Transforming Words into Efficacious Healing Objects: The Case of the Bleeding Woman
Abstract
The miraculous healing of the bleeding woman, Haemorrhoissa, as known from Mt 9:20‑22, Mk 5:25‑34, and Lk 8:43‑48, has been reinterpreted and inscribed onto several ‘magical’ objects to help women recover from gynecological hemorrhage in Egypt (and elsewhere) during the sixth or seventh century. The retelling of the story and the mechanics of healing through these efficacious objects are the focus of this article.
Submitted: March 30, 2025 | Accepted: Aug. 12, 2025 | Published Dec. 17, 2025 | Language: en
Keywords Magic • Amulet • Haemorrhoissa • Gospel • Gemstone
Copyright © 2025 Markéta Preininger. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/QU/0122-2244/2025/01/002