Healing Foods of Israel

When they reached the Valley of Eshcol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. (Numbers 13:23 NIV)

Land of Milk and Honey

According to the Bible, the Promised Land flowed with milk and honey. But the Promised Land was even more than that. It was a cornucopia overflowing with all kinds of healthful, healing foods… Few, if any, of today’s nutritionists can find fault with it. Nearly all help [to] maintain good health, and many contain substances that actually combat disease. Scientists have identified dozens of foods that may help prevent cancer, heart disease and other illnesses—foods that ancient people took for granted…

Instead of processed sugar, biblical people used natural honey as sweetener, or the honeyed pulps of fresh fruits.

They ate grapes, figs, pomegranates, dates, cucumbers, small carrots, beans, lentils, and such health-filled herbs as dill, cumin, coriander, mint, turmeric, cinnamon, bark, saffron, mustard, rue and a bitter herb that may have been some version of wild endive.

Bread and the many grain dishes on the menu were made from whole grain, a fiber-rich diet that we now know is critical to good health. Barley, wheat, millet, sesame seeds, melons and raw vegetables were common sources of fiber in biblical days.

Poultry and fish were served more often than meat, which was generally reserved for the upper classes or for special occasions.

Fruits and nuts such as almonds, pistachios and walnuts were plentiful and often used as ingredients in desserts. Nuts, we now know, are great for regulating blood sugar and lowering cholesterol…

Biblical cooks [also] prepared several different varieties of cheese, which is an excellent and inexpensive protein substitute for meat.

Excerpt quoted from the Healing Foods from the Bible by Bernard Ward. This practical handbook also contains a recipe for Ezekiel’s Bread, beauty applications for olive oil, and how Bible foods and herbs were used medicinally. See the Bible Health Guide for a comparable online source of information.

A is for Apple

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food," Hippocrates (460 BC - 377 BC), the Father of Medicine.

Healing Scripture offers Bible verses and a list of foods the people of the Holy Land in biblical times used to maintain good health. They're all available today at local supermarkets.

For in-depth scientific research on natural therapies, visit DrDavidWilliams.com, the internet home of this Texan’s informative health newsletter Alternatives.

Photos courtesy of Tyler Knott and Sick Lumpy (Flickr)

Important: If you have a medical problem, please seek qualified professional help immediately. This information is offered only for reference, and not as a recommendation for self-treatment.