Biblical Diet
Eating According to the Father's Instructions
Biblical Diet Overview
Our Father has created a dietary plan for us that helps to teach us to recognize the clean from the unclean, and thus teaching us how to live holy lives set apart to Him.
- All good trees and herbs are given to us for food at the start of creation.
- Immediately following the flood, all animals, clean and unclean, are given to us as food in addition to the good trees and herbs.
- When the Torah is given to Moses at Mt. Sinai, an amendment is made that now declares only clean animals may be eaten as food, in addition to good trees and herbs.
How to Follow the Biblical Diet
When the earth was first formed, YHVH made every living tree and herb to be food for mankind (with the exception of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the midst of the garden in Eden). Mankind, as well as the animals, were to find all their nutrition as herbivores.
After the flood, Noah and his family were given permission to eat of any of the animals (both clean and unclean) as food, as YHVH knew it would take time for the plants to regrow and produce food for Noah and his family. This was a temporary solution to ensure that there would be enough food to help the human race repopulate the earth.
Hundreds of years later, after the children of Israel were led out of Egypt by Moses, YHVH retaught them His Law (Torah) at Mt. Sinai. At this time, an amendment to the permissions given to Noah was made – animals would still be on the menu, but now only those animals designated as “clean” would be edible. This important instruction had a two-fold purpose for YHVH’s followers.
First, it was to teach them the difference between clean and unclean. This lesson is found throughout the Torah and is necessary in teaching the followers of YHVH how to live a life that is holy (separate) apart from the other people groups of the world. The children of Israel had just spent 400 years living among the Egyptians, and in that time they had forgotten their heritage and the Torah of YHVH. They had partaken in the abominable practices of the unbelievers in Egypt, and YHVH wanted to reteach them how to return to living holy lives, set apart to Him.
The second purpose becomes more obvious as science continues to play “catch up” with the scriptures. Of the animals considered “abominable” to eat, science has found many of them to be toxic to humans. For example, shellfish are now known to contain brevetoxins, which are marine toxins produced by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. These toxins can produce a series of gastrointestinal and neurological effects in humans and can lead to neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP). In addition, animals such as rodents, bears, big cats, foxes, wild boars and even domestic pigs are frequently infected by roundworms that cause trichinosis, tapeworms that cause cysticercosis, and other nasty parasites that can cause damage to humans.
Clearly, Father YHVH knew what He was doing in creating a “clean” diet for His children, and the instructions in eating the clean Biblical diet are actually very easy to follow:
- It is still permissible to eat from any good tree or herb.
- It is permissible to eat every animal that divides the hoof, and divides two hoofs wholly, and chews the cud (partly digested food returned from the first stomach of ruminants to the mouth for further chewing) – however, all three of these stipulations must be met. Examples of clean animals to eat would be sheep, goats, ox, cattle and deer.
- It is permissible to eat anything found in the waters that has both fins and scales. Most fish are perfectly acceptable to eat, such as salmon, tilapia, tuna, trout and most white fish.
- It is permissible to eat of any clean birds (fowl that do not eat carrion). Examples of clean birds would be chickens, turkeys and ducks.
- It is permissible to eat the locusts according to its kind, the bald locust according to its kind, the long-horned grasshopper according to its kind, and the short-horned grasshopper according to its kind.
- It is not permissible to eat animals that have been killed by other animals.
- It is not permissible to eat animals that have died of their own.
All other animals, sea creatures and insects are considered unclean and abominable.
Biblical Diet in the Torah
Genesis 1:11 And Elohim said, Let the earth sprout tender sprouts, the herb seeding seed, the fruit tree producing fruit according to its kind, whichever seed is in it on the earth. And it was so.
Genesis 1:12 And the earth bore tender sprouts, the herb seeding seed according to its kind, and the fruit tree producing fruit according to its kind, whichever seed is in it. And Elohim saw that it was good.
THEN…
Genesis 1:27 And Elohim created the man in His own image; in the image of Elohim He created him. He created them male and female.
Genesis 1:28 And Elohim blessed them; and Elohim said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the seas, and over birds of the heavens, and over all beasts creeping on the earth.
Genesis 1:29 And Elohim said, Behold, I have given you every plant seeding seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; it shall be food for you.
Genesis 1:30 And to every beast of the earth, and to all birds of the heavens, and to every creeper on the earth which has in it a living soul, every green plant is for food. And it was so.
Genesis 7:1 And YAHWEH said to Noah, You and all your house come into the ark, for I have seen you righteous before Me in this generation.
