Food and feasting are key themes in the Hebrew Bible and the culture it
represents. The contributors to this handbook
draw on a multitude of disciplines to offer an overview of food in the
Hebrew Bible and ancient Israel. Archaeological
materials from biblical lands, along with the recent interest in
ethnographic data, a new focus in anthropology, and emerging
technologies provide valuable information about ancient foodways.
The contributors examine not only the textual materials of the Hebrew
Bible and related epigraphic works, but also engage in a wider
archaeological, environmental, and historical understanding of ancient
Israel as it pertains to food.
Divided into five parts, this handbook examines and considers
environmental and socio-economic issues such as climate and trade, the
production of raw materials, and the technology of harvesting and food
processing. The cultural role of food and meals in festivals, holidays,
and biblical regulations is also discussed, as is the way food and drink
are treated in biblical texts, in related epigraphic materials, and in
iconography.