A MAN in Idaho who believed he bore the "mark of the beast" used a circular saw to cut off his hand then cooked it in a microwave oven.
The man in his mid-20s called police as he cooked his severed limb.
He was calm when they arrived at his home in the town of Hayden on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.
"It had been somewhat cooked by the time the deputy arrived," police Captain Ben Wolfinger said.
"He put a tourniquet on his arm before, so he didn't bleed to death. That kind of mental illness is just sad."
It was not clear whether the man had a history of mental illness but he was now in protective custody in a mental health unit.
A hospital spokeswoman would not say whether an attempt was made to reattach the hand.
The Book of Revelation in the New Testament contains a passage in which an angel is quoted as saying: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the forehead or on the hand, he, too, will drink the wine of God's fury."
The Book of Matthew also contains the passage: "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."
Capt Wolfinger said he did not know which hand was amputated.
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