen
swaying of the malachite hills begins to be adorned with shimmering marble.
Through the frosty haze, the ark-city is illuminated by a stingy copper Sun
hanging at the winding edge of the near horizon. Gradually, the majestic boat
is decorated with sparkling snowflakes, captivated by ice and plunged into
concentrated thoughtfulness. There is a feeling of a wintering sea expedition,
stuck in the hummocks, guarded by harsh icebergs. Everywhere is filled with a
blinding white and motionless silence. Only occasionally can you hear a
woodpecker mending rigging, sharply hammering a couple of nails into it.
Pacification...
Suddenly,
at the end of a laconic Arctic day, a mysterious revival of the landscape
occurs. Colored garlands are lit everywhere, lamps are kindled at the entrances
and behind the glass of houses. These human creations are echoed by flashes of
auroras, veiling clusters of dazzling constellations in pearlescent hues.
Earthly and transcendental fireflies wink at each other, reminding one another
of some upcoming event. Once, the secret that was noticed is explained: why the
captain was late with the departure, and what the crew of the drakkar-peninsula
and the World were expecting.
That
evening, the flashes of doorways become more frequent, and the bluish-milk
paths are filled with hurrying silhouettes. In the darkness, their streams,
skirting snowdrifts, gesticulate, creak with white fluff, and release steam, like
smoky battleships on a campaign. The neighborhood strives for the Temple, which
soared to a black bottomless vault, crowned with the Star of Bethlehem. As if
on the signal of the ship's horn, those who come running crowd near the stage,
like sailors at the wheelhouse. Wrapping themselves tighter from the flying
cold crystals, the community of different ages reverently freezes in
anticipation of the action.
The play “Immanuel”
And the
cold, anthracite darkness parted. And a corner of Nazareth arose, incomprehensibly
stuck in the boundless snows. And no one was at all embarrassed by either the
southern location of the place or the carpenter Joseph in his warm attire. And
now, the measured righteousness of the cabinetmaker is cut by the descending
Archangel. And, standing on a hillock in the shining imprint of the Moon that
has sunk into oblivion, the Messenger proclaims: “Do not fear to take Mary as
your wife, for she will bear a Son, and they will call His name Immanuel,” as
foretold by the prophet.
The humble
confusion of the husband in front of an adult gathering evokes a mosaic of
feelings. How will everything go on? He did not banish! He welcomed! He puts
her on a pony, and leads her quickly away through the darkness. Behind is the
whistle of a snowstorm; above are the spruce branches; on the sides is a silent
spectator; ahead is the unknown. Terrible Herod gloomily listens to the sedate
speech of the Magi, about the imminent birth and accession to the throne of the
Ecumenical Ruler. In desperate fear of the collapse of power, the fierce king
sends an army to the children to perdition. With spears and torches, without a
tremor in their souls, the villains zealously rush after the fugitives.
Travelers
rush about, looking for shelter in the blizzard and find no compassion around.
Having rejected the persecuted, people do not know that the death hour of their
own children is approaching.
The
episode of the production is fascinating the contemplators. Memories resurrect
the horror of their own ancestors, who repeatedly escaped from the enemy with
bundles of belongings and hopeless deprivation on their shoulders. The hand of
hard times overtook the weak and minors, casting iconographic images of the
deceased from an alloy of hatred and sadness in the memory of those who
miraculously remained alive.
A cave in
the snowy hillside shelters Mary, while Joseph paces anxiously nearby. Pausing,
the man clasped his frozen mittens and looked sadly around the foot of his hillock.
A little lower, also agitated, a patient sea of sparkling, sincere eyes spreads
out. With each passing second, the frost became stronger: it burned tense faces
and freezing hands. The onslaught of swirls
aggravated the test of endurance and faith.
Like a
bright gleam of a lighthouse in pitch darkness, a newborn's cry suddenly rose
to the Heaven. Casting aside the veil, Mary emerges from the grotto, bearing
the child for the sacrifice and salvation of the crowd. Wise men and shepherds
draw near with reverence, the angels of God descended, the tops of the shaggy
pines and the branches of the transparent birches bowed. The approaching celestial
lights looked intently into the hearts of the witnesses of the event.
The
Divertissement
The once
silent disunity awakens, unites with enthusiasm, smiles, makes noise in all
sorts of ways, starts dancing to a simple melody and a heartfelt song.
