Food in the Bible |
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Leek, Onion & Garlic |
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Numbers 11;1,5 (NEB) There came a time when the people complained to the LORD of their hardships. Think of it! In Egypt we had fish for the asking, cucumbers and water melons, leeks and onions and garlic. The leek, the onion and the garlic are very similar foods, being vegetables. Leeks were very popular in Egypt and are still commonly eaten there and in Israel. The bulbs and leaves of this plant are cooked as vegetable and used as a seasoning. They are also eaten raw. Onions and Garlic were commonly cultivated in Egypt. The Greek historian Herodotus records that they were provided for labourers. Egyptian onions have been described as being softer and sweeter than the European ones. The garlic is also a perennial plant which is very pungent and is composed of up to 20 cloves in a bulb. They are believed to aid the circulation. |
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Melon |
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Numbers 11;1,5 (NEB) There came a time when the people complained to the LORD of their hardships. Think of it! In Egypt we had fish for the asking, cucumbers and water melons, leeks and onions and garlic. Numbers 11:5 (KJV) 'and the melons' Only once does the Bible mention the fruit after which the Israelites thirsted in the desert. Opinion is divided as to whether they longed for the water‑melon or the musk‑melon, which is now called the cantaloupe. Probably both. The musk‑melon came originally from India and has been cultivated in Egypt for thousands of years. It was introduced to England in the sixteenth century. The water‑melon is a native of central Africa and has been grown in Egypt since time immemorial. You now see them on the plain between Haifa and Jaffa, the vines supported by sticks to prevent the plants crashing down under the weight of melons which may weigh up to thirty pounds. The Flowers and Fruits of the Bible |
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Cucumber |
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Numbers 11;1,5 (NEB) There came a time when the people complained to the LORD of their hardships. Think of it! In Egypt we had fish for the asking, cucumbers and water melons, leeks and onions and garlic. Small wonder that the thoughts of the Israelites, when in the inhospitable desert, should have turned to that cooling fruit which grows in the thick moist mud along the banks of the Nile. In Egypt and Palestine (Israel) cucumbers still grow on moist, low‑lying land. In summer they are an important part of the people's diet. The Flowers and Fruits of the Bible |
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Quails |
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Exodus 16:11‑13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. |
