Food & Drink in the Biblical World Week One Luther Seminary Lay School for Theology Spring 2016
How do food and drink function here?
Necessity Meaning Culture
Food & drink as a lens for reading Gender Economy Politics Religion Family Social Class
How do food and drink function here?
Gezer Calendar Two months gathering Two months planting Two months late sowing One month cutting flax One month reaping barley One month reaping and measuring grain Two months pruning One month summer fruit
For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the LORD your God for the good land that he has given you. Deuteronomy 8.7-10, NRSV
The Israelites depended on no outside markets for any of their essentials; and the relative coarseness of their own wares and the modesty in the size of their buildings further suggest a no-frills, subsistence economy. Carol Meyers, Discovering Eve, page 144
The Garden of Eden Read one of the following sets of verses: Genesis 2.4-9 and 15-25 Genesis 3.1-19 and 23 Keywords: adam =אדם human, humanity Akal =אכל to eat ( = food) Adam & Eve, Lucas Cranach the Elder
Discuss the following questions 1. Circle/underline words that are related to food/drink. 2. What do you see? What does this suggest? 3. Does food appear anywhere in the story that is surprising? Does it not appear somewhere you would expect it? 4. What changed with respect to food from the beginning of the story to the end? 5. According to this text, what are we supposed to eat? Why? 6. How did reading through the lens of food change the way you read this story?
Genesis 9.1-5, NRSV God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you shall rest on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the air, on everything that creeps on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea; into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; and just as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Only, you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. For your own lifeblood I will surely require a reckoning: from every animal I will require it and from human beings, each one for the blood of another, I will require a reckoning for human life.
According to the Priestly writers of Genesis 9, avoiding consumption of blood is a part of the complex of themes, in which the eating of animals is presented as a divine concession to inherent human sinfulness. But the preceding chapter (Genesis 8) contains an eternal divine promise never to allow human sin to lead to another catastrophic flood. It may perhaps be extrapolated that blood is a reminder to God both of human sin and of His promise to forgive. Perhaps it is safer to say that the link between sacrificial blood and forgiveness for sins is a mystery, because the Priestly tradition cultivates mystery... From the Jewish Study Bible, The Religion of the Bible by Stephen Geller
Ancestral Narratives
Abraham & Sarah Mosaic, 5th century, Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-- since you have come to your servant. So they said, Do as you have said. And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes. Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, Where is your wife Sarah? And he said, There, in the tent. (Genesis 18.1-9)
Hagar Genesis 21.9: But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian with her son Isaac, playing,מצחק) mitzaheq)... The Expulsion of Hagar, Adrien van der Werfft Genesis 21.15-19: When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, Do not let me look on the death of the child. And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him. Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
Abraham rose...took...gave...put...sent away... Hagar departed...wandered... Woodcut by Juliu Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1860
Do not let me look on the death of the child Genesis 21.16b
How does water function in this story?
Jacob & Rebekah
Gen. 27:1 When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called his elder son Esau and said to him, My son ; and he answered, Here I am. 2 He said, See, I am old; I do not know the day of my death. 3 Now then, take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and hunt game for me. 4 Then prepare for me savory food, such as I like, and bring it to me to eat, so that I may bless you before I die. Gen. 27:5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, I heard your father say to your brother Esau, 7 Bring me game, and prepare for me savory food to eat, that I may bless you before the LORD before I die. 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my word as I command you. 9 Go to the flock, and get me two choice kids, so that I may prepare from them savory food for your father, such as he likes; 10 and you shall take it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies. 11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, Look, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a man of smooth skin. 12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him, and bring a curse on myself and not a blessing. 13 His mother said to him, Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my word, and go, get them for me. 14 So he went and got them and brought them to his mother; and his mother prepared savory food, such as his father loved. 15 Then Rebekah took the best garments of her elder son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob; 16 and she put the skins of the kids on his hands and on the smooth part of his neck. 17 Then she handed the savory food, and the bread that she had prepared, to her son Jacob. Genesis 27.1-17
Gen. 27:18 So he went in to his father, and said, My father ; and he said, Here I am; who are you, my son? 19 Jacob said to his father, I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may bless me. 20 But Isaac said to his son, How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son? He answered, Because the LORD your God granted me success. 21 Then Isaac said to Jacob, Come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not. 22 So Jacob went up to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, The voice is Jacob s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. 23 He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau s hands; so he blessed him. 24 He said, Are you really my son Esau? He answered, I am. 25 Then he said, Bring it to me, that I may eat of my son s game and bless you. So he brought it to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank. 26 Then his father Isaac said to him, Come near and kiss me, my son. 27 So he came near and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him, and said, Ah, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that the LORD has blessed. 28 May God give you of the dew of heaven, and of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine. 29 Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother s sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you! Genesis 27.18-29
Genesis 25.22-23 The children struggled together within [Rebekah]; and she said, If it is to be this way, why do I live? So she went to inquire of the LORD. And the LORD said to her, Two nations are in your womb And two peoples born of you shall be divided; The one shall be stronger than the other ו ר ב י ע ב ד צ ע יר (ve-rav ya avod tsa ir) And the elder, the younger will serve? And the elder will serve the younger?
