What was the purpose of clean and unclean laws, including edible and inedible foods? Was it purely ceremonial or were there possible health considerations? Are they still relevant to Christians? Let’s look at Leviticus 11.
Which creatures could they eat and which were forbidden? Do cattle, sheep, goats, deer, bison, elk, moose and many others have split hooves and chew the cud?
The Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Tell the Israelis that these are the living creatures that you may eat among the animals of the earth: You may eat any animal that has divided hooves with cloven feet and that ruminates its cud, except you are not to eat the following animals that have divided hooves or ruminate their cud: the camel (because it chews the cud but doesn’t have divided hooves, it is to be unclean for you), the rock badger (because it chews its cud but its hooves aren’t divided, it is to be unclean for you), the hare (because it chews its cud, but its hooves aren’t divided, it is to be unclean for you), and the pig (because it has divided hooves and is therefore cloven-footed, but it doesn’t ruminate its cud, it is to be unclean for you). You are not to eat their flesh or even touch their carcasses. They are to be unclean for you.” (Leviticus 11:1-8 ISV)
What water creatures were considered clean and unclean?
These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat. And all that have not fins and scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters, and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you: They shall be even an abomination unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall have their carcases in abomination. Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you. (Leviticus 11:9-12 KJV)
What types of birds were considered clean and unclean?
These, moreover, you shall detest among the birds; they shall not be eaten; they are detestable: the eagle and the vulture and the buzzard, and the kite and the falcon in its kind, every raven in its kind, and the ostrich and the owl and the gull and the hawk in its kind, and the little owl and the cormorant and the great owl, and the white owl and the pelican and the carrion vulture, and the stork, the heron in its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat. (Leviticus 11:13-19 LSB)
What kinds of insects were considered clean and unclean?
All the winged insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you. Yet these you may eat among all the winged insects that walk on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to jump on the earth. These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, the devastating locust in its kinds,
What must someone do with the carcass of an unclean animal?
You will make yourselves unclean by these; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you; whoever touches the carcass of any of them will be unclean. Of all the animals that walk on all fours, those that walk on their paws are unclean for you; whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up their carcasses must wash their clothes, and they will be unclean till evening. These animals are unclean for you. (Leviticus 11:24-28 NIV)
What kinds of creeping things were considered clean and unclean?
These also shall be unclean to you among the creeping things that creep on the earth: the mole, the mouse, and the large lizard after its kind; the gecko, the monitor lizard, the sand reptile, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. These are unclean to you among all that creep. Whoever touches them when they are dead shall be unclean until evening. Anything on which any of them falls, when they are dead shall be unclean, whether it is any item of wood or clothing or skin or sack, whatever item it is, in which any work is done, it must be put in water. And it shall be unclean until evening; then it shall be clean. (Leviticus 11:29-32 NKJV)
What kinds of vessels were considered clean and unclean?
If such an animal falls into a clay pot, everything in the pot will be defiled, and the pot must be smashed. If the water from such a container spills on any food, the food will be defiled. And any beverage in such a container will be defiled. Any object on which the carcass of such an animal falls will be defiled. If it is an oven or hearth, it must be destroyed, for it is defiled, and you must treat it accordingly. (Leviticus 11:33-35 NLT)
What about the carcass of an animal? Is there the possibility of disease?
Nevertheless a spring or a cistern in which water is gathered shall be clean, but that which touches their carcass shall be unclean. If part of their carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. But if water is put on the seed, and part of their carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. If any animal of which you may eat dies, he who touches its carcass shall be unclean until the evening. He who eats of its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. He also who carries its carcass shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the evening. (Leviticus 11:36-40 WEB)
What about creeping creatures like spiders and centipedes?
Every creature that swarms on the earth is detestable; it must not be eaten. Among all such creatures that swarm on the earth, you must not eat anything that moves on its belly or anything that walks on four or more feet because they are detestable. Do not make yourselves detestable by means of any swarming creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean with them or be made unclean by them. I am the Lord your God. You must keep yourselves holy and be holy, because I am holy. You must not make yourselves unclean by any swarming creature that crawls on the ground. I am the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God. You must be holy, because I am holy. (Leviticus 11:41-45 CEB)
Was this a health law or purely ceremonial to make Israel separate?
I have given these laws so that you will know what animals, birds, and fish are clean and may be eaten, and which ones are unclean and may not be eaten. (Leviticus 11:46-47 CEV)
Did Jesus really declare all foods clean as some translations insert into the text?
Don’t you know that nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make him unclean? Because it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then into the sewer, thereby expelling all foods.” Then he continued, “It’s what comes out of a person that makes a person unclean, (Mark 7:18b-20 ISV)
If Peter’s vision of the sheet was strictly about God making Gentiles clean, why would the Lord tell Peter to eat?
“Get up, Peter; kill and eat!” “No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything common and ritually unclean!” Again, a second time, a voice said to him, “What God has made clean, you must not call common.” … God has shown me that I must not call any person common or unclean. (Acts 10:13b-15, 28b HCSB)
Is forbidding certain foods now heresy, a departure from the faith?
… some shall depart from the faith … commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5 ISV)
What was the purpose of clean and unclean laws, including edible and inedible foods? Was it purely ceremonial or were there possible health considerations? Are they still relevant to Christians? You decide!
