that period, were not distinguished. A wide range of diseases known to modern medicine have been suggested as differential diagnosis of tzaraath, including psoriasis, seborrhoeic dermatitis, favid, dermatophyte infections, nummular dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, pityriasis rosea, crusted scabies, syphilis, impetigo, sycosis barbae, alopecia areata, boil, scabies, lichen simplex chronicus, scarlet fever, lupus erythematosus, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, folliculitis decalvans, morphea, sarcoidosis, and lichen planopilaris. Of the particular situations that Leviticus describes as being tzaraath, the whitening of the skin over the whole body with sores, is considered by scholars to be most indicative of psoriasisPeake's commentary on the Bible the spreading of sores is regarded by scholars as most symptomatic of impetigo the spreading of swellings or spots in a burn injury, according to scholars, is most probably a result of erysipelas in regard to subcutaneous disease where the hair has turned white the additional presence of swellings or spots in a burn injury are thought by scholars most likely to be tropical sores the additional presence of bodily sores, and swellings or spots where there previously had been a boil, is one of the classical symptoms of leprosy the additional presence of sores on the head or chin is thought by scholars to most probably indicate the presence of ringworm Russian pathologist Gregory Minh discovered that leprosy is contagious; assuming that biblical tzaraat is non-contagious, he therefore concluded that tzaraath is in fact vitiligo. Similarly, Reuven Kalisher suggested that vitiligo is the most likely candidate for biblical tzaraath, as it is non-contagious, cause the hair located within the discolored area to turn white (also known as poliosis or leukotrichia), and can grow in size within a week to two-week period. Yehuda L. Katzenelson added that while vitiligo lacks the characteristic of biblical tzaraat, the Mishna (Negaim, chapter 1) also does not mention this characteristic. However Katzenelson concluded his analysis by listing many unanswered difficulties with Minh's opinion. Similar conditions not considered tzaraath In addition to simple rashes, inflammations, and swellings, the biblical text mentions a number of other conditions that could be confused with tzaraath. Among other situations the text considers harmless are the appearance of dull white spots, white patches of skin without sores, and baldness without sores; the latter two of these are thought by scholars to most probably refer to vitiligo and alopecia, respectively, and the Bible remarks that the former – the dull white spots –