Festive meals in ancient Israel

Festive meals in ancient Israel

By Peter Altmann

Book Description

Peter Altmann invites readers on a fascinating journey into the spiritual significance of communal dining in ancient Israel. Through careful examination of biblical texts from Deuteronomy, this scholarly work reveals how shared meals served as powerful expressions of faith, community, and divine connection.

The author explores how passages describing festive banquets painted a vivid picture of Israel as a unified people gathering for sacred celebrations. These weren't merely social occasions, but profound spiritual practices that strengthened bonds between individuals, their community, and their relationship with the divine. Altmann demonstrates how these meal traditions carried deep rhetorical and religious meaning for both ancient audiences and later generations.

Drawing from diverse sources including ancient Near Eastern texts, archaeological evidence from the Levant, and insights from cultural anthropology, the book illuminates the rich symbolism embedded in these communal feasts. Readers discover how the simple act of sharing food became a vehicle for expressing complex theological and political ideas during pivotal periods in Israel's history.

For those interested in understanding how ancient spiritual practices can inform contemporary faith journeys, this work offers valuable insights into the sacred dimensions of hospitality, community building, and ritual celebration. The book reveals how meals functioned as bridges between the earthly and divine realms, creating spaces where spiritual transformation could unfold through the most fundamental human activity of sharing nourishment.

Who Is This For?

šŸ“– Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~8 hours)

šŸ“„ Length: 299 pages

What You'll Discover

  • āœ“ Explore Mat- och dryckesseder
  • āœ“ Study Bible from spiritual perspective
  • āœ“ Explore Biblical teaching
  • āœ“ Explore MĆ„ltider i Bibeln
  • āœ“ Explore Israel, religion
  • āœ“ Explore Bibeln
  • āœ“ Explore Bible, criticism, interpretation, etc., o. t. pentateuch
  • āœ“ Explore Dinners and dining

Topics Covered

Mat- och dryckesseder Bible Biblical teaching MĆ„ltider i Bibeln Israel, religion Bibeln Bible, criticism, interpretation, etc., o. t. pentateuch Dinners and dining Criticism, interpretation Fasts and feasts Mat- och dryckesseder i Bibeln Food habits Israel, social life and customs Analys och tolkning

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