This is an old story being resurrected wiht new data:
A new study into the diet of ancient Israel has revealed that far from being 'the land of milk and honey', its inhabitants suffered from the lack of a balanced diet.
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Unhealthy Diet in Ancient Near East
Category: Archaeology • Origin of Agriculture
Posted on: January 16, 2009 8:42 PM, by Greg Laden
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Comments
I wish I could recall where I saw it claimed that "the land of milk and honey" was a euphemism/marketing slogan for arid rocky hillsides good only for goatherding and beekeeping.
Posted by: Pierce R. Butler | January 16, 2009 10:32 PM
Makes sense. In the Bible bread is considered a food of prime importance. But it's not the rye/dark bread of Europe -- if you go to the Middle East today you'll still see a lot of pita -- which is quite nutrient poor. So if that's the basis of your diet you'd probably have a lot of nutritional deficiencies.
Posted by: Michael | January 16, 2009 11:58 PM
I recommend sending this to all your Seventh Day Adventist friends and acquaintances. Too bad Ellen G. White didn't have access to this information back in her day.
Posted by: catman | January 17, 2009 11:19 AM
I guess if a deity said, "Get up and go to the land I am telling you about" -- it's rocky and has a ot of desert and little water and, btw, you'll be fighting with everyone around you for the bit of rock & desert, it wouldn't go over too well. Milk and honey sounds a lot better.
Posted by: Lilian Nattel | January 17, 2009 12:38 PM
I don't get it. Milk and honey is not a healthy, balanced diet.
Posted by: Virgil Samms | January 18, 2009 12:02 PM
Good shout, catman. In particular, forward it to all the morans who sent you the 'obama is the antichrist' guff.
It's the evidence, stupid.
Posted by: eddie | January 18, 2009 12:49 PM
It was supposed to be "Milk and Honey Nut Cheerios", which is a part of a balanced diet. Damned translation errors!
Posted by: chancelikely | January 20, 2009 6:11 PM