He has
come!
The
general joy is obscured by the knowledge of the baby's fate, clouds thoughts
about the destiny prepared for the Son of Human.
The
transformed public, going back to the warmth of their homes, carefully hides in
their chilled palms the timid flame of the Christmas candles from the prickly
snowstorm. The city-ship, once wrapped in raven-black drapery, begins to shine.
The streets are seized by a bustle, just like the embankment at the meeting of
the flotilla returning to port. The diverging spectators are mentally
transported from modern Nurmes to the New Testament Bethlehem and further to
the origins of biblical legends.
In those
moments, eyewitnesses and actors soar above the burdens of everyday life,
forget about mortal health, see a ray of hope in existence. Miraculously, it
becomes much warmer inside and out. What was the one born that night like, and
did he really live? Did the Holy Family exist, now watching over us from a
divine abode? When did their Old Testament ancestors roam the Earth, and where did
they come from? In what era and place did this epic story begin? Who crafted
it, and why was it shaped into legend?
The Prelude
A
soul-stirring performance in Finnish Nurmes, retelling the story of the birth
of the New Testament Immanuel in Judean Bethlehem, has concluded. Bathed in the
glow of the northern lights, the audience hastened from the biting cold to the
warmth of glowing hearths. Some began to feast and pour glögg, and we opened
books. Their spines and edges refracted the biblical epic like facets of
crystal prisms splitting a white ray into a rainbow of colors.
The Creation and Birth
And we beheld: in the
beginning there was movement, and it was unclear what exactly began to move and
why, and it was unknown where and when. And the first movement was creation
itself, and nothing existed before it, not even movement. And it became the
opening chord of the emergence of the Cosmos known to us. And if there was
something before, then it is not clear what it was and whether it was at all:
Something, Someone or Nothing. And movement arose, and the world was formed,
and everything in it came into motion. And to this day everything is in motion
and will be in motion, and is motion. And the movement will cease, again, by
some movement at the end of everything, in the final act of the play “The Being
of the Universe”. And only this is known to us, and we know nothing more, and
cannot guess. And we do not understand either the structure or the essence of
the coming dark, majestic silent.
And
because of the movement, from something came: matter, energy, and information.
And time bound them together. And those entities flowed into one another, and
decreased, and arrived, and acquired form, and lost it, and were synthesized,
and divided, and united, and separated, and were incessantly in motion.
And
interstellar gas thickened, and the Sun blazed forth, and cosmic dust swirled,
coalescing into small bodies, then planets. And these planets spun, collided,
heated, and cooled. And those in the Goldilocks zone gathered liquid into
oceans. And the waters boiled, and froze, and evaporated, and condensed, and
were enriched with salts, were struck by celestial fragments, pierced by
lightning, frothed, mixed, stagnated, and moved again.
And
suddenly, no one knows how, apparently only in the shallows of the earth, the
living arose from the nonliving. And, unlike the lifeless, the living acquired
the ability to reproduce itself and regulate the values of the average daily
mechanical stresses of its organisms. And the living in the depths also moved
continuously, but not like the lifeless, but purposefully and further came out
onto the land, and went deeper into the soil, and took off, and populate
everything. And living beings were born, and grew, and changed, and gave life,
and took it away, and died. And they used to go into the living, and into the
geomorphic, and into the gaseous, and into the liquid, and did not stop for a
moment in tireless movement until the moment of death—an irreversible mismatch
of energy, mass, and information.
And,
finally, in the north of Africa, man blossomed—a conscious, assertive and
inquisitive creature. And the coming of modern people to the face of the earth
was also a movement, but of the mind, and as mysterious as the origin of life
itself. And the intelligent could not sit still, and they became interested in
the lands beyond the seas. And, moving from their cradle-continent to other
expanses, part settled in the Zagros Mountains. And the most ancient settlers,
called Adam and Eve, were locked by the harsh cold, and guarded by it in a
comfortable valley. And that couple was replaced by a second, and its third,
and the next, and the subsequent. And there Mankind dwelt in motion, and in accordance
with the natural course of events, and in accordance with the seasons, and
transformed the surroundings and objects, and its external appearance, and was
subject to changeability. And about this serene past, their heirs wove the
legend about the Garden of Eden. And after the warming, they left the highlands
and later returned, preserving the tale of their ancestors in their hearts.
