title: [The fall of the Jericho walls].
abstract: Archeologic and medical evidence and biblical texts were analyzed in search of support for the hypothesis that the fall of Jerico walls might have been related to an epidemic caused by Schistozoma hematobium. There is evidence of the presence of Balinus trunctus, a snail acting as an intermediary host, but not of the disease itself. However, the hypothesis could still be tenable if all inhabitants left the city, which is suggested by all available evidence. The text in Re 2: 19-22 may not be taken as literary evidence of infection by the agent under discussion.
authors.affiliation: Hospital del Trabajador, Santiago de Chile.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Espinoza
mesh_terms: D001633:Bible; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history*; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012553:Schistosomiasis haematobia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history*
vernacular_title: La caída de las murallas de Jericó (comentario de la hipótesis médica de Biggs-Hulse).