Maurice Bucaille

Maurice Bucaille (French pronunciation: ​[moris bykaj]; 19 July 1920 in Pont-l'Évêque, Calvados – 17 February 1998), son of Maurice and Marie (James) Bucaille, was a French medical doctor, member of the French Society of Egyptology, and an author. Bucaille practiced medicine from 1945–82 and was a specialist in gastroenterology. In 1973, Bucaille was appointed family physician to king Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Another of his patients at the time included members of the family of then President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat.

Bucaille writes that the Old Testament has been distorted (tahrif) because of numerous translations and corrections as it was transmitted orally. He highlights, in his words, "numerous disagreements and repetitions", in the Old Testament and the Gospels. In his analysis, he states that he makes use of many propositions of biblical criticism, such as the documentary hypothesis.

Bucaille asserted in his book that since the Bible is not consistent with the modern scientific knowledge, it is not a divine scripture at all. He also claimed that every verse in the Koran is entirely consistent with modern scientific understanding, while being of divine origin.

"Bucailleism" is a term used for the movement to relate modern science with religion, and especially that of Islam. Since the publishing of The Bible, the Quran and Science, Bucaillists have promoted the idea that the Quran is of divine origin, arguing that it contains scientifically correct facts.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Bucailleism is "in some ways the Muslim counterpart to Christian creationism" although "while creationism rejects much of modern science, Bucailleism embraces it". It described Bucailleism as being "disdained by most mainstream scholars" but said it has fostered pride in Muslim heritage and played an important role in attracting converts.

According to Sameer Rahim, a literary critic, writing in The Daily Telegraph, some of Bucaille's "assertions have been ridiculed by scientists and sophisticated theologians".

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• La Bible, le Coran et la Science : Les Écritures Saintes examinées à la lumière des connaissances modernes, Seghers 1976, (ISBN 978-2221501535), Pocket 2003, (ISBN 978-2266131032)
• Les Momies des pharaons et la médecine, Séguier, 1987 (ISBN 2906284475). Mummies of the Pharaohs: Modern Medical Investigations by Maurice Bucaille. Translated by Alastair D. Pannell and the author. Illustrated. 236 pp. New York: St. Martin's Press.
• Réflexions sur le Coran, with Mohamed Talbi, Seghers, (Reflections on the Koran), 1989 (ISBN 2232101487).
• L'homme d'où vient-il? Les réponses de la science et des Écritures Saintes (Man where is he coming from? The responses of science and Scripture), Seghers, 1980 7ème éd.(ISBN 2221007816).
• Moïse et Pharaon ; Les Hébreux en Egypte ; (Moses and Pharaoh, The Hebrews in Egypt) Quelles concordances de Livres saints avec l'Histoire, Seghers, 1995 (ISBN 2-232-10466-4).