And
one day the heavenly floodgates moved apart, and streams fell to the earth, and
the springs of the great abyss opened, and flooded the plains, and drowned the
tribes between the ridges. And only the exceptionally far-sighted and savvy hid
in the rocky ark and thus survived the local “global” flood. And then they
multiplied, and developed the area, and took possession of it, and grew grain
and grapes, and dispersed. And again they left the mountainous country, and
settled on the plain. And in tireless movement they feuded, and made friends,
and worked, and were idle, and got married, and separated, and tried to
comprehend everything, and came to the idea of incomprehensibility of the
world without the help of the gods. And they sought out what was needed, and
did it with their own hands, and founded settlements, and built towers, and
formed the first civilization—the Sumerian.
And
behold, a man named Terah in the city of Ur in the Mesopotamian region of
Shinar “gave birth” to Abraham, and he begot Isaac in Canaan, who gave us the
legendary Jacob, who raised Joseph, who together with an unknown physician
created the Book of Genesis in Egypt under the Hyksos and in it described the
beginning of existence and his history of the progenitors. And the descendants
made this work the foundation of morality and faith. And they read, and
studied, and supplemented this manuscript for thousands of years, both in years
of defeats and in times of victories, and drew from it both power, and will,
and regulations. And Judges ruled, and Kings sat on thrones, and states were
built and fell, and people went into slavery and returned from it, continuing
to adhere to the covenants laid down by their ancestors.
And
to the series of dynasties was added the named father of Jesus Christ, a
carpenter named Joseph. And he lived righteously, and worked, and married Mary.
And, noticing her unusually early pregnancy, he led her away from prying
village eyes to Egypt. And the family journeyed from Nazareth through Judea,
avoiding questions and gossip. And over the child in the womb and the future
mother, like the sword of Damocles, the road loomed over, which once destroyed
Rachel. Both husband and wife realized the probable tragic outcome of their
exodus. And those to whom the travelers called and asked for shelter felt this
gloom. And no one wanted to see death, even if it was someone else's, in the
house or nearby.
And they came across a barn in Bethlehem, fortunately
not occupied by cattle. And, having quickly cleared the building, Joseph
prepares for Mary's labor. And he rushed to a nearby caravan, hoping for a
midwife. And we are sure of a gracious response: help comes to the woman in
time. And they swaddled and laid the baby in the manger. And the eyewitnesses
rejoiced at the safe birth of the child. And the shepherds who came from the
nearby field, having found the abode of their herd, cleaned and transformed
into a dwelling, kindly agreed not to disturb the rest of the mother and her
firstborn. And they told everyone they met about the remarkable incident with a
happy ending. Both old and young marveled at the patronage from Above for those
wanderers.
And
Joseph sets a festive table for kindly acquaintances. And those invited to the
meal present Jesus with the only gifts in his life. And Mary and the baby
gather strength under the stable’s roof. And according to the commandment of
Moses, after thirty-three days they come to Jerusalem; and after thirty-three
years they will again find themselves in this city—he in glory, and she in
sorrow.
The Ministry and Teaching
The
return to Nazareth with the newborn would certainly have raised suspicions of
premarital adultery. Foreseeing gossip, Joseph journeys onward to Egypt, as
planned. He headed towards the Nile Valley, along the road of Abraham and the
Midianite merchants who brought Joseph there. The wanderers settle in a
diaspora of co-religionists, where the head of the family, being a good
carpenter, earns their livelihood during the period of his stepson's infancy.
When it turns out to be impossible to accurately calculate the child's age, a
return journey is made to the land of Israel, to Nazareth of Galilee. There, Jesus
spends his childhood, his unique gifts emerging, and in adolescence, a thirst
for knowledge awakens. The boy, is preferably raised by his mother. Later, the
younger children absorb her attention.
As
Jesus matures, he drifts from his parents and siblings. He studies the world
around him, and lost in his thoughts, draws initial information about nature
from the Book of Genesis, an ancient encyclopedia. It enchants him with the
secrets of the structure of the universe, the levels of organization of life, the
anatomy, and physiology of people. This work inspires him to comprehend the art
of healing, to seek out the true causes of ailments and gait disorders, such as
those resulting from damage to the mysterious “sinew of the thigh” —the
ligament of the head of the femur.
