title: The tale of a city saved by gout and a letter from Jesus.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0019, USA. pinalsrs@umdnj.edu
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Pinals