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Besides intrinsic, historical, and literary interest, and pedagogical utility, the study of the history of a disease can provide clues to its pathogenesis. It is necessary, but not sufficient, that the cause of disease be at least as old as the disease itself. We note a possible case of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) nearly 3000 years ago: the biblical figure Samson (Judges,¹ chapters 13-16), son of Manoah.

The DSM-IV requires that 3 of 7 criteria be met for the diagnosis of ASPD. Samson meets 6. (1) Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior: The Philistines tried to arrest Samson after he burned the Philistine fields (15:5) and went to Gaza (16:1). (2) Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying: Samson did not tell his parents that he had killed a lion. Furthermore, he proffered honey for his parents to eat, but did not tell them it had . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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