Swine, forbidden as food to the Jews, were eaten by the surrounding peoples in general. The Egj'ptians also considered the pig unclean (Herod. ii. 47), for a reason the Greek author forbears to mention, but which we learn from the Book of the Dead, as the demon Set once appeared in the form of a pip. Hence they are never represented in the older monuments, but appear in those of the New Empire (Wilkinson, ii. 100). The foul habits and co.irse feeding of swine, their supposed liability to glan- dular disease [which has given us the Latin name of such swellings' scrofula' (Celsus, V. xxviii. 7), and its Greek equivalent xoipds (Hippoc. Aplt. 124S)], and the notion that leprosy followed the eating of swine's llesh, contributed to tliis dislike. After the Captivity, however, especially under Syrian and Roman domination, the keeping of swine was prac- tised for commercial purposes if not for food, hence our Lord's references Mt 7°, Lk 15'°, Mt S''" (see Tlionison, i. 35511".). Swine's llesh is taboo to (he Mohammedan as well as to tlie Jew. For a detailed consideration of this prohibition see Spencer, de leqihus Hebrwonitn ritualibus, Cambridge, 1727, i. p. 131.
The Camel, which is eaten by the Bedawin, was forbidden by the Levitiial code. It is coarse and rather dry meat. The milk, however, was used in patriarchal times (see above). It wna probably camel's milk which Jael gave to SiseriL
The Hare (n^i-iN), only mentioned as being unclean because it is not cloven-footed, was common in the hilly regions. In the North the commonest species is Lcpus Syriacus, in the South L. ^Egyptiacus, and in the Arabah and Dead Sea district L. Sinaiticus. It is said to chew the cud from its habit of sitting in its form, hut it is not a true ruminant. The same is the case with the shaphan or coney, which is the Ilyrax Syriacus.
The oldest taboo is that of the fruit of the tree nyin W, ^''° ' of the knowledge of good and evil.' Con- jecture as to the actual tree meant is useless, but it is worth noting that the banana was identified with it by many mediajval ^Titers ; see Broeard's Descript. Terra Sancta, xi. See also Celsius, Hierobot., in which it is supposed to be the quince.
In the NT there is added the taboo of things ofiered to idols (Ac 21=«, 1 Co 8^). The early ecclesi- astics increased the stringency of the apostle's ordinance, and by the CouncU of Ancyra (c. 7) it was forbidden to a Christian to eat in any place which was connected with idolatrous worship, even if he brought his own food. On the other liaiid, Gregory, in writing to Augustine {Ep. xi. 76), recommends that the heathen sacrifices of oxen should be allowed to be continued in the English temples to accustom the people gradually to the change of ritual, but that they should be made on saints' days. For the tabooed vineyard on account of mixed seeds see above ; and for rabbinical comments on taboos see Aboda Zara, especially V. §9.
The Ass, though an unclean animal, was eaten during periods of famine. In 2 K 6" it is said that during the siege of Samaria a niaq-c'XT rosh-Mmor, or ass's head, was sold for about £10. It has been supposed that this meant a measure of corn, but this is unlikely. In periods of dearth, distinctions of food are impracticable (Ezk 4'^) ; for parallels see Plutarch (vii. Artax. Mnemon, i. 1023, and Xeno- phon, Anab. i. § 5). Even human flesh was eaten in such straits, see 2 K 6-", La 4'», Ezk 5'".
IV. Food Prepak.\tion. — In primitive times tlie field, the flock, and the herd supplied all tlmt was needful to the family, who procured it directly when wanted as in Gn 18* ; but with the growth of towns and tlie consequent division of labour, food became a matter of merchandise. It was so in time of famine (Gn 42''), or to those on journeys (Dt 2'^-''^). Markets or bazaars became established in the towns (Jer 37-'), and merchants and shonmen (1 K 10'°) supi>liod tlie wants of the town-dwellers. We read of such sellers of victual in Jerusalem (Neh 13") and Samaria (Jn 4"). In this way, bread, water, fruit, milk, and tlesh are purveyed to the people of the cities of tlie East.
Cookery was practised at anpervised by tlie wife (Gn IS''), or by a s\a.v (Gn 18'). At set feasts there was a cook employed (1 S 9^) who killed the animals, and hence was called nzo fabbidi, a word also api)lied to soldiers or executioners (Jer 39"). Some of these were female cooks (1 S 8'*) who dressed the meats, and dillered from the n-EX or bakers, and the nini5-i who were [lerfumers or spice mixers (1 S8" AV and KV ' confectionaries').
The animals were killed immediately before being cooked (Gn 18', Lk 15^) ; the tliroat was cut and the blood poured out in accordance with Lv 7'^ (see 1 S 14''-") ; they were then flayed (Mic 3») and cut up into joints, except in the case of small animals such as lambs, which were cooked whole (Ex 12'"). With larger animals the fle.sh was .sejiar- ated from the bones, and the.se broken wlien the flesh was to he boiled (Mic 3'). The doubtful fiir. \(;. nc'5 is tr. in Job 15'-'' collops.