Food in Ancient Judah: Domestic Cooking in the Time of the Hebrew Bible

254 Pages·2013·7.45 MB·English

by  Cynthia Shafer-Elliott

Food in Ancient Judah
BibleWorld
Series Editors: Philip R. Davies and James G. Crossley, University of Sheffield
BibleWorld shares the fruits of modern (and postmodern) biblical scholarship not only among
practitioners and students, but also with anyone interested in what academic study of the
Bible means in the twenty-first century. It explores our ever-increasing knowledge and under-
standing of the social world that produced the biblical texts, but also analyses aspects of the
Bible’s role in the history of our civilization and the many perspectives—not just religious and
theological, but also cultural, political and aesthetic—which drive modern biblical scholarship.
Food in Ancient Judah
Domestic Cooking in the Time of the Hebrew Bible
Cynthia Shafer-Elliott
Published by Equinox Publishing Ltd.
UK: Unit S3, Kelham House, 3 Lancaster Street, Sheffield, S3 8AF
USA: ISD, 70 Enterprise Drive, Bristol, CT 06010
www.equinoxpub.com
First published 2013
© Cynthia Shafer-Elliott 2013
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission
in writing from the publishers.
ISBN: 978-1-908049-73-5 (hardcover)
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shafer-Elliott, Cynthia, 1975–
Food in ancient Judah : domestic cooking in the time of the Hebrew Bible / Cynthia
Shafer-Elliott.
p. cm.—(BibleWorld)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-908049-73-5 (hardcover)
1. Food in the Bible. 2. Food—Religious aspects—Judaism. 3. Jews—
Dietary laws. 4. Bible. O.T.—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.
BS680.F6S53 2012
221.8’6413—dc23
2012021684
Typeset by S.J.I. Services, New Delhi
Printed and bound in the UK by MPG Books Group
For Rob
The house where beer is never lacking: she is there!
The house rich in soup: that is her place!
The house where bread is in abundance: she is the one who cooks it!
– Mesopotamian proverb
2nd millennium bce
Contents
Preface ix
Abbreviations xiii
Introduction 1
1 The ancient household and its food 11
2 Settlement classification in Iron Age Judah 33
3 A spatial analysis of Iron II Judahite settlements 59
4 Broader perspectives: art, literature, and ethnography 117
5 Home cooking in the Hebrew Bible 138
6 Conclusion: mixing the ingredients together 177
Notes 185
Bibliography 213
Index of ancient references 229
Index of authors 231
Index of subjects 235

Preface
Academics are always asking each other what the other is currently
working on. Like any good researcher, I attempt to answer that question
as simply and concisely as possible, not because those who ask it are
unwilling to listen or are unable to understand but more out of sympathy
for the inquirer. In fact, I was told early on that a researcher should be
able to reduce their topic to one or two phrases at most and that this is
a sign of true scholarship. Well, I am not sure of that, but out of consid-
eration for others I did attempt to answer as concisely as possible. Lucky
for me, I could break my subject down even into one word – food. This
often got the attention of the inquirer and prompted follow-up questions
including, “Why food?” The answer to this question has many layers: (1)
I have an interest in the daily lives of ancient Judahites and Israelites,
both textually and archaeologically; (2) I have found there to be a deficit
in this area of research; and (3) I am an admitted foodie.
But it is a fourth reason, which I believe is connected to the third
one, that has stimulated my thinking further. I was fortunate enough to
grow up in a home that placed a high value on quality family time and
the expectation that all members be present at, and participate in, the
evening meal. Yes, we were one of those families that ate dinner together
every night sitting around the kitchen table. As a child and teenager I did
not know how rare that was, even then. As my siblings and I grew, the
expectation and careful preparation of the meal was more of a delight
than a family requirement. The presence of food acted as a catalyst for
conversation and familial bonding. One of the many results of these
meals is that we all enjoy preparing food in one way or another; this
is how I became a “foodie”, which then consciously or subconsciously
influenced my choice of which element of daily life in ancient Judah to
study.