The foods from the Biblical times were much different compared to what we eat today.

The amount of unnatural foods we consume daily in this day and age is alarming.

We are truly what we eat.

God did not design our bodies to digest processed and preserved foods.

The Example Of Daniel

When Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar inducted Daniel into his service, he invited Daniel to feast upon assorted meats, fruits, and wines.

Daniel refrained because he knew that the meats included “unclean” food that God forbade.

Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the temptation of the king’s meat, nor drink the wine which the king drank (Daniel 1:8.) He would eat the foods that were blessed by God and were healthy. By doing so, Daniel was healthy and strong.

Fast forward to today…would you be able to give up something you love such as soda, ice cream, or a warm donut drizzling with glaze?

What foods did they eat from the Biblical times?

Foods during the Biblical times were basic and very clean to eat as compared to today’s standards. If it didn’t grow on a tree, in the dirt, come from a bee or a certain animal, then it was not consumed.

Some Of The Most Common Foods During The Biblical Times

Meat	Grains	Fruits & Vegetables	Other
Beef Lamb Goat Chickens Pigeons Partridges Quail Fish	Wheat Spelt Barley Beans Lentils	Figs Olives Grapes Pomegranates Onions Cucumbers Melons LeeksGarlic Dates Quince	Bread Milk Wine Cheese Honey Herbs Spices Nuts Sea Salt Butter Eggs Locusts Olive oil

How Food Was Prepared Back Then

There were many ways to prepare and cook food to make a meal. However, these are just some examples  that will give you a glimpse into the simplicity of ingredients to develop a complex taste.

Ways to Sweeten Food

The naturally occurring sugar in fruits and honey was the source for satisfying a sweet tooth back then. Fruits and honey were used with wheat flour to make cakes. The dough was brushed with oil, sprinkled with seeds and either cooked on hot stones or baked in an earth oven.

Courtyard and Tent Cooking

Back in the biblical time, cooking was generally done in an open area outside the tent if you happened to be nomadic or enjoyed the camping lifestyle. If you lived in a more settled community with houses, the cooking was done in a small courtyard just outside the house.

Ways to Prepare Foods

Frying	Meats were cooked on iron plates in olive oil.
Baking	Breads and cakes were cooked on a hot flat-stone which was placed over an open fire.
Boiling	Meats, vegetables, beans, lentils were boiled in earthenware over an open fire. Grains were boiled the same way to make porridge.
Charbroiling	Fish was placed directly on hot coals from a fire.
Salt-Cure	Fish was dried in salt.

Utensils for Cooking

People of the biblical times did not use silverware, serveware, or dinnerware like we do today. Back then, there were specific utensils commonly found in most homes which included:

• One large three-pronged fork (used to lift foods from the fire or pot)
• One flat iron plate (used for frying)
• A few plates to eat from that were made from unbaked/unglazed clay or copper.
• A knife that was made from flint or bronze
• One Earthenware pot (used to boil foods)
• Fingers (used to eat your food with!)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

People had a very interesting selection for meals on a daily basis. There were no coffee and bagels, sushi, burgers, fries, steaks, or donuts.

Breakfast	Bread and olives
Lunch	Bread, wine, fishGenerally eaten while tending fields.
Dinner	Meat, vegetable, bread, wineBiggest meal of the dayServed around a wooden table low to the ground where people sat on cushions around it.Served just after sunset.

Treat Your Family To A Bible Meal

Surprise your family one night with a “Bible meal” keeping it simple and as close to the foods of the Bible as possible. This unique experience will provide your children with a glimpse into how people back then ate and prepared their meals.

Instead of sitting at the dinner table, have your family sit on cushions around your coffee table. Forego silverware and have them use their fingers, but have plenty of napkins handy.

As you enjoy your meal, perhaps have family devotional time to enrich the experience!

The Bible Meal

• Baked chicken (plain) or BBQ’d whole fish
• Boiled eggs
• Olives
• Honey
• Steel Oats (these oats are close to the coarse grains that porridge was made from)
• Figs and Dates
• Flatbread
• Unsweetened grape juice (in place of wine)

Serve in metal pie pans (to resemble the copper plates.)

Biblical Foods Are Healthier

Imagine how much healthier we would all be if we maintained a diet of biblical foods! Although the choice of foods was limited back then, the people were happy and content because it’s all they were familiar with.

Back then people ate to LIVE whereas our culture today LIVES to eat!