Church Library Online: A New Testament Lifestyle Diet

A Post-Modern Take on a

First-century Palestine Diet

Evelyn Smith

During Lent many Christians naturally focus on limiting the meat in their diet and perhaps cutting down on sweets. However, according to many health advocates, they should switch to a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in Omega-3 fatty fish, olive oil, fresh fruits, and dark green leafy vegetables, all year long.

Meditating on what Christ ate also furnishes a few unnoticed facts that have escaped most post-modern readers; for example, although no one doubts that the five loaves that Jesus fed the 5,000 assembled to hear him preach were natural and whole grain, the two fishes found in the boy's lunch were most probably sardines—making this feat even more of a miracle. The sop that Jesus dipped the bread in he gave to Judas was most likely olive oil, but it could have been made from any number of other ingredients, including yogurt, a salsa, or perhaps lentils. The bread was necessary to absorb the vegetables since everyone took food from a common pot or vessel.

Axe, Joshua. (2015). Top 10 healing foods of the Bible. Dr. Axe. Retrieved from http://draxe.com/top-10-bible-foods-that-heal/

1. Olives and olive oil: Deuteronomy 6: 10-11 (Axe, 2015, para. 4-6);
   
   
2. Pomegranates: Deuteronomy 8: 7-8 (Axe, 2015, para. 7-8);
   
   
3. Fermented grapes: Song of Solomon 1:2 (Axe, 2015, para. 9-11);
   
   
4. Flax: Proverbs 31: 10, 13(Axe, 2015, para. 12-14)
   
   
5. Sprouted grain bread: Ezekiel 4:9 (Axe, 2015, para. 15-17)
   
   
6. Raw [goat's] milk: Proverbs 27: 26-27 (Axe, 2015, para 18-20)
   
   
7. Lamb: Exodus 12;11 (Axe, 2015, para. 21-23)
   
   
8. Bitter herbs (coriander and parsley): Exodus 12: 8 (Axe, 2015, para. 24-27)
   
   
9. Vegetables: Daniel 1:12 (Axe, 2015, para. 28-31)
   
   
10. Raw honey: Proverbs 25: 12 (Axe, 2015,32-34)

Colbert, Don. (2000). The Bible Cure for Weight Loss & Muscle Gain: Ancient Truths, Natural Remedies and the Latest Findings For Your Health Today. Lake Mary, Florida: Sloam.

Dr. Colbert uses biblical verses to back up his medical advice, steering readers away from emotional eating, a sedentary lifestyle, a diet high in sugar and starches, hydrogenated fats, and a high glycemic diet. He also urges readers to limit the meat protein they consume while regularly exercising (Dr. Colbert advocates walking briskly), getting enough sleep each night, choosing a good multivitamin, and other supplements, and committing to life style choices backed up by daily prayer.

------. (2002). What Would Jesus Eat? Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Bottom Line: Jesus (and almost everyone else who lived around the Mediterranean during the first century C. E.) ate what is now referred to as a Mediterranean diet that featured whole grains, fresh fish, and a limited amount of meat (most probably chicken and lamb on feast days), goat cheese and yogurt, legumes, fresh vegetables like onions and leeks, and olive oil, and naturally sweet fruits, like grapes, dates, pomegranates, raisins, apricots, and melons, and nuts while the Lord most probably drank watered down wine because water probably wouldn't be safe to drink otherwise. As for aerobic exercise, since Christ and the apostles walked everywhere they went, they certainly got enough daily exercise. Dr. Colbert similarly advocates that his readers adopt a Mediterranean diet and briskly exercise for thirty minutes daily.

First-century Christians and Jews ate the original Mediterranean diet.

 Jacobs, A. J. (2013, March 26). What would Jesus eat: The science within the Bible. The Dr. Oz Show. Retrieved from http://www.doctoroz.com/article/what-would-jesus-eat-science-within-bible

• During the first century, most people living around the Mediterranean ate a mostly plant-based diet consisting primarily of lentils, whole grains, fresh vegetables, dates, nuts, and fish—all of which provided all their needed nutrients without excess fat or cholesterol (Jacobs, 2014, March 26, para. 1).
• Additionally, this diet was primarily vegetarian and raw, thus fitting in with the design of many of the human body's parts (Jacobs, 2014, March 26, para, 2-4). For example, most of the teeth—the incisors and the molars—either bite fruits and vegetables or crush vegetative fiber. Only four of the teeth, the canines, tear meat apart (Jacobs, 2013, March 26, para. 5).
• Saliva is alkaline and full of enzymes, like amylase, that helps break down carbohydrates (Jacobs, 2013, March 26, para. 6).The length of the intestines indicates that human were meant to eat mostly plants (Jacobs, 2013, March 26, para. 7). Red meat gets stuck in the intestines, causing constipation and bloating (Jacobs, 2013, March 26, para. 8). 

