Jewish Food

Food of the Chosen In the time of Jesus, food often had religious and historical significance. Even today food still has these significances to the Jews. Historical Significance The main resource of historical information about the early life of Jews is the Bible. Jewish scribes began recording their histories while in Babylon. These histories are the Old Testament. Many types of food are mentioned in the Bible. For example, the story of Cain, Abel, and Adam; Where Abel made Adam his favorite goat meat, and then stole the blessing of Adam from Cain. Another example is the invention of unleavened bread(matzoh) by the (Egyptian) Jews. While the Jews wandered through the desert, God sent them manna to eat. The Land of Milk and Honey(Canaan) was a fertile, prosperous area, agriculturally and horticulturally(hence the name milk and honey). Also, the Last Supper and the story of Jesus cursing the olive tree. Today, the foods consumed by jews in biblical lands are still eaten by modern day jews. The food has even more meaning than it did in biblical times because of the many, many perils and hardships the jewish traditions, religion, and people have survived. They have persevered for over three

The meal of the day was at night with the family unit. Some who were fortunate enough had their own gardens andor fruit trees on their property to have these delicacies as much as they wanted. Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is celebrated with honey cakes to represent the sweetness of the torah. It could be said the people of Judaism are the most 'tried and true to their god. Providing FoodIn biblical times, a family unit usually consisted of three generations, all of whom helped provide the family with what they needed. The normal everyday foods included; bread made from wheat, barley, or millet; beans, lentils, cheese, yogurt, milk, fish, fruits, vegetables,and wine or beer made from grapes, barley, and honey. Hoffman, Yair; The World of the Bible for Young Readers ;Viking Kestrel, New York, 1989. Jews preferred to eat and cook outside. Eyewitness Books; Bible Lands , Dorling Kindersley Limited, London, 1991. Women made bread by grinding wheat and barley kernels, and mixing bread with beans, yeast, or sweets to make cakes. For the springtime carnival, Purim, friends exchange gifts of food, children are given special cakes called hamantaschen. During the Sabbath, all the food is pre-prepared. The fruits of the area were figs, dates, apples, pomegranates, apricots, melons, grapes, raisins, and olives.