Most people don’t read the Bible as a culinary tome. But if they’re looking for it, readers will find a smorgasbord of food imagery, from the beginning when Adam and Eve were warned not to eat the forbidden fruit.

“Man shall not live by bread alone,” “Eat, drink, and be merry,” “Salt of the earth” and “Land of milk and honey” are just a few of the culinary sayings that came from the Bible.

Food plays a supporting role in some of the Bible’s most powerful stories. In the Old Testament, Joseph of Egypt warned of famine by interpreting a dream about seven ears of corn. The Children of Israel were fed by manna as they wandered in the wilderness.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ turned water into wine, fed the multitudes with five loaves of bread and two fish, and taught through parables that included fig trees, mustard seeds and vineyards.

Why are food references so common in the Bible?

“The simple answer is that wherever Jesus taught, he used something people could relate to, and food relates to everyone, and can be relatable to spiritual principles,” said Senior Pastor Myke Crowder of the Christian Life Center in Layton. “Jesus used the subject of foods so they could understand what he was trying to say.”

Dr. Rick Minnich, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Ogden, pointed out that much of Jesus Christ’s teachings took place while he was eating with his disciples, including the Last Supper.

“He used a meal to talk about the primary reason of his life and his death. He called himself the Bread of Life,” said Minnich. “Food is something that we interact with everyday, and it seems to have a natural connection for people.”

In reference to the Book of Exodus, where the Children of Israel were fed manna, Minnich said: “The word ‘manna’ is Hebrew for ‘What is it?’ So they called it ‘What is it from Heaven?'”

Many foods mentioned in the Bible can even be linked to modern-day nutrition, according to Pastor John Parsley of the Clearfield Community Church. His wife, Susan Parsley, is a certified life coach, and has noticed this health connection in her studies.

“Cinnamon, cumin and garlic were mentioned in the Bible, and today they are all designated as superfoods,” Parsley said. “Almonds, dates and figs are natural sweeteners and better for you than sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. Beans, lentils and cucumbers are anti-inflammatory foods, and all non-GMO (genetically modified). The beef and lamb in those days were grass-fed, which is better for you and a lot more tasty.”

People understand what it feels like to be hungry, so the story of the prophet Elijah and the widow of Zarepath resonates with readers.

This story is a favorite of Corinne Hoffmann of Kaysville, who teaches a gospel doctrine class in her local ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In I Kings, the area is gripped by famine, and Elijah asks a widow to feed him the last bit of food she has. She does, and was blessed by never running out of flour and oil again.

“It’s such a tender story, that she’s willing to extend that hospitality, and the faith she had to give him her very last meal,” said Hoffmann. “The Lord took care of her when she took care of what was needful.”

“A Biblical Feast: Foods from the Holy Land,” by Kitty Morse (Ten Speed Press) chronicles the 84 foodstuffs mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.

The Bible mentions bread more than 230 times — it was indeed the staff of life, said Morse in the book. She said it’s no surprise that Jesus called himself the “Bread of Life.”

Hoffmann, Crowder and Parsley all named the Gospel of John story of Jesus feeding the multitudes of people with five loaves and two fishes as a favorite “food” story.

“He used that to teach that he is the Bread of Life and our spiritual sustenance is dependent on him,” said Parsley. “Before that chapter is over, some people who have been following him turn tail and run because he started talking about a deeper commitment.”

Morse writes that meat was reserved for special occasions, such the “fatted calf” in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, told in the Gospel of Luke. It was part of the celebration when the wayward son returned.

“When people talk of the ‘fatted calf,’ the lesson there is how much the prodigal son needed to be loved and received, as food in any culture is a center of fellowshipping and connection,” said Crowder. “So you taught the lesson of receiving back the prodigal son, and teaching the faithful son not to be so self-centered.”

Sheep and lambs play a huge part in Biblical symbolism, with unblemished lambs being used for sacrifice as a way to remember Christ’s ultimate sacrifice of his life.

Honey was the main sweetener, along with syrups made from grapes, pomegranates, figs and dates. In the Book of Luke, the resurrected Christ ate honeycomb and broiled fish. In the Old Testament, the Promised Land was referred to as a “land of milk and honey.”

Figs were an important fruit. In I Samuel, fig cakes — 200 of them — were part of the wise Abigail’s culinary peace offering to David, to appease him after her husband, Nabal, had refused to give him provisions. In the New Testament, Jesus used a fig tree in two parables, and caused one to wither.

Salt was the main seasoning, hence such references to salt losing its savor. In “A Biblical Feast,” Morse writes that salt was mined near the infamous city of Sodom, where Lot’s wife turned into a pillar of salt.

Fish and fishing come up often in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus told Peter and Andrew where to let down their nets to catch fish, he invited them to become “fishers of men.”

“He talked in terms of fishermen, because they understood fishing in that community,” said Crowder.

Grapes, vineyards and wine are also prominently mentioned. One of Minnich’s favorite food-related stories is where Jesus turned water into wine, told in the Gospel of John. This is regarded as his first public miracle.

“Jesus is showing his concern for human needs,” said Minnich. “They are at a wedding, and running out of wine would be one of the worst disasters that could happen in their social circle. Mary tells Jesus about it, and his reply is that it’s not their concern. But even though he said that, Mary’s response was interesting. She turned to the servants and told them, ‘Anything he tells you to do, do it.’ She knew her son, and that he would take care of it. So there’s a lot of human interplay going on there.”

Olives are one of the oldest fruits of the Holy Land, said Morse in her book. Their cultivation spread from Asia Minor 2,000 years before the birth of Christ. Olive oil was used extensively in cooking, and as fuel, as noted in the Parable of the Wise Virgins who kept oil in their lamps.

Morse said lentils were probably used in the pottage for which Esau relinquished his birthright in the Book of Genesis.

Her book offers an explanation for the mystery about “corn” mentioned in the Bible. If corn is native to North America, how could the Egyptian Pharaoh dream about seven fat and skinny ears of corn in the Book of Genesis?

In ancient times and still in other parts of the world, “corn” is a generic term referring to wheat, barley, spelt and other cereal crops — not the yellow maize that Native Americans introduced to the Pilgrims. Often people in ancient times rubbed off the wheat’s husks to savor the fresh kernels, or tied nearly ripe ears of grain into small sheaves, which were roasted on the fire. This is likely the “parched corn” mentioned in Ruth 2:14.

Most people wouldn’t consider the Bible a cookbook, but perhaps its food symbolism provides spiritual recipes for life.

“It all goes back to the same lesson of trusting in God with the very essence of life,” said Crowder.?