Periah: Difference between revisions

Jewish ritual circumcision is carried out by a specially trained religious official called a [[mohel]]. The [[Preputial mucosa| inner foreskin]] of an infant boy is fused with the underlying [[glans penis]] by a [[synechia]]. [[James Peron]] (2000) reported:

Periah consists of tearing and stripping back the remaining inner mucosal lining of the foreskin from the glans and then, by use of a sharp finger nail or implement, removing all of the inner mucosal tissue, including the excising and removal of the [[frenulum]] from the underside of the [[glans]]. The objective was to insure that no part of the remaining penile skin would rest against the glans corona. If any shreds of the mucosal foreskin tissue remained, or rejoined to the underside of the glans, the child was to be re-circumcised.<ref name="peron2000">{{REFjournal

}}</ref> the 'priah' has been performed as part of the [[Jewish circumcision]] since the Israelites first inhabited the Land of Israel.<ref>{{REFbook

The periah procedure was introduced in the Second Century by the rabbinate as a result of the conflict that occurred between Jewish and Greek culture in Biblical times.

[[Frederick M. Hodges]] (2001) has provided a vivid description of the value that the Greeks placed on the [[foreskin| prepuce]]. The Greeks valued the [[acroposthion| longer tapered prepuce]]. Exposure of the [[glans penis]] in public was considered rude and unacceptable. Athletic events were carried out in the nude. The prepuce was frequently tied with a cord called the ''[[kynodesme]]'' to prevent inadvertent exposure of the glans penis.<ref name="hodges2001">{{REFjournal

At that time, Jewish males were only given the original style of circumcision, which only removed the tip ([[acroposthion]]) of the [[foreskin]], so they were still substantially covered by foreskin.<ref name="peron2000" /> Minimal stretching ([[tissue expansion]]) could easily recover the [[glans penis]] and make the Jewish male appear as the Greek culture demanded.  

Epispasm did not sit well with the rabbinate. In about 140 C.E. it was decreed that periah would be added to the ritual circumcision of infant Jewish boys.<ref name="peron2000" /> <ref name="glick2005" />

As reported above, the function of periah was to remove as much foreskin tissue as possible to cause the maximum amount of tissue loss and [[trauma]].

When medical doctors started to do [[circumcision]] in the Nineteenth Century, the practice adopted was essentially the Jewish version with periah. According to [[E. J. Spratling]] (1895) who emphasized the importance of tissue destruction:

To obtain the best results one must cut away enough skin and mucous membrane to rather put it on the stretch when erections come later. There must be no play in the skin after the wound has thoroughly healed, but it must fit tightly over the penis, for should there be any play the patient will be found to readily resume his practice, not begrudging the time and extra energy required to produce the orgasm. It is true, however, that the longer it takes to have an orgasm, the less frequently it will be attempted, consequently the greater the benefit gained...<ref>{{REFjournal