I Should Have Been a Food Historian

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it many more times, I’m sure—I think I missed my calling in this life. I should have been a food historian.

One of my favorite parts of writing historical fiction is researching the foods they ate during whatever historical period I’m writing about. Studying the foods of Biblical Jerusalem while I was writing Woman of Stones was no exception.

Since she is a woman in Biblical times, the Woman of Stones spends a lot of time cooking, particularly baking bread. Since her husband is wealthy, he spends a lot of time entertaining those of his higher social circle so they would drink the best wines and eat the finest foods. Writing these scenes was particularly fun for me.

Food in the Era of the Second Temple

According to Women in the Bible, during the era of the Second Temple (from 516 BCE to 70 CE) people ate bread with every meal. Bread was the staple food and grains included barley, wheat, spelt, and millet, which was ground in a hand mill for a course or fine flour. Spelt didn’t make high-quality flour and the less wealthy folks are barley bread.

The flour was created to use leavened bread except at Passover. Olives (used mainly for their oil), grapes, figs, pomegranates and vegetables such as cucumbers, leeks, and onions were also common. Wine was a luxury, often saved for special occasions or holidays except for the wealthy.

Meat was also a luxury, and for most their daily diets were mainly vegetarian. Since the Woman of Stones has a wealthy husband, they ate meat more often than their poorer neighbors.

Other foods from the time included beans, and lentils as well as dairy such as honey and curds and sheep or goat milk, which was available during spring and summer months.

Other dairy included cheese and butter. Meals might be seasoned with garlic, coriander, cumin, mint, or oregano. Caper berries, pine nuts, carob, walnuts, and persimmon were also common.

Challah bread is one type of bread the Woman of Stones would have made. According to Tori Avey’s website, these days the word challah is used to describe the braided bread that appears on Shabbat (Sabbath) tables all over the world.

However, in ancient times, challah referred to a small portion of dough that was set aside for the Temple priests as an offering to God: “Of the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it.” ~Numbers 15:20

A Recipe For Challah

Here’s a recipe for challah bread from Kitchn that I baked myself. I should note, if it isn’t obvious, that this is a modern recipe for an ancient bread. Packets of active yeast weren’t available 2000 years ago. Yes, they had yeast, just not Fleischmann’s handy-dandy little packets—as far as I know.

To make this challah, you’ll need:

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 teaspoons active dry or instant yeast
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk (reserve the white for the egg wash)
• 1/4 cup neutral-flavored vegetable oil, such as canola

1. Dissolve the yeast. 
2. Mix the dry ingredients. 
3. Add the eggs, yolk, and oil. 
4. Mix to form a shaggy dough. .
5. Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes. 
6. Let the dough rise until doubled. 
7. Divide the dough and roll into ropes. 
8. Braid the dough. 
9. Let the challah rise. 
10. Brush the challah with egg white. 
11. Bake the challah 30 to 35 minutes. 
12. Cool the challah. 
13. Slice and eat!

See the recipe for challah bread from Kitchn for complete instructions. I’m not an avid bread maker, but I found this recipe simple to make and delicious to eat.

Recipe for Jacob’s Lentil Stew

Want something to go along with the challah? Here are the ingredients for Jacob’s Lentil Stew from Tori Avey’s wonderful website that features many delicious recipes. This stew included only ingredients that would have been available during Biblical times. See Tori’s website for the full recipe.

• 1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander
• 3 carrots
• 3 celery stalks, including leaves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 cups dry red lentils
• 1/4 cup pearl barley 
• 2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp hyssop or parsley
• 1/2 tsp sumac 
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt

The challah bread and Jacob’s Lentil Stew are just two examples of the types of foods they ate in Biblical Jerusalem. Their food used seasonal fruits and vegetables, tasty spices, and meat in minimal.

Even today there are those who say that a Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat. I happen to agree.