Science in the Bible – Surgery

(2 Minute Read)

The use of anesthetics like ether, chloroform, and nitrous oxide by surgeons and dentists to put people to sleep for pain-free surgery began in the 1800s.

It could have begun much earlier, if men had paid heed to what Moses recorded 3,500 years ago:
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Genesis 2:18-23 NASB)

At the very Beginning of history, the Creator Himself showed that the human body can be safely opened and then closed up when in a deep sleep, such as can be accomplished with anesthetics.

Science Catches Up to the Bible

Thousands of years before scientists discovered surgery under anesthesia, the Bible gave an example of surgery under a deep sleep. Today medical professionals use unconscious surgery to great effect and benefit.

Although the Bible is not primarily a science textbook, it does hint at many scientific truths like this one and like those mentioned in this Science in the Bible series, truths that long pre-date their discovery by today’s scientists. This is strong evidence of divine authorship of the Bible and provides good reason to trust what the Bible says that we don’t yet fully understand.

Question to Ponder

Why did God remove one of Adam’s ribs from which to fashion Eve instead of making her from scratch?

Share your thoughts on this question in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

Soli Deo Gloria.

This is the 22nd article in the Science in the Bible series of blog posts. While there is much science connected with Creation and Noah’s Flood, this series will focus on lesser known scientific truths that were alluded to in the Bible long before they were known to scientists.
Read the prequels:
1. Science in the Bible – Blood
2. Science in the Bible – Ocean Currents
3. Science in the Bible – Undersea Mountains
4. Science in the Bible – Ocean Reservoirs
5. Science in the Bible – Good Medicine
6. Science in the Bible – Round Earth
7. Science in the Bible – Don’t Marry Kin
8. Science in the Bible – Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
9. Science in the Bible – Hanging Earth
10. Science in the Bible – Thermodynamics
11. Science in the Bible – Water Cycle
12. Science in the Bible – Quarantine
13. Science in the Bible – Starry Host
14. Science in the Bible – Turning Earth
15. Science in the Bible – Hygiene
16. Science in the Bible – Seed of Life
17. Science in the Bible – Circumcision
18. Science in the Bible – Expanding Universe
19. Science in the Bible – Visible From Invisible
20. Science in the Bible – The Sun
21. Science in the Bible – Atomic Fission

Read the sequel:
23. Science in the Bible – Dinosaurs

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday August 9, 2017 A.D.

Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)