Gluttony and Drunkenness in Ancient Israel

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In Deuteronomy 21:18–21, a delinquent son is sentenced to death for being rebellious, as well as a glutton and drunkard. A close look at the foodways of ancient Israel suggests a better interpretation for the son’s crime.

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Footnotes

1. See Casey Sharp, Archaeological Views: “Alternate Altars,” BAR, November/December 2015.

Endnotes

1.
Pastoral communities today that rely on goats and sheep gain as much as 60 percent of their daily calories from dairy products.

2.
See Aharon Sasson, Animal Husbandry in Ancient Israel: A Zooarchaeological Perspective on Livestock Exploitation, Herd Management and Economic Strategies (Abingdon: Routledge, 2016).