A mechanical and critical enquiry into the nature of hermaphroditesParsons, James
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A mechanical and critical enquiry into the nature of hermaphrodites
Parsons, James
Intersexuality -- Early works to 1800
‘In the _Hebrew_ Law there is often mention made of Hermaphrodites,
although they were not very sollicitous about the Causes of their
confused Natures. The Word Androgynus was very familiar amongst them,
which, they say, signifies one having the Parts of Generation of both
Sexes, one of which, however, they allow to be more luxuriant than
the other. Hence arise some Disputes amongst them concerning the Laws
they are subject to, which I have translated from the _Talmud_ in the
following Words.
‘Androgyni are in their Natures to be esteemed partly as Men, partly as
Women; partly as both Man and Woman; and partly as neither Man nor Woman,
but as they appear in their proper Persons.
I. ‘They are like Men in five Respects according to the Law of the Book
of _Moses_: 1. By polluting whatsoever Man or other Thing which they
touch, or that touches them, whensoever they have emitted their Semen;
as Men pollute every Thing in such Cases, according to that Law: 2. They
are obliged to marry their Brother’s Widows, not having Children, as
Men are: 3. They are to go dress’d, from Head to Foot, after the Manner
of Men, and to shave their Heads as Men, not as Women, for Intemperance
Sake: 4. They are permitted to marry Women, as other Men do, and not to
marry Men: 5. They are obliged to observe all the Precepts of the Law of
_Moses_, as _Jewish_ Men are, but not as Women, who are not subject to
all, because of those Things which their different Seasons require.’
II. ‘They are further likened to Women in seven Respects according to
the Law of _Moses_: 1. By polluting every Man, and all Things they shall
touch or are touched by, in the Time of their Menses: 2. Because it is
not lawful for them to converse with Men alone in any private Place: 3.
Because they may shave their Heads in a circular Manner as Women; and,
besides, may spread out their Beards, which the Law of _Moses_ forbids
to Men: 4. Because they are permitted to walk among the Dead as Women,
which is forbidden to Men: 5. Because they cannot bear witness, as Women
cannot: 6. Because, as Women, they are forbidden all unlawful Copulation:
7. Because, as Women, it is unlawful for them to marry a Priest of the
Seed of _Aaron_, whereby they are vitiated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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