Forbidden Gentile Food in Early Rabbinic Writings

Abstract

This chapter addresses prominent example of how the enactment of food laws is supposed to have had an enormous impact on Jewish history, namely the outbreak of the great revolt against Rome in 70, which, according to at least many authors, was in some way related with the Eighteen Halakhot enacted in the Upper Chamber of Hananiah ben Hizqiah ben Garon around the year 66. It provides a rabbinic list of forbidden gentile food in order to see what motivated them. The rabbinic discussion demonstrates that in general the rabbis are no longer aware of the original reasons for these prohibitions or regard them as too obvious to make them explicit. To avoid commensality with non-Jews is the safest way to avoid mixed marriages and thus to maintain one's identity. To a large extent, the maintenance of Jewish identity and the survival of Judaism is the outcome of such foodlaws. Keywords:gentile food; halakhot; Rabbinic Writings