Sinai & The Law

The LORD spoke again to Moses and Aaron, telling them,

“Say to the Israelites, ‘Of all the beasts of the earth, these ones you may eat:

You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.

But of those that only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof, you are not to eat the following: The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.

The rock badger, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.

The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.

And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.

You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you.

Of all the creatures that live in the water, whether in the seas or in the streams, you may eat anything with fins and scales.

But the following among all the teeming life and creatures in the water are detestable to you: everything in the seas or streams that does not have fins and scales.

They shall be an abomination to you; you must not eat their meat, and you must detest their carcasses.

Everything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be detestable to you.

Additionally, you are to detest the following birds, and they must not be eaten because they are detestable: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture,

the kite, any kind of falcon,

any kind of raven,

the ostrich, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk,

the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,

the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey,

the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat.

All flying insects that walk on all fours are detestable to you.

However, you may eat the following kinds of flying insects that walk on all fours: those having jointed legs above their feet for hopping on the ground.

Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket, or grasshopper.

All other flying insects that have four legs are detestable to you.

These creatures will make you unclean. Whoever touches their carcasses will be unclean until evening,

and whoever picks up one of their carcasses must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean until evening.