Genesis 7:2 You shall take to yourself from every clean animal by sevens, male and female, and from the animal that is not clean by two, male and female.
Genesis 7:3 And take of the fowl of the heavens by sevens, male and female, to keep alive seed on the face of the earth.
Genesis 7:4 For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights and will wipe away every living substance that I have made from off the face of the earth.
Genesis 9:1 And Elohim blessed Noah and his sons. And He said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.
Genesis 9:2 And your fear and your dread shall be on all the animals of the earth, and on every bird of the heavens, on all that moves on the earth, and on all the fish of the sea. They are given into your hands.
Genesis 9:3 Every creeping thing which is alive shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green plant.
Genesis 9:4 But you shall not eat flesh in its life, its blood.
Leviticus 11:1 And YAHWEH spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying to them,
Leviticus 11:2 Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, These are the living things which you shall eat out of all the animals which are on the earth.
Leviticus 11:3 Any that divides the hoof and is wholly cloven footed, bringing up the cud, among the living things, you may eat it.
Leviticus 11:4 Only, you may not eat these, of those bringing up the cud, and of those dividing the hoof: the camel, though it brings up the cud, yet it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you;
Leviticus 11:5 and the rock badger, though it brings up the cud, yet it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you;
Leviticus 11:6 and the hare, though it brings up the cud, yet it does not divide the hoof; it is unclean to you;
Leviticus 11:7 and the swine, though it divides the hoof and is cloven footed, yet it does not bring up the cud; it is unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:8 You shall not eat of their flesh, and you shall not touch their dead body; they are unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:9 Of all that are in the waters, you shall eat these; any one that has fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the brooks, you may eat them.
Leviticus 11:10 But any one that does not have fins and scales in the seas, and in the brooks, of any swarming creature of the waters, and of any creature which lives in the waters; they are to be detested by you.
Leviticus 11:11 Yes, they shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat of their flesh and you shall shun their dead bodies.
Leviticus 11:12 Any one that does not have fins and scales in the waters, it shall be an unclean thing to you.
Leviticus 11:13 And these you shall count unclean among the fowls; they shall not be eaten; they are unclean: the eagle, and the black vulture and the bearded vulture,
Leviticus 11:14 and the kite, and the falcon, according to its kind;
Leviticus 11:15 every raven according to its kind;
Leviticus 11:16 and the ostrich, and the great owl, and the gull, and small hawks, according to its kind;
Leviticus 11:17 and the little owl, and the Egyptian vulture, and the eared owl;
Leviticus 11:18 and the barn owl, and the pelican and the owl-vulture;
Leviticus 11:19 and the stork, the heron according to its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
Leviticus 11:20 Every flying swarming creature going on all four, it is an abomination to you.
Leviticus 11:21 Only, this you may eat of any swarming thing which flies, which goes on all four, which has legs above its feet, to leap with them on the earth;
Leviticus 11:22 these are those you may eat: the locusts according to its kind, and the bald locust according to its kind, and the long horned grasshopper according to its kind, and the short horned grasshopper according to its kind.
Leviticus 11:23 But every swarming thing which flies, which has four feet, it is unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:24 And by these you shall be made unclean; any who touches their dead body is unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 11:25 And anyone who lifts up their dead body shall wash his garments and shall be unclean until the evening;
Leviticus 11:26 even every living thing which divides the hoof, and is not cloven footed, and does not bring up the cud, they are unclean to you; anyone who touches them shall be unclean.
Leviticus 11:27 And any going on its paws among all the living things which go on all four, they are unclean to you; anyone who touches their dead body is unclean until the evening;
Leviticus 11:28 and he who lifts up their dead body shall wash his garments and shall be unclean until the evening; they are unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:29 And these shall be unclean to you among the swarming things which swarm on the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the great lizard according to its kind,
Leviticus 11:30 and the gecko, and the monitor, and the lizard, and the sand lizard, and the barn owl.
Leviticus 11:31 These are unclean to you among all which swarm; anyone who touches them in their death is unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 11:32 And anything on which any one of them falls in their death is unclean, whether of any vessel of wood, or garment, or skin, or sack; any vessel in which work is done shall be caused to go into water, and shall be unclean until the evening; then it shall be cleaned.
Leviticus 11:33 And any earthen vessel into the midst of which any one of them falls, whatever is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it.
Leviticus 11:34 And of all the food which may be eaten, that on which such water falls shall be unclean, and all drink that may be drunk in any such vessel shall be unclean.
