Food, memory and cultural-religious identity in the story of the ‘desirers’ (Nm 11:4–6)
HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Food, memory and cultural-religious identity in the story of the ‘desirers’ (Nm 11:4–6) | |
| Creator | Shemesh, Abraham O. | |
| Description | This article examines the nutritional and cultural meaning underlying the list of foods mentioned in the claims of the Israelites in Numbers 11:4–6. The foods eaten by the Israelites in Egypt express stability and a familiar routine, whilst the foods of Eretz Israel, although depicted as choicer, express uncertainty. The list of foods has a literary role on several spheres: (1) The foods are elements distinguishing the agricultural practices in Eretz Israel and Egypt. (2) Fish and vegetables are an indicator of the low class of the Israelites – eating fish reflects the practice of obtaining protein from small animals available to the poor. In Egypt, vegetables were more readily available and were a more prominent ingredient in the diet of the poor and slaves. (3) The food is an indicator of the Egyptian cultural identity of the Israelites – the Bible identifies the longing for the fish and vegetables characteristic of their Egyptian diet as a sign of the Israelites’ cultural and mental affiliation with Egypt. Although they left Egypt physically, they remained affiliated with Egyptian culture and identity.Contribution: This article contributes to the understanding of the biblical story of the ‘desirers’ (Nm 11:4–6) from a multidisplinary perspective. It combines the fields of ancient Egyptian agriculture, nutrition, culture and research on features of immigrants’ foods. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2020-10-01 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/hts.v76i3.6158 | |
| Source | HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies; Vol 76, No 3 (2020); 9 pages 2072-8050 0259-9422 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6158/16023
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6158/16022
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6158/16024
https://hts.org.za/index.php/hts/article/view/6158/16021
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