I was at first a bit intimidated with the request to teach this class “Foods of the bible” but it panned out very well. I did serve some dates, pistachios and recent baked whole grain breads along with pumpkin and banana unleavened bread which was great. Toook some of the pressure of the 70 students at 8 am wondering what the Exec. Chef was doing in front of the class. The notes are a bit bland but the conversations and thoughts as it was presented as food not lesson was amazing.
Foods of the Bible
Historical Courses
Genesis 1:29“And God said, “Behold I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food”
Grains: wheat, corn, rye, barley, rice, oats, millet, etc
Seeds: sunflower, sesame, pumpkin seeds, etc
Legumes: soy beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, other beans, eggplant, okra, bell peppers, squash, green beans, pumpkins, cucumbers, tomatoes, melons, etc
Fruits: citrus fruits, palm fruits, stone fruits, etc
Nuts: almonds, pecans, cashews, Brazil nuts, walnuts, etc.
Genesis 1:30“And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so” Leaf: Beet greens, brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard greens etcFlower: Artichoke, broccoli, cauliflowerRoot: carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips, manioc, cassava, taro root etc.
Genesis 3:17-19“And unto Adam he said, Cursed is the ground for your sake, in toil you shall eat of it” So originally meant for the animals man’s diet would now clearly include all these greens.
Daniel, 1:11-15“At the end of ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food”Talk of the value of vegetarian fare…
Genesis 9:3-4“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs. But you shall not eat flesh with its life that is its blood. This was after the flood; all was scarce so got introduced animals, birds, fish and reptiles…..
It is often questioned if there were any restrictions to this seemingly open invitation to partake. Some say it is for only special occasions
Genesis 27:4 & 31 blessing
Genesis 24:33 guests
Genesis 45:23 gifts
Exodus 29:41, 40:29 offerings
Exodus 12:21 ceremonies
Luke 15:11-32 celebration
Dietary Laws:
Leviticus 11:1-30 and the lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying to them “speak to the children of Israel, saying, these are the animals which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth”
Mammals: must have cloven hooves and chew the cud. Camels, hares, swine all unclean. Animals with two horns usually have cloven hooves. Bulls, goats, sheep, antelope. Applies to wild as well.
Fish: must be in water and have fins and scales. Oysters, shrimp, clams, lobster, turtles and catfish, tuna, dolphin etc.
Fowl: Birds of prey, scavengers, eagles, vultures, hawks, owls and bats.
Insects: All insects that creep on all fours not. Unless they have jointed legs above the feet with which to leap on the earth. IE. Locusts, cricket and grasshopper.
Rodents and reptiles: all seem out of the question.
Detestable things: (Leviticus 7:23-24) not eat any fat of ox, sheep or goat. Fat of a beast that dies naturally or is torn by wild animals. May be used in other ways but you shall by no means eat it. (Leviticus 7:26-27) “Moreover you shall not eat any blood in any of your dwellings, whether of bird or beast. Whoever eats any blood, that person shall be cut off from his people”
Dietary Myths and cultural diets of other countries.
For a long time the tomato was thought to be poisonous
Americans do not eat horse meat but Europeans and others do
Buddhists avoid taking life so all animal food is avoided
Hindus regard the cow as sacred and do not eat beef
Muslims do not eat pork
The dietary laws of the Torah and further teachings in the Hebrew culture are quite unique. And include such things as temporary restrictions on leavened bread during Passover. Even consider untithed produce as unclean.
Permissible foods: or Kosher which simply means fit. And is the opposite of, Trief which means something torn.
As well no mixing of meat and diary.
“It is often questioned whether God meant all of this or if it was moral and social laws. I once heard that Moses tried to teach us control of bodily appetites. To discourage excessive self indulgence he forbade pork, the most delicious of all meats. And further restrictions to teach us gentleness and kindness. Much of all this makes sense now that we know tapeworm and trichina is transmitted through pork and rabbits carry tularemia, and shellfish is prone to infection and spoiling.
Rabbinic laws of slaughtering, makes death of an animal swift and merciful if not the animal is considered unfit.
There is no proof to doubt that Jesus observed biblical food restrictions and only commanded Christians to refrain from the meat of idolatrous sacrifices, from blood, and from animals that have been strangled. (Acts15:20)
Fruit honey was made with grapes, figs etc.
Salt was the most common spice
Wine was the choicest drink
Oil was common as well.
Gods ideal place and diet seems to be the land of milk (protein) and honey (carbohydrates) “and I came down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey” Exodus 3:8
Warning Labels… Proverbs 23:2, 20 “When you sit down to eat with a ruler, Consider carefully what is before you and put a knife to your throat if you are given to appetite.”Do not mix with wine bibbers or with gluttonous eaters of meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty.
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