Leviticus 11:35 And anything on which any part of their dead body falls shall be unclean; an oven or hearth shall be broken down; they are unclean; yes, they are unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:36 But a fountain or a well, a collection of water, shall be clean; only that touching the dead body is unclean.
Leviticus 11:37 And when any part of their dead body falls on any sowing seed which is sown, it shall be clean;
Leviticus 11:38 but when water is put on the seed, and any of its dead body has fallen on it, it shall be unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:39 And when any of the animals which are food for you dies, he who touches its dead body is unclean until the evening;
Leviticus 11:40 and he who eats of its dead body shall wash his garments and shall be unclean until the evening; and he who lifts up its dead body shall wash his garments and shall be unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 11:41 And every swarming thing which swarms on the earth is unclean; it shall not be eaten.
Leviticus 11:42 Anything going on its belly, and any going on all four, and all having many feet, even every swarming thing that swarms on the earth, you shall not eat them, for they are unclean.
Leviticus 11:43 You shall not pollute yourselves with any swarming thing which swarms, nor shall you make yourselves unclean with them, so that you should be defiled by them.
Leviticus 11:44 For I am YAHWEH your Elohim, and you have sanctified yourselves, and you have become holy, for I am holy. And you shall not defile your persons with any swarming thing which creeps on the earth;
Leviticus 11:45 for I am YAHWEH who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to become your Elohim; and you shall be holy, for I am holy.
Leviticus 11:46 This is the law of the animals, and of the fowl, and of every living creature which moves in the waters, and every creature which swarms on the earth,
Leviticus 11:47 to make a distinction between the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and the living thing that may not be eaten.
Deuteronomy 14:2 For you are a holy people to YAHWEH your Elohim; and YAHWEH has chosen you to be a people to Him, a special treasure out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.
Deuteronomy 14:3 You shall not eat any abominable thing.
Deuteronomy 14:4 These are the animals which you shall eat: the ox, the flocked sheep, and the flocked goat,
Deuteronomy 14:5 the hart and gazelle, and roe deer, and wild goat, and antelope, and Oryx, and moufflon.
Deuteronomy 14:6 And you may eat every animal that divides the hoof, and divides two hoofs wholly, and chews the cud among the animals.
Deuteronomy 14:7 But you shall not eat of those that only chew the cud, or those only dividing the cloven hoof: the camel, and the hare, and the rock badger; for they chew the cud but do not divide the hoof. They shall be unclean to you.
Deuteronomy 14:8 And the swine, because it divides the hoof, but does not chew the cud; it is unclean to you. You shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead body.
Deuteronomy 14:9 These you shall eat of all in the waters: you shall eat all that have fins and scales.
Deuteronomy 14:10 And whatever does not have fins and scales, you shall not eat. It shall be unclean to you.
Deuteronomy 14:11 You shall eat of all clean birds.
Deuteronomy 14:12 But you shall not eat of these: the eagle, the black vulture, and the bearded vulture,
Deuteronomy 14:13 and the hawk, and falcons, and the kite by its kinds,
Deuteronomy 14:14 and all ravens by their kinds;
Deuteronomy 14:15 and the ostrich, and the great owl, and the sea gull, and small hawks by their kinds,
Deuteronomy 14:16 the little owl, and the eared owl, and the barn owl,
Deuteronomy 14:17 and the pelican, and the owl, and the cormorant,
Deuteronomy 14:18 and the stork, and the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe, and the bat.
Deuteronomy 14:19 And every teeming thing that flies shall be unclean to you; they shall not be eaten.
Deuteronomy 14:20 You may eat of all clean birds.
Deuteronomy 14:21a You shall not eat of anything that died of itself. You may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it. Or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a holy people to YAHWEH your Elohim.
Common Misconceptions
Misconception #1 – Jesus made all foods clean.
Many churches today teach that Yeshua (Jesus) declared that all foods (animals) are now clean and can be eaten. This misunderstanding comes from a commentary note that appears in in some versions of the Bible, In these Bibles, the commentary note is actually placed into the verse making it appear as though the original scriptures stated this. For example, here is the verse as it appears in the NIV Bible:
- Mark 7:19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
The original Greek Textus Receptus, the most reliable Greek text of the “New Testament” writings that most Bible versions use as their source material, does not say anything about Yeshua declaring all foods to be clean. The phrase “In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean” does not appear in any of the original Greek texts. Even the idea of this is a bit disingenuous in that, according to YHVH’s instructions, all “foods” are clean to eat, but not all animals are considered “food”.
