The humble pig

Nobody knows why the ancient Israelites did not eat pork. All the archaeology really tells us is that it happened very early. You never find pig bones in Israelite sites no matter how far back you go. In fact, before Israelite culture full emerged from Canaanite culture, sometimes the absence of pig bones is the only identifiable difference.



These writers argue that much of civilization depended on the pig, as no other animal is so adept at turning virtually anything into meat. Their intelligence is well known. One farm used electronic collars to operate automated feeders. The pigs learned to retrieve abandoned collars and carry them around to get seconds.

Why did the Israelites (and other religious groups) shun pork? Were they really dangerous ?

Quote: Pacomartin

Why did the Israelites (and other religious groups) shun pork? Were they really dangerous ?

I thought it was because one could get food poisoning if the pork wasn't cooked at a high enough temperature and long enough. Jews I know who eat pork, argue that the reason behind the prohibition of pork was out of safety. This is not as much of an issue today (my bout of food poisoning not withstanding) so they would probably argue that as long as the pork is properly cooked, they are obeying the spirit of the rule.

Quote: Wizard

This is not as much of an issue today (my bout of food poisoning not withstanding) .

Is that place still in business? We know you
drive by and give them the finger all the
time.

Any animal that has a cloven hoof that is completely split into double hooves, and which brings up its cud that one you may eat.
— Leviticus 11:3

Animals that have cloven hooves and chew their cud are ruminants such as cows, sheep, and deer.

The text goes on to describe specific animals that are known and meet one, but not both, of those qualifications, thereby prohibiting their consumption. It does not elaborate on the exact reason for prohibition other than physical characteristics.

And the pig, because it has a cloven hoof that is completely split, but will not regurgitate its cud; it is unclean for you. You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall not touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.
— Leviticus 11:7–8
And the pig, because it has a split hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You shall neither eat of their flesh nor touch their carcass.
— Deuteronomy 14:8

Quote: Wizard

I thought it was because one could get food poisoning if the pork wasn't cooked at a high enough temperature and long enough. Jews I know who eat pork, argue that the reason behind the prohibition of pork was out of safety.

The safety argument is often cited, but it might make more sense if the kosher laws were simple rules on cooking so as to avoid food poisoning. Another argument is that chickens require about half as much water as pigs to produce the same amount of meat. Chickens also lay eggs. In a desert climate, the chicken was more valuable. Another reason is that if you start to eat a chicken you can finish it before it goes bad in the hot sun.

I guess the other problem that I have with the safety argument is that rotten pig meat was never a widespread health hazard or otherwise pigs wouldn't be so important in human civilization. It was simply one of hundreds of foods that could make you sick.

Quote: Pacomartin

Nobody knows why the ancient Israelites did not eat pork.

Does anybody know the point of Judaism?
They don't believe in heaven or hell or even
an afterlife. Their god doesn't seem to answer
prayers or even give a damn about them. (use
the Holocaust as an example). Ask a rabbi
what the Jews believe, and he doesn't really
have an answer that makes much sense.

Eating pork would seem like a small matter
given that their god seems not to care about
much of anything.

Quote: Evenbob

Is that place still in business? We know you
drive by and give them the finger all the
time.

There is a new business there but it is still Central American food. I suspect the old place got shut down and they just reopened under a different name.

Quote: Pacomartin

These writers argue that much of civilization depended on the pig, as no other animal is so adept at turning virtually anything into meat.

Nothing is ever so simple.

According to Jared Diamond in "Guns, Germs, and Steel," pigs were late to the domestication scene, in part because they'll eat almost anything. That means they often competed for food with humans, unlike cows or sheep which mostly eat grass or hay.

Quote:

Were they really dangerous ?

No.

I mean, there's the whole trichinosis thing associated with pork, but lots of cultures did fine eating them and keeping them around.

But here's another one: the Greenland Norse civilization collapsed. We know a lot about it, though not quite how the collapse happened. We know what they ate, for example, and how some of that, like keeping cattle, caused them trouble. We also know what they didn't eat, due to lack of certain animal remains.

There are no more than a handful of fish bones to be found in all the Norse ruins or graves in all Greenland.

Quote: Pacomartin

The safety argument is often cited, but it might make more sense if the kosher laws were simple rules on cooking so as to avoid food poisoning...

I think most people like rules and being told what to do. That, I think, is why religion is so popular. I think I saw a bumper sticker that said, "The bible says it, I believe it, that settles it." This kind of heard mentality appeals to most people.

If I started my own religion, it would pretty much have a few simple rules:

1. Strive to make the world a better place by maximizing what you create and minimizing what you consume.
2. What consenting adults do between them is their own business.
3. At the very least, don't hurt anybody else unless in self defense.

I know, yawn. It is a lot easier to obey specific rules like don't eat pork.

Quote: Wizard

I think most people like rules and being told what to do.

That is absolutely why religion is popular.
Not because it's true, but because people
are incredibly intellectually lazy and love
when others do the heavy lifting for them.

If they can live with most of what the religion
says, that's one more thing they can cross
off the list of things to do. It's all tied neatly
in a bow for them, all they have to do is
drag themselves to a church once in awhile
and that part of their life is a done deal.

Quote: Wizard

Strive to make the world a better place by maximizing what you create and minimizing what you consume.

But virtually no one could live within their "fair share" of the world's resources. For example, there are 1.2 billion automobiles (not counting small trucks) for a world of roughly 7.5 billion people. How does your family compare with 6 people per automobile as the "fair share".

Your fair share of meat consumption is 4 ounces per day (including bones).