The remainder of this chapter concerns “leprosy in buildings,” that is, contamination in buildings which must be restrained. The verses deal with diagnosis and purification.

14:33–42 At the fore is a concern for holding a spreading infection in check. Both Moses and Aaron receive these instructions; priests continue to be central in the processes described. The contamination is called a spreading mildew in a house. Again, the condition is probably a fungal growth. The instructions anticipate ancient Israel’s entry into the land of Canaan. When a suspicious growth appears in a house, the owner must call the priest, who functions as public health inspector. The first step is to empty the house, a move that keeps portable possessions from being included in the ensuing quarantine and saves th…