How Can I Eat More Like Jesus

Jesus likely ate a diet similar to today's Mediterranean diet (Jacobs, 2013, March 26, para. 10):

• Calculate your breakfast time and “break your fast”: Jesus probably rose early and most probably broke a 12-hour fast after a meal around six in the evening.
  
  
• Linger over lunch: Make lunch the largest meal of the day whenever possible and eat it in a relaxed atmosphere--admittedly more easily send than done for those who have a short lunch break.
  
  
• Eat a light dinner as early in the evening as possible, so the body can digest the meal before bedtime.
  
  
• Wine and walk: Drink wine with the evening meal and go for a stroll afterward.

(Jacobs, 2013, March 26, para. 11-14)

Tabor, Aaron. (n. d.). 10 foods and drinks Jesus likely consumed. Beliefnet. Disqus. Retrieved from http://www.beliefnet.com/Wellness/Health/Healthy-Living/10-Foods-and-Drinks-Jesus-Likely-Consumed.aspx

Pomegranates:

Pomegranates are engraved on one side of a first-century CE half-shekel coin.

Pomegranates appear in Christian mosaics, such as one found in a Roman villa in Dorset, England, as early as the fourth century C E, symbolizing the believers who make up the church (Tabor, n. d., para. 2).

See also:

Contemplating the face of Christ: The Dorset Mosaic. (n. d.). Experiencing Grace through the Arts. Year of Grace. Catholic.net. Retrieved from

http://bne.catholic.net.au/data/portal/00005057/0000/005/283/content/49205001339562849290.pdf

Pomegranate is loaded with antioxidants and can provide nearly 50 percent of daily fiber needs (Tabor, n. d., para. 2).

Fish:

Jesus called Simon Peter and Andrew to become “fishers of men” in Matthew 4:19, and the Disciples came upon the resurrected Christ cooking fish on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in John 21: 1-14 (Tabor, n. d., para. 3).

See also:

Knowing what a first-century fishing boat looks like adds new insight to some Gospel passages.

A Galilean breakfast. (2015). Cooking with the Bible. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc. Retrieved from http://cookingwiththebible.com/reader/Default.aspx/GR3410-3387/meal/

During the first century C. E., Jews either served fish fresh or dried, salted or pickled, raw or cooked (A Galilean Breakfast, 2015, para. 2). Fishermen caught fish in a dragnet, by using small nets and wicker baskets, with hooks and lines, and sometimes with harpoons (Galilean Breakfast, 2015, para.3).

Most likely Jesus lit a fire and then hung fish on sticks in an upright position, slowly roasting them on the edge of a flame, but He also could have laid the fish flat and roasted them on a bed of coals (Galilean Breakfast, 2015, para. 8).

Fishermen on the Sea of Galilee in Jesus' day fished for sardines, barbels, and musht. Most likely sardines fed the 5,000 since hosts often served barbels at feasts, and they were a staple of the Sabbath meal. Musht, which literally translates as “comb”, is also now known as Saint Peter's fish (Galilean Breakfast, 2015, para. 9).

Medical science recognizes that Omega-3 fatty acid fish contain anti-inflammatory properties that support healthy blood lipid levels and reduce blood pressure (Tabor, n. d., para. 3).

Honey:

Matthew 3: 4 documents that John the Baptist existed on a diet of wild honey and locusts, so it's possible that Jesus ate honey as well (Tabor, n. d., para. 4).

The nutrients in honey fight cancer; honey's carbohydrates enhance digestive tract health, and adding honey to the diet supports normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels (Tabor, n. d., para. 4).

Olive oil and olives:

The sop that Jesus dipped in the bread at the Last Supper most likely was olive oil (Tabor, n. d., para. 5), although the sop could have also have been lentils, yogurt, gravy, sauce, or even a type of salsa (Was the sop leavened, n. d., para. 4).

See also:

Was the sop leavened or unleavened (John13: 26-27)? (n. d.). Church of the Great God. Retrieved from http://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/BQA/k/221/Was-Sop-Leavened-Unleavened-John-1326-27.htm

Olive oil, a Mediterranean diet staple, contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties while its monounsaturated fat reduces cholesterol levels. Olive oil also helps normalize blood sugar levels, eases joint comfort, and decreases the risk of breast cancer (Tabor, n. d., para. 5).

Grapes:

Grapes are still grown in Israel.

Jesus called Himself “the True Vine” in John 15: 1-6 (Tabor, n., d. para. 6).

The Passover admixture of wine and water was two parts water to one part wine. The safest and easiest way to drink water at this point in time was to mix it with wine (Stein, n. d., para. 11-12).

See also:

Stein, Robert H. (n. d.). Wine drinking in New Testament times. Holiness. Retrieved from

http://www.swartzentrover.com/cotor/bible/Doctrines/Holiness/Drugs%20&%20Alcohol/Wine-Drinking%20in%20New%20Testament%20Times.htm

The red wine from grapes contains resveratol, saporin, and other antioxidant compounds, decreasing cholesterol and triglycerides levels (Tabor, n. d., para 6).

