In Ex 23:19, Ex 34:26, and Deut 14:21-22, the Bible gives the command “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.” Some say this expression means we can’t eat cheese and meat together or cheeseburgers, others say it’s a Canaanite ritual but actual archeological evidence backing that up is nonexistent. I’ve only seen speculative internet articles, none of which don’t reference actual Canaanite writings. Also, all the commands related to Canaanite practices are in the moral laws section of Leviticus (Lev 18-20). Some say it’s about respecting nature, but if that’s the case wouldn’t it have said this for all animals, not just goats? There is a theory that this is an ancient idiom that lost its meaning over time, and I think this is the most likely case, based on the evidence. There are three places where this sentence is mentioned in the Bible, all three times it is surrounded by the same context of tithes and offerings.

Continue reading →