You will NOT believe some of the things the Bible says NOT to eat! This Unclean Foods in the Bible A-Z list is about to blow your mind! 🤯
Some entries will have you nodding (okay, maybe we all agree on skipping the bat soup, am I right?!), but other Old Testament dietary laws will make you gasp, “That’s forbidden?!”
I felt that way when I saw clams in the Biblical dietary laws that they could not eat! Wait…what?! I LOVE clam chowder. It’s a recipe, literally on my blog! But nope, they weren’t allowed to eat it.
Crab is also on the do not eat foods list in the Bible. A lot of people love to eat crab (I think it tastes gross), so that one was interesting too.
Another surprising one for me in these Bible food laws was shrimp…I literally just ate shrimp yesterday! 😯 Trying to place myself in Bible times and thinking of how life would be if you were living in that era is pretty cool so I really enjoyed creating this list from scratch! It’s been super enlightening! 🥰
It’s a little crazy to think about how God included food rules in Scripture in the first place, but it actually shows just how deeply He cares, right down to what’s on their dinner plates! 💖 These laws had a special purpose for ancient Israel to keep them pure, holy, set apart from the people and nations surrounding them, but today they’re a fascinating glimpse into God’s heart and holiness.
Whether you’re diving into Bible study or just love fun faith facts, this foods forbidden in the Bible list will give you a fresh perspective on Scripture, and maybe the best potluck conversation starter ever! 😆
Old Testament Unclean Foods in the Bible From A to Z
Be sure to check out my other A-Z lists! 🥳
- Clean Foods in the Bible A-Z (awesome as a comparison for clean and unclean foods in the Bible)
- Foods & Spices in the Bible A-Z
- Christian Character Traits A-Z
- Attributes of God That Start with A-Z
- Christian Words That Start with A-Z
- Teaching God to Children A-Z
- Godly Prayers That Start with A-Z
If you want to know what foods were unclean in the Bible, let’s dