The complete skeleton of a 2,700-year-old pig has been discovered inside an ancient home in the City of David, Jerusalem, which suggests some early Jews feasted on pork that is forbidden by religious law.
The laws of Kashrut, a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jews are permitted to ingest, only allows animals that both chew their cud and have cloven hooves to be eaten – making the remains of the pig a rare find.
The skeleton was found in a room with bones of other animals that were prepared as food, such as sheep, goats, cows and fish, which researchers say suggests the homeowners were upper class.
However, the small pig, which was less than seven months old, never made it to a plate and likely died when the home collapsed.
The complete skeleton of a 2,700-year-old pig has been discovered inside an ancient home in the City of David, Jerusalem, which suggests some early Jews feasted on pork that is forbidden by religious law
Most of the basic laws of Kashrut are derived from the Torah's, also called the Old Testament, books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
The passage Leviticus 11:27 reads: 'God forbids Moses and his followers to eat swine 'because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud.' Furthermore, the prohibition goes, 'Of their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch; they are unclean to you.'
This is also brought up in Deuteronomy 14:7-8:' However, of those that chew the cud or that have a split hoof completely divided you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the coney.
'Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you.
The small pig, which was less than seven months old, never made it to a plate but likely died when the home collapsed
The skeleton was found in a room with bones of other animals that were prepared as food, such as sheep, goats,
