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The Tale of a City Saved by Gout and a Letter From Jesus

2008; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; Volume: 14; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/rhu.0b013e318181b4ad

1536-7355

Robert S. Pinals,

Pediatric health and respiratory diseases

In Brief In the 6th century a Persian invasion of the eastern provinces of the Roman empire resulted in the devastation of several cities. Edessa alone was spared, and it was widely believed that this city had divine protection because of postal communication over 5 centuries earlier between its gouty ruler and Jesus Christ. These events are reviewed in detail herein. Some appear to have a well-documented historic basis but others, including the letter from Jesus, have been considered highly questionable by various authorities. The story provides an interesting connection between gout and historic events in the ancient world. This fascinating legend describes that the ruler of Edessa in Mesopotamia wrote to Jesus asking a cure for his gout.