This commentary note is simply that – a commentary made by the individuals who were tasked with translating this section of the Bible. Moreover, in context, it becomes clear that this section of the scriptures was not even about food, but about a man being defiled by the words and actions that come out of his heart…
- Mar 7:14 And calling all the crowd near, He said to them, All hear Me and understand.
- Mar 7:15 There is nothing from outside the man, having entered into him, which is able to defile him. But the things going out from him, those are the things defiling the man.
- Mar 7:16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.
- Mar 7:17 And when He entered into a house from the crowd, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.
- Mar 7:18 And He said to them, Are you also so undiscerning? Do you not perceive that all that enters from the outside into the man is not able to defile him?
- Mar 7:19 This is because it does not enter into his heart, but into the belly, and goes out into the waste-bowl, purging the food.
- Mar 7:20 And He said, That passing out of the man, it is the thing that defiles the man.
- Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, pass out the evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
- Mar 7:22 thefts, greedy desires, iniquities, deceit, lustful desires, a wicked eye, blasphemy, pride, recklessness.
- Mar 7:23 All these evil things pass out from within and defile the man.
When Yeshua made this statement, it was already understood by His audience that any “food” the man put into his body would have to be from clean animals. No follower of YHVH would eat “unclean” animals nor consider them as food – thus nothing the man puts into him would defile him.
In conclusion, it becomes obvious in this case that a verse, taken out of context, has been given a false commentary note that has absolutely nothing to do with the full context of the scriptures it was taken from.
Misconception #2 – God told Peter that all animals were now clean and could be eaten.
This misconception comes from a simply bad interpretation of a vision given to Peter in the book of Acts. Many churches teach this section of scripture, giving their own interpretation of the vision, rather than letting the scriptures speak for themselves…
- Acts 10:9 And the next day, as they passed along on the road, and drawing near to the city, Simon Peter went up on the roof to pray about the sixth hour.
- Acts 10:10 And he hungered and desired to eat. And while they prepared for him, a stupor fell over him.
- Acts 10:11 And he saw the heaven being opened and a certain vessel like a great sheet coming down on him, being bound by four corners, and let down onto the earth;
- Acts 10:12 in which were all the four-footed animals of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the heaven.
- Acts 10:13 And a voice came to him, Rise up, Peter, slay and eat.
- Acts 10:14 But Peter said, Elohim forbid my Master, because I never did eat anything common or unclean.
- Acts 10:15 And again a voice came to him a second time, What things YAHWEH made clean, you do not make common.
- Acts 10:16 And this happened three times, and the vessel was taken up into the heaven again.
Many churches teach that this vision proves that all animals are now clean to eat. However, this assumption comes from the reader making a false interpretation of the vision, rather than allowing the scriptures to give the interpretation of the vision. If the reader goes a bit further they will discover that Peter, himself, gives the interpretation of his vision…
- Acts 10:19 And as Peter pondered concerning the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are seeking you.
- Acts 10:20 But rising up, go down and go with them, not discriminating, because I have sent them.
THEN…
- Acts 10:28 You know that it is not lawful for a Yehudean man to associate with or come near to a foreign man who is not a son of his tribe, but YAHWEH showed to me concerning a man not to say that he is common or unclean.
THEN…
- Acts 11:2 And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision with him,
- Acts 11:3 saying, You went in unto uncircumcised men and ate with them.
- Acts 11:4 But beginning, Peter set out to them in order, saying,
- Acts 11:5 While I was praying in Joppa, I saw in a dream a certain garment that was descending which resembled a linen cloth. And it was fastened by four of its corners and it was drawn out. And it came all the way from heaven towards me.
- Acts 11:6 Looking intently on this, I observed. And I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, and the wild beasts, and the creeping things, and the birds of the heaven.
- Acts 11:7 And I heard a voice saying to me, Peter, rise up, slay and eat.
- Acts 11:8 But I said, Elohim forbid my Master, because never has anything common or unclean entered into my mouth.
- Acts 11:9 But a voice answered me the second time out of the heaven, What YAHWEH has cleansed, you do not make common.
- Acts 11:10 And this took place three times, and all things were pulled up into the heaven again.
- Acts 11:11 And, behold, at once three men stood at the house in which I was, having been sent from Caesarea to me.
- Acts 11:12 And the Spirit said to me to go with them, not discriminating. And these six brothers also were with me, and we went into the man’s house.
- Acts 11:13 And he told us how he saw a cherub in his house, standing and saying to him, Send men to Joppa, and send for Simon who is surnamed Peter,
- Acts 11:14 who will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.
- Acts 11:15 And in my beginning to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as also on us in the beginning.
