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