Similar
to Joseph’s son of Jacob, at sixteen or seventeen, Jesus leaves provincial
Nazareth and rushes to the highly developed Alexandria. The example of the
successful career of the beloved heir of Patriarch Jacob gives hope for better
prospects of fate. His remarkable talent and memory earn the esteem of the
Museion’s teachers, who admit him to their medical school. In the hallowed
halls of this famed Academy, the gifted student masters the art of healing and
emerges a physician.
Jesus
accumulates clinical experience in the Nile Delta for almost a decade. The
spirit of the polymath physician Imhotep, hovering over Egypt, “kindled the
torch” of the polyglot, the physician-philosopher Jesus of Nazareth. Yet,
rising ethnic tensions in Alexandria compel this contemplative physician to
return to his homeland, Galilee.
Seeking
life’s meaning, Jesus journeys to the Jordan, where John the Baptist discerns
and proclaims his pastoral calling. Solitude in the desert puts priorities in
place, and convictions finally crystallize in a phantasmagoric dream. His
origins as a carpenter’s son lead his Nazareth villagers to dismiss him as a physician.
He settles away, in Capernaum, where he opens a medical practice. His
compassionate nature, effective treatments, and wise counsel draw crowds
seeking both health and understanding.
Due
to the failure of the health care system of Roman Palestine, countless patients
yearn for healing. The priests take care of prevention, and the few physicians
cannot cure all the sick. Jesus, recognizing the need, and trains disciples as
healers. They hone skills through practice and absorb his teachings through
parables and commentary. Yet, the informal training sparks complaints about the
students, casting doubt on their Mentor’s methods.
In
a sermon on a hill by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus unveils a bold social doctrine,
outlining its foundational principles. His mission is to forge a harmonious
community of fellow Jews, rooted in renewed tenets of their faith. This
idealistic vision seeks to reduce conflicts, foster trust, and nurture a
healthier psychological climate in families, villages, and the nation. Bonds of
mutual support will unite like-minded souls, overcoming dogmas, and pressure
from authorities. This, in turn, will enhance societal well-being, preventing
physical and mental ailments. Later, Jesus welcomes other peoples who embrace
his universal principles for a harmonious existence.
The
priests, alarmed by the teachings and influence of the newly proclaimed
Messiah, perceive a threat to their authority, and income threatened. The
founder of the growing community takes rumors of impending repression
seriously. Contemplating how to sustain his fellowship beyond his death, he
devises a singular plan for his end. In its climactic moment, he aims to leave
a lasting message for his followers, a testimony about oneself and his
Teaching, simultaneously denouncing the ill-wishers and encouraging those who
follow. Through allegorical sayings, Jesus promises to “rise,” implying
memories of his image. The Shepherd speaks of dwelling “on the clouds of
heaven,” namely in the hearts and aspirations of future generations
In the concept developed by
Jesus, “God” is not impersonal, but a very specific patron. It is the God of
the three Old Testament Patriarchs and Mesopotamian Ur, named Nanna—the Sumerian-Akkadian “lord of
knowledge”. This essence is Constancy: the laws of human existence, living and
lifeless matter, rules, effects, processes, orders, constants. In essence, Jesus’ God is
Science. Understanding of the algorithms of nature allowed him to clearly see
and reshape the future, as if he were the son of the “Most High”. The
crucifixion—a planned and implemented euthanasia with the assistance of his
impeccable comrade-in-arms, Judas Iscariot, made the intended impression.
Spectators, “beating their chests,” departed Golgotha, and closing their eyes,
imagined the enduring symbol—the Physician on the Cross. His promised ascension
to “heaven” was not a physical rise or bodily revival, but a transition into
the positive collective memory.
The Coda
The Assumption of the healer
of souls and flesh gave birth to a stream of social radiation, the impulse of
which, having passed through the ages, influenced billions of destinies. In the
Teacher’s absence, distortions and additions to his message are inevitable, and
so are negative side effects. Yet, the acceptance of the reality of Jesus and
an impartial analysis of his Message removes the patina of mysticism that has
accumulated over two millennia.
