Ritual and the Agency of Food in Ancient Israel and Judah: Food Futures in Biblical Studies

This article addresses a gap in current biblical scholarship regarding food production and consumption. Using meat and beer as two brief case studies, the potential of food to symbolise and inculcate identities and status in the agro-pastoral Israelite and Judahite household will be demonstrated. A case will also be made for attributing agency to food. In particular, this method elucidates the roles and identities of various members of the household, including its animals and deities, and especially focuses on the ritual agency of women.