Gies, KathrinKathrinGies0009-0008-3012-16352023-09-042023-09-042023978-3-86309-930-5https://fis.uni-bamberg.de/handle/uniba/90286In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccinophobia is widespread phenomenon among evangelical Christians in the US, in Brasil and also in Germany – among other countries. Those refusing to be vaccinated refer, inter alia, to the divine self-introduction: “I am YHWH, your doctor.” (Exo 15:26). From an academic point of view, this argumentation disregarding the literary and historical context of the biblical passage, must be questioned. Yet, this issue can be a starting point for asking how illness and disease, healing and recovering are perceived in the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament. The chapter shows that illness should be regarded as an anthropological phenomenon that should be understood in a literary perspective and on the basis of religious history. Thus, it will become clear, weh YHWH is referred to as a doctor without excluding the activity of human healers.deuCOVID-19Hebrew BibleOld TestamentYHWHDiseaseHealingExo 15:26220bookpart