Dairy, Honey & Oils

Honey held a uniquely exalted status in the ancient world — it was the only sweetener available in its natural, concentrated form, and it was rare enough to be considered a luxury. Two types of honey are referenced in Scripture: bee honey (devash dvorim) and fruit honey — the thick, dark syrup made from dates, figs, or carob, which many scholars believe is the primary meaning of "honey" in "a land flowing with milk and honey."

Wild honey was found in rock crevices, hollow trees, and abandoned places throughout Canaan. Samson's famous riddle — "out of the eater came something to eat, out of the strong came something sweet" — referenced the honey he found in the carcass of a lion he had killed. Jonathan, Saul's son, was dramatically revived when he accidentally tasted wild honey during battle, his eyes "brightening" with returned strength.

Honey's preservative and antimicrobial properties were well understood in the ancient world, even without modern chemistry. It was used to preserve foods, treat wounds, and soothe sore throats. Egyptian and later Jewish medical traditions both used honey extensively as medicine. Modern science has confirmed that raw honey contains hydrogen peroxide, bee defensin-1, and other compounds with powerful antibacterial effects.

Goat's milk and sheep's milk were the primary dairy products of ancient Israel — cow's milk, while available, was less common. Both goat and sheep milk are richer in fat and protein than cow's milk and were considered highly nutritious. Milk was consumed fresh, but more often processed into curds (similar to yogurt), soft cheeses, and a cultured butter-like product called chemah.

Cheese (Hebrew: gevinah) appears directly in Scripture only a few times, but the practice of cheesemaking was certainly widespread. David's famous delivery to the camp — "ten cheeses to the commander of their unit" (1 Samuel 17:18) — suggests that hard, transportable cheeses were common provisions for soldiers. The cheeses were likely pressed and salted goat or sheep cheeses similar to modern feta.

Curds (Hebrew: chemah) appear more frequently than cheese and represented the most common form of dairy consumption. Made by leaving fresh milk in a warm place to ferment naturally, curds were thick, tangy, and nourishing — the yogurt of the ancient world. Abraham's hospitality to his divine visitors included curds, milk, and a prepared calf — a lavish feast of the best foods available.

Olive oil was not just a food in ancient Israel — it was the most versatile and valuable product of the Promised Land. It fueled the lamps of the Tabernacle and Temple, anointed priests and kings, healed wounds, preserved food, moisturized skin, and formed the base of nearly every cooked meal. The pressing of olives into oil was such a central metaphor that "Gethsemane" — where Jesus prayed before His arrest — literally means "oil press" in Aramaic.

The production of olive oil followed a carefully ordered process. Olives were first beaten with a stick (not crushed) to produce the highest-quality first-press oil, used in the Temple. They were then crushed under a heavy stone wheel to produce oil for cooking. Finally, the remaining pulp was pressed under wooden beams with stone weights for the lowest-grade oil used for lamps and soap. The entire spectrum of human experience — from sacred worship to practical necessity — ran through the olive press.

Kings were anointed with olive oil mixed with fragrant spices — the anointing set them apart as chosen by God. When Samuel anointed David as king, the "Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on" (1 Samuel 16:13). The Messiah's very title — Christ/Christos — means the Anointed One, the ultimate fulfillment of every royal anointing in Israel's history.

Almonds (Hebrew: shaqed) hold a special place in Biblical symbolism — the almond tree is the first to bloom in Israel each spring, its white blossoms appearing in January or February before any other tree's leaves. This early awakening made it a symbol of watchfulness and readiness. The Hebrew word for almond (shaqed) is related to the word for "watching" (shoqed) — a wordplay God used with the prophet Jeremiah.

The famous rod of Aaron that budded overnight in Numbers 17 budded, blossomed, and produced almonds — a miraculous overnight act that echoed the almond's natural tendency to bloom with surprising speed. Almond blossoms were also the design motif for the cups on the golden lampstand in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:33-34), embedding the almond's image at the very center of Israel's worship.

Pistachio nuts (Hebrew: botnim) appear in Genesis 43:11 when Jacob sent gifts to Egypt including pistachios — evidence they were considered valuable enough to serve as diplomatic gifts. Coriander (gad) is used to describe the appearance of manna in Exodus 16:31 — "white like coriander seed," giving us a concrete visual description of the miraculous desert food.