‘Tis the season to be Jesus, or maybe Mary, or perhaps…

December 18, 2007 - 4:44 PM by

Christmas is definitely in the air, even in this part of the world.
Some 60,000 Christian tourists (20,000 more than last year) are expected to flock in to the country ready for the big event in Bethlehem on December 24 and 25.

And the Israeli police are preparing.
Not for any riots, of course, or security checks on low-flying sleighs – “Did you pack these presents yourself sir?” – but for an outbreak of Jerusalem syndrome.

Jerusalem syndrome is a rare and strange psychological condition where someone apparently normal visits Jerusalem and suddenly thinks he’s a religious character straight out of the bible. St. John the Baptist is a popular one, as is Jesus, Mary, and all the prophets.

The condition isn’t confined to Christians, Jews are affected just as much – they like to hang out by the Western Wall – but it always seems to peak around Christmas and Passover.
It was first described in the 1930s by a Jerusalem psychiatrist, Heinz Herman, but cases of the syndrome go back to the Middle Ages.

Every year about 40 Christian tourists are hospitalized with symptoms of the syndrome, and most recover after a week or after being removed from Jerusalem.
Some never make it out though. And you see them from time to time, wandering Jerusalem’s streets with long hair and strange garb mumbling who knows what

You can sleep soundly in your beds though. The Israeli police are at the ready. Some years ago they established a special unit to deal with Jerusalem Syndrome, and it’s already been activated in time for Christmas.

Funny how none of these people ever claim to be Santa Claus?
Or perhaps that’s a rare and strange condition that only occurs in the North Pole.

Tags: • Category: General, History and Culture, Holidays, Life 

Comments

One Comment on ‘Tis the season to be Jesus, or maybe Mary, or perhaps…

  1. Olaf Raiss on Wed, Dec 19th 2007 9:39 AM

    2. About the last two sentences of your article.

    Hi, I believe that Santa Claus is fictive, but the Jesus and Mary or others
    real. so this might be there is no santa claus psychosis.
    Define psychosis: when man speaks to god, we call it prayer
    when god speaks to man, we call it psychosis.

    It has to do with faith and belief in things that are true.
    So, we get psychosis or syndrome about real things.

    With best wishes for all jews, christians and moslems in Jerusalem,
    which all have a different name for those who have a Jerusalem Syndrome

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