168. Forbidden Food

By: James M. Freeman

• 1 min. read • grade level: 11

Leviticus 22:8⁸That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 22:8) That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith.

1. It might not be necessary among us to forbid the eating of animals which have died of disease, but in the East the lower classes will eat such food. Tavernier noticed that in Ispahan dead horses, camels, and mules were bought by people who made hashes of the meat, which they sold to the poor day-laborers.

2. The ancient Greeks prohibited the eating of the flesh of animals which had been torn by wild beasts. The Mohammedans have a similar rule. Some commentators suppose this prohibition to be grounded on the fact that the animals thus torn may have been killed by wolves, dogs, or foxes which were mad, and the flesh in this way rendered unwholesome.

The text is specially addressed to the priests; so also is Ezekiel 44:31³¹The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast. (Ezekiel 44:31). A similar command, directed to the people at large, is found in Exodus 22:31³¹And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs. (Exodus 22:31) and Leviticus 17:15¹⁵And every soul that eateth that which died of itself, or that which was torn with beasts, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even: then shall he be clean. (Leviticus 17:15).

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