"What Are We to Eat?" - "When You Spread a Feast"

 On another occasion, while eating a meal in "the house of a certain one of the rulers of the Pharisees," Jesus taught those present a valuable lesson. He said: "When you spread a feast, invite poor people, crippled, lame, blind; and you will be happy, because they have nothing in which to repay you. For you will be repaid in the resurrection of the righteous ones." (Luke 14:1-14) If the Pharisee followed Jesus' advice, what food might he have served at such a feast?

A rich man may have offered fancy bread, baked in various shapes and enhanced with wine, honey, milk, and spices. Butter and hard cheese would likely be on the table. Fresh olives, or olive oil would no doubt be featured. According to the book Food in Antiquity, every person consumed twenty kilos [4 pounds] of olive oil per year as food, and an additional quantity of cosmetics and for illumination." 

Next time: "When You Spread a Feast" - Conclusion

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