- Acts 11:16 And I recalled the Word of our Master, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but you will baptize with the Spirit of Holiness.
- Acts 11:17 Then if YAHWEH gave the same gift to them as also to us, believing on the Master Yahshua Messiah, and I, who was I to be able to hinder YAHWEH?
- Acts 11:18 And hearing these things, they kept silent and glorified YAHWEH, saying, perhaps YAHWEH also has granted to the nations repentance unto life.
Peter’s interpretation of his vision has nothing to do with food, but rather had to do with no longer considering Gentile believers, who come to Yeshua, as being “unclean”. The animals in the vision were simply there to represent the Gentile believers. This is not unusual as frequently animals and food are used in visions and dreams, throughout the scriptures, to represent something entirely different.
For example, consider the dreams of the cupbearer and baker who were imprisoned with Joseph in Egypt…
- Genesis 40:6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning. And he looked at them, and, behold, they were sad.
- Genesis 40:7 And he asked the officers of Pharaoh who were with him in custody, in the house of his master, saying, Why are your faces sad today?
- Genesis 40:8 And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is not one to open it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to Elohim? Now tell it to me.
- Genesis 40:9 And the chief of the cupbearers told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, In my dream, behold, a vine was before me.
- Genesis 40:10 And in the vine were three branches. And at its budding, it went up into blossom, its clusters ripened into grapes.
- Genesis 40:11 And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and pressed them into the cup of Pharaoh; and I gave the cup into the hand of Pharaoh.
Joseph then gives the interpretation of the dream…
- Genesis 40:12 And Joseph said to him, This is the interpretation: the three branches, they are three days.
- Genesis 40:13 Yet within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will return you to your place. And you will give the cup of Pharaoh into his hand according to the former custom when you were his cupbearer.
In the interpretation, the three branches of grape vine represent three days. It is similar for the dream of the baker, which Joseph also interprets…
- Genesis 40:16 And the chief of the bakers saw that the interpretation was good. And he said to Joseph, I also in my dream saw three baskets of white bread on my head.
- Genesis 40:17 And in the top basket some from all the food of Pharaoh, the work of a baker. And the birds were eating them from the basket off my head.
- Genesis 40:18 And Joseph answered and said, This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days.
- Genesis 40:19 Yet within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head from you and hang you on a tree, and the birds will eat your flesh off you.
In this dream, the three baskets of bread also represented three days. Again, food is used to represent something entirely different. Now consider the dream of Pharaoh that Joseph interprets…
- Genesis 41:1 And it happened at the end of two years of days, Pharaoh was dreaming. And, lo, he was standing by the River.
- Genesis 41:2 And, behold! Seven cows were going up from the River, beautiful of appearance and fat of flesh; and they were eating in the reeds.
- Genesis 41:3 And, behold, seven other cows were going up after them from the River, evil of appearance and lean of flesh. And they were standing beside the cows on the lip of the River.
- Genesis 41:4 And the evil-appearing and lean-fleshed cows were eating the seven cows of beautiful and fat appearance. And Pharaoh awoke.
- Genesis 41:5 And he slept and dreamed a second time. And, behold, seven ears of grain were coming up on one stalk, fat and good.
- Genesis 41:6 And, behold, seven ears of grain, being lean and blasted by the east wind, sprouting forth after them.
- Genesis 41:7 And the seven lean ears were swallowing the seven fat and full ears. And Pharaoh awakened; and, behold, it was a dream.
THEN…
- Genesis 41:25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one. Elohim has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.
- Genesis 41:26 The seven good cows, they are seven years and the seven good ears, they are seven years; the dream is one (echad).
- Genesis 41:27 And the seven thin and evil-appearing cows going up after them, they are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted by the east wind will be seven years of famine.
- Genesis 41:28 This is the word that I spoke to Pharaoh: what Elohim is about to do, He has made Pharaoh see.
- Genesis 41:29 Behold! Seven years of great plenty are coming in all the land of Egypt.
- Genesis 41:30 And seven years of famine will arise after them and all the plenty of the land of Egypt will be forgotten; and the famine will consume the land.
- Genesis 41:31 And the plenty in the land will not be remembered because of that famine afterwards; for it will be very severe.
Here we see where cows and ears of grain (both good and evil) are each used to represent years. Again, we have animals and food being used to represent something entirely different. It is no different than unclean animals being used to represent Gentile believers in Peter’s vision in Acts chapter 10.
In conclusion we see that a false interpretation of a vision, that conflicts with the scripturally given interpretation of that vision, leads people into the error of believing that YHVH changed His Law and declared unclean animals to be counted as food.