Jacob & Rebekah How do food and drink function here?
Joseph in Egypt Genesis 41.25-36 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, Pharaoh s dreams are one and the same; God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years; the dreams are one. The seven lean and ugly cows that came up after them are seven years, as are the seven empty ears blighted by the east wind. They are seven years of famine. It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do. There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. After them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt; the famine will consume the land. The plenty will no longer be known in the land because of the famine that will follow, for it will be very grievous. And the doubling of Pharaoh s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about. Now therefore let Pharaoh select a man who is discerning and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh proceed to appoint overseers over the land, and take one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years. Let them gather all the food of these good years that are coming, and lay up grain under the authority of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. That food shall be a reserve for the land against the seven years of famine that are to befall the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish through the famine.
Food & Drink in Exodus
Exodus 12:1-50 This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.
The Celebration of Passover Time of Passover Details about the Lamb Treatment of the Blood 10th day of first month One per household; without blemish; 1 year old; sheep or goat; kept 'til the 14th day; killed at twilight Put on the doorposts and the lintel of each house How the Lamb is cooked roasted When the Lamb is eaten and with what The same night before morning, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs How the Participants eat Loins girded; sandals on feet; staff in hand; in a hurry
Three Final Feasts and a Fast Exodus 24:9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. 11 God did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; also they beheld God, and they ate and drank Exodus 32:3 So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the LORD." 6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to revel. Exodus 32:19 As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets from his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf that they had made, burned it with fire, ground it to powder, scattered it on the water, and made the Israelites drink it. Exodus 34:27 The LORD said to Moses: Write these words; in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel. 28 He was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
How do food and drink function here?
Food & Drink in Leviticus
Leviticus 2 -- Grain Offerings
Whole burnt Offering Offerings of Well-Being Sin and Guilt Offerings
Leviticus 11:1-23 Clean and Unclean Foods (Deut. 14:3-21) 1 The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying to them: 2 Speak to the people of Israel, saying: From among all the land animals, these are the creatures that you may eat. 3 Any animal that has divided hoofs and is cleft-footed and chews the cud-- such you may eat. 4 But among those that chew the cud or have divided hoofs, you shall not eat the following: the camel, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you. 5 The rock badger, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you. 6 The hare, for even though it chews the cud, it does not have divided hoofs; it is unclean for you. 7 The pig, for even though it has divided hoofs and is cleft-footed, it does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. 8 Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean for you. 9 These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the streams-- such you may eat. 10 But anything in the seas or the streams that does not have fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and among all the other living creatures that are in the waters-- they are detestable to you 11 and detestable they shall remain. Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall regard as detestable. 12 Everything in the waters that does not have fins and scales is detestable to you. 13 These you shall regard as detestable among the birds. They shall not be eaten; they are an abomination: the eagle, the vulture, the osprey, 14 the buzzard, the kite of any kind; 15 every raven of any kind; 16 the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; 17 the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, 18 the water hen, the desert owl, the carrion vulture, 19 the stork, the heron of any kind, the hoopoe, and the bat. 20 All winged insects that walk upon all fours are detestable to you. 21 But among the winged insects that walk on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to leap on the ground. 22 Of them you may eat: the locust according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the cricket according to its kind, and the grasshopper according to its kind. 23 But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you.
Earth Three Spheres Se a Sky The Priestly Vision of Creation Mary Douglas in Purity and Danger
How do food and drink function here?
For Next Week Consider how these texts and our discussion affect the way you think about food during the week Complete the Personal Food Inventory and come to class next week with your reflections on the activity