Vinegar:

Both Mark 15: 23 and Matthew 27: 34 observe that while on the Cross Jesus first refused a mixture of vinegar and most likely a pain-killing herb, such as myrrh, that a Roman soldier offered him, He later accepted wine that either contained vinegar, water, and eggs popular with Roman soldiers (Tabor, n. d., para. 7), or else Christ drank a cheap wine gone sour since vinegar was kosher to drink during the week of Passover (Yehoshua, n. d., para. 7 & 16).

Yehoshua, Avram. (n. d.). Passover, vinegar, and Yeshua. Retrieved from http://www.seedofabraham.net/Passover_Vinegar_and_Yeshua.html

Vinegar slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in the digestive system, and it increases the absorption of calcium from vegetables (Tabor, n. d., para. 7).

Figs:

In Mark 11: 12-25, Jesus cursed a fruitless fig tree on His way to Jerusalem because of its refusal to bear fruit (Tabor, n. d., para. 8).

Figs are a source of potassium and dietary fiber that helps normalize blood pressure. They are also a source of dietary fiber and contain antioxidant phytonutrients (Tabor, n. d., para. 8).

Lamb:

Lamb has always been traditionally part of the Passover Seder.

Lamb is a part of the Passover meal that Jesus might have eaten with His Disciples at the Last Supper (Tabor, n. d., para. 9); or maybe not: Although Joachim Jeremias' The Eucharistic Words of Jesus (1966) lists no fewer than 14 parallels between the Last Supper and the Passover Seder, Jesus was crucified on Friday before the sun down, so the meal he celebrated with the Disciples on Thursday wouldn't have been a Passover meal where an unblemished lamb is served with unleaven bread and bitter herbs as specified in Exodus 12: 13 (Kiawans, 2014, July 1, para. 2-3 & 13). Undoubtedly, Jesus celebrated Passover many times, but probably not the day before he was sacrificed as the Lamb of God.

Kiawans, Jonathan. (2014, July 1). Was Jesus' last supper a Seder? (2014, July 1). Bible History Daily. Retrieved from

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/jesus-historical-jesus/was-jesus-last-supper-a-seder/

Lamb provides high amounts of Vitamin b3 and Vitamin B12 as well as selenium, zinc, phosphorous, and iron. It also contains less saturated fat than most meats (Tabor, n. d., para. 10).

Bread:

Jesus called Himself “the Bread of Life” in John 6: 35. He also fed the 5,000 who gathered to hear Him preach with five loaves of bread and five fishes (Tabor, n. d., para. 11).

Only three varieties of wheat existed in Jesus' day along with non-hybrid varieties of barley, millet, and rye. Obviously, any bread eaten at this point in history was “whole grain” (Wellness Mama, 2011, para. 6).

Soluble dietary fiber helps with weight management and digestive tract help, stabilizes blood sugar levels, and may reduce the risk of breast cancer (Tabor, n. d., para. 11).

See also:

Does the Bible say we should eat grains? (2011). Wellness Mama. Retrieved from

http://wellnessmama.com/2359/bible-grains/

Wellman, Jack. (2014, January 16). What did Jesus eat? Popular Bible foods in the day of Jesus. Christian Crier. Patheos. Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com/blogs/christiancrier/2014/01/16/what-did-jesus-eat-popular-bible-foods-in-the-day-of-jesus/

Foods We Know Jesus Ate:

Luke 24: 41-43 notes that the disciples gave Christ a “piece of fish and a honey comb (Welllman, 2014, January 16, para. 2).

Foods Jesus Likely Ate:

Foods native to first-century Palestine include olives, figs, grapes, lamb, legumes (lentils or beans), melons, pomegranates, dates, nuts, raisins, [goat's] milk, cheese, eggs, cucumbers (Wellman, 2014, January 16, para. 3).

List of Foods Jesus Ate:

Jesus ate fish and [whole grain] bread both before and after the Resurrection. He also ate honey (Wellman, 2014, January 16, para. 4).

Jesus Declared All Food Clean:

In Mark 7: 14: 23, Jesus explained that it's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but the thoughts and actions that come out of him or her. Paul reinforces this concept in Colossians 2: 16 and Romans 14:3 (Wellman, 2014 January 16, para. 5).

Conclusion

Following the example of Jesus means loving your enemies and praying for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). Thus, Jesus followers confess that He is Lord, repent of their sins, resolve to sin no more, and follow his example. However, parables like the Prodigal son point out that life is best lived in moderation with allowance for occasional splurges, "feasting with friends on the fatted calf", and it is possible to start anew after a dieter mends his or her ways: Luke: 15: 11-32 (NIV) https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32