Leviticus 11:39

Hebrew Bible

37 Now, if such a carcass falls on any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean, 38 but if water is put on the seed and such a carcass falls on it, it is unclean to you. 39 “‘Now if an animal that you may eat dies, whoever touches its carcass will be unclean until the evening. 40 One who eats from its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening, and whoever carries its carcass must wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. 41 Every swarming thing that swarms on the land is detestable; it must not be eaten.

Ezekiel 4:14

Hebrew Bible

12 And you must eat the food as you would a barley cake. You must bake it in front of them over a fire made with dried human excrement.” 13 And the Lord said, “This is how the people of Israel will eat their unclean food among the nations where I will banish them.” 14 And I said, “Ah, Sovereign Lord, I have never been ceremonially defiled before. I have never eaten a carcass or an animal torn by wild beasts; from my youth up, unclean meat has never entered my mouth. 15 So he said to me, “All right then, I will substitute cow’s manure instead of human excrement. You will cook your food over it.” 16 Then he said to me, “Son of man, I am about to remove the bread supply in Jerusalem. They will eat their bread ration anxiously, and they will drink their water ration in terror

 Notes and References

"... A final biblical food regulation relates to those animals that die by non-human agency, either by means of a natural death (carrion) or by attack from an animal of prey (literally “torn”). In some ways this is a preparation-based rule, though it would more accurately be described as a “no-preparation-based rule,” since it involves no human preparation. The animal in question dies at the hands of nature, not at the hands of a human. Biblical texts are contradictory concerning the application of this legislation, as some limit the regulation to priests and others expand it to all of Israel. (Texts that limit it to priests: Leviticus 22:8; Ezekiel 4:14; 44:31. Texts that refer to all Israel: Exodus 22:30; Leviticus 11:39–40; 17:15–16; Deuteronomy 14:21) This contradiction extends to the penalty. For the layperson, the only result of eating carrion or torn meat is impurity (i.e. a change in ritual status); there is no penalty, unless one does not cleanse oneself properly after a meal of carrion/torn meat. For a priest, however, the punishment is “death by divine agency.” ..."

Rosenblum, Jordan The Jewish Dietary Laws in the Ancient World (pp. 25-26) Cambridge University Press, 2016

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