Abstract
Pre-modern, traditional societies tend to heal illness, whether physical or mental, through natural products such as herbs, fruits, seeds, and resins, employing various forms and techniques. This paper gives an overview of the kinds of medicinal treatments practised by Jews in Yemen before their mass-immigration to Israel around 1950, and then describes which of the old customs can still be observed today. The data are based on interviews conducted in Israel since the early 1980s and in particular in preparation of this essay. While the focus of this paper is on medicinal plants in connection to Yemenite Jews, much work has been done on these subjects in a general Yemenite context. The paper also gives an overview of the most prominent and popular medications still in use. It is remarkable that many patients interested in being treated by Yemenite healing methods are not of Yemenite origin. Keywords:Israel; Jerusalem; medicinal plants; Yemenite healing methods; Yemenite Jews
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