Natural science frees the
Sermon on the Mount and the information contained in the Book of Genesis from
dogmatic constraints, fostering a reasoned approach to fantasies, deceit,
dreams, hallucinations and supernatural entities. As a result, a harmonious and
solid worldview is acquired—a “scientific religion” based on the immutable laws
of the universe. The earthlings or colonists of Mars, united by it, will one
day be able to form a progressively developing society without deception or
exploitation. Their foundation will be a rational view of the unknown and
scientific facts, the importance of the individual and moral standards.
The name and good intentions
of the Galilean physician are carefully preserved on the shores of the Finnish
Lake Pielinen. Here, Christmas carols and the thoughts of the Son of
Human still fill the sails of the city-ship Nurmes. It sails along the
malachite waves of Northern Karelia into a harmonious future, carrying us, the Human
Children, along. Amen!
The Reflections after Word and Sound
I am a doctor, an orthopedic
surgeon, and a researcher to the well of my ability. My thinking was formed in
laboratories, hospital wards, and lecture halls, yet I always sensed that
beyond precise formulas and exact diagnoses lies another meaning. This essay is
an attempt to look at the traditional religious narrative through the eyes of a
modern specialist, for whom empathy, causality, and verifiability are not
opposed to spirituality, but form its foundation.
I did not seek to overthrow
faith in sacred figures. I tried to return to the realm of the living the
unknown healer who once worked on the Book of Genesis and, apparently,
completed the image of the god Imhotep with himself, as well as the physician
Jesus—the inspirer of the Gospels. For both us and them, it is more fitting to
dwell in the world of human beings, feelings, labor, and reason not in oblivion
or within the mournful confines of temples. It was important for me to show
that a person can be holy not by virtue of divine origin, but by the power of
compassion, the desire for knowledge, and the nobility of action. Science,
which studies the starry sky, frees us from superstition but does not strip
away the meaning of morality in its religious guise. On the contrary,
understanding the structure of the universe makes us more attentive to the
surrounding life, closer to each other, more tolerant. This is the theological
potential of science: not in the worship of mathematical calculations, but in
reverence for truth and humanity.
Why Imhotep and Jesus? Because
their personalities serve as universal vessels for the ideas of mercy,
responsibility, and service. On the
first, only a shadow remains in myths and teachings, a few lines in Genesis, and
a scribe’s statuette in a temple. The second was renowned for his miracles rather
than for daily work benefiting patients, and became a victim of the cruelty of
those he sought to cure. By rewriting their lives outside of mysticism, I did
not diminish but rather deepened the significance of their deeds. For me, the
Physician on the Cross is a symbol of those who sacrifice themselves for the
sake of healing and peace.
The proposed text is not
fantasy. Rather, it is a reconstruction, and a hypothesis. An experiment. An
attempt to combine ancient legends and modern knowledge in a single semantic
structure. Perhaps it will become easier for someone to act and breathe in this
perspective—without fear and with hope.
If Imhotep and Jesus are not gods, then their path is open to everyone.
Anyone can walk their road and, by striving to alleviate suffering, surpass
them in intellectual creation. Accordingly, salvation is not a promise from
outside, but a work from within.
As a physician and a
scientist, I am inclined to explain instead mystify. Yet this does not mean
indifference to spiritual matters. I simply rethought familiar images in the
coordinates of science, humanism, realities of human relationships and actions.
They turned out not to be supernatural beings, but outstanding personalities
whose deeds and ideas deserve imitation and memory.
2025
Joensuu
Author:
Arkhipov S.V. – candidate of medical sciences,
surgeon, traumatologist-orthopedist.
Source & links:
Arkhipov SV. Physicians Who Became Gods: Rational-Critical
Theology. About round ligament of femur. November 18, 2025. https://roundligament.blogspot.com/2025/11/2025arkhipovsv-physicians-who-became.html ,
Original in Russian: Архипов СВ. Врачи, ставшие Богами:
Рационально-критическое богословие. О круглой связке бедра.
22.09.2025. https://kruglayasvyazka.blogspot.com/2025/09/blog-post_22.html
Discussion: medium.com
Notes:
The essay is based on the material in the book: Архипов С.В. Дети человеческие: истоки библейских преданий в обозрении врача. Эссе, снабженное ссылками на интерактивный материал. 2-е изд. перераб. и доп. Йоэнсуу: Издание Автора, 2025. Google Play , Google Book
Keywords:
ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament
of head of femur, history, first patient, injury, damage, Bible, Genesis
NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7
Comments
Post a Comment