Bible Hygiene by James White

California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists · Oakland, Cal. · Apr 8, 1875

Bible Hygiene.

By James White

The Bible was given for the well-being of man in this life, as well as a rule by which he may attain unto immortal life. The sacred writings enter more fully and more definitely into every-day life than casual readers suppose. This fact is recognized in the earliest records where

ADAM'S BILL OF FARE

is given in these words: "Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat." Gen. 1:29.

Adam's meat does not appear to have been the flesh of animals, such as beef, mutton, pork, turkey, chicken, goose, duck, oyster, clam, lobster, and the like; but it was made up of the wonderful variety of delicious things which grew out of the ground. These were his meat. The best authorities give the word meat, in both the Old and New Testaments, the signification it has in this first hygienic rule given to Adam. William Smith, Classical Examiner of the University of London, in his Dictionary of the Bible, says that "it does not appear that the word meat is used in any one instance in the Authorized Version of either the Old or New Testaments in the sense which it now almost exclusively bears of animal food. The latter is denoted uniformly by flesh."

The American Tract Society's Dictionary of the Holy Bible, says that "meat in the English Bible usually signifies food, and not merely flesh. Gen. 1:29, 30; Matt. 15:37. So in Luke 24:41; have ye here any meat? literally, anything to eat? The meat offerings of the Jews were made of flour and oil, etc. Lev. 2."

It is said of the forerunner of Christ that his meat (food) was locusts and wild honey. But we seriously call in question that opinion which gives to this prophet of God a sort of grasshopper diet. The following, which is from good authority, seems more consistent:—

"The locust was a fruit, a bean-like pod, with a seed in it similar to the Carob, or husk on which the prodigal son fed."—Butterworth. "The wild honey, a kind of gum."—Dr. Forestall. "Locust, akris, Gr., may either signify the insect called the locust, which still makes a part of the food in the land of Judea, or the top of a plant. Many eminent commentators are of the latter opinion."—Clarke.

Dr. M. G. Kellogg of California, while at the Missionary Rooms in New York City, obtained there some of the veritable pods which are called "locusts, or St. John's bread," and sent them to the office of the REFORMER, where they may now be seen.

The voice of inspiration, that "God is love," will be clearly recognized where his great designs are not misunderstood. He is not the author of pain and of death. In creation, the beneficent Creator did not design that the creatures of his hand should writhe in pain, and their existence close in the agonies of death. Pain and death, under which "the whole creation groaneth," are the result of transgression. Had sin not entered our world, death and pain would not have existed, a single drop of blood would not have been shed, and flesh never would have constituted any portion of the food for man. And even after the fall, and the expulsion from Eden, so far as the Sacred Record is concerned, there is no permission given to use flesh for food till after the flood. Then the use of flesh as food became a matter of necessity.

The waters of the flood were upon the earth, and Noah was in the ark with closed doors one year and ten days. Compare Gen. 7:11, 12, and 8:14. By this time, we may safely conclude, the patriarch's stock of provisions was low. And the desolated earth could afford none until it could be produced from the seed preserved in the ark. In this state of things God said to Noah, "Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you, even as the green herb have I given you all things." Gen. 9:3. Up to this time, during a period of 1656 years, more than one-fourth of the time since creation, man's diet was that which grew out of the ground. But now, in the absence of such food, he is permitted to subsist very largely at least upon flesh until the earth should bring forth again the proper food for man.

And, certainly, judging from the Sacred Record, that was a time of remarkable good health. During the long period of 1656 years of vegetarian life, no mention is made of the sickness and death of children, of feebleness in youth, or at middle age, or of fevers, dyspepsia, gout, or consumption. All lived in the full enjoyment of health nearly one thousand years, until the springs of life stood still. Obituary notices of that time do not mention local diseases, which in our day are caused by the breaking down of certain organs of the system, while others remain strong, resulting in lingering sufferings, and agony in death. No, they mention the great length of human life and its cessation as follows:—

"And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died."

"And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died."

"And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and he died."

"And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died."

"And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years, and he died."

"And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years, and he died."

Our good Bible does not record the flesh of dead animals as constituting an important part of Adam's bill of fare. In fact, it is entirely left out. As true as the book of Genesis, that first venerable gentleman, and a long line of his noble sons, who lived more than nine hundred years without either the dyspepsia or the gout, were vegetarians.

J. W.