Definition:

The removal of the foreskin of the male genitals.

The practice of male circumcision is world wide, how the practice spread is one of the mysteries of life. Columbus found the 'New World' natives were circumcised, some African tribes practice circumcision, the Australian Aborigines, Muslims and Jews all continue the tradition of male circumcision. Wall paintings from the Egyptian pyramids show that circumcision was practised many thousands of years ago.

The permanent appearance change of the circumcised male has served as a mark, in different cultures, of different meanings. In the British Royal Family it is the mark of royalty, in the Jewish tradition, the mark of a covenant between man and God (Genesis Ch 17).

Circumcision was not merely a religious practice, but became associated with group identity - biblical Philistines were uncircumcised, biblical Israelites were circumcised (Joshua insisting before entry into Canaan (Joshua Ch 5:2). Even today, parents that may be not religious, practice circumcision, as they still feel, in their heart, a sense of belonging.

Circumcision was not always practised by Jews. In the reign of Queen Jezabel, Jews gave up the practice (I Kings Ch 19:14), and had it not been for the intervention of the Prophet Elijah (who has a special chair in his honour at a Jewish circumcision), the practice of marking the covenant with such faith, would have been abandoned.

The spread of the Roman Empire brought Romans into contact with other traditions. Always encompassing cleanliness, the Romans under Hadrian adopted circumcision, which may be associated with a more elaborate repertoire of sexual practices (Lauman E, 1999, The Circumcison Dilemma, Scientific Am. 10:2, p.71). Early Christians, wishing to develop group identity, rejected the practice, Paul stating that justification by faith alone was sufficient for converts to Christianity (Rom. Ch 3:4). As Christianity spread, Jews were seen as different, and the sign of the covenant as haughty.

Throughout the Spanish inquisition, circumcision was seen as a sign of being Jewish. Some abandoned the practice, and some were willing to be martyred for keeping their faith. Mohels took over the duties, previously undertaken by the parents, developing special surgical skills in the art and religious practice - a tradition that continues today in the Association of Reform and Liberal Mohalim. Many of the old surgical instruments developed in the middle ages, illustrated in paintings (they can be viewed in the Wellcome Institute), are still in use, e.g. the Mogen shield. Fine examples of these surgical tools can be seen in the National Museum of Israel.

From Joshua's flint knives to the surgical steel of today, the practice of circumcision has evolved, along with modern methods of sterility and anaesthesia. The doctors of the Association of Reform and Liberal Mohalim are at the cutting edge of medical practice! Whilst preserving the religious requirements that have evolved along with circumcision, they seek to make the procedure as safe and as pain-free as possible. A circumcision is a happy, family occasion - the making of a covenant with God, a remembering of the covenant that has been passed from generation to generation, a sense of belonging, a welcoming into a religious and cultural group, and lastly a celebration of Mankind. A boy traditionally receives his name, and is for all to see the son of his father and mother. Something to celebrate!

Sources:

A Brief History of Circumcision written by Association of Reform and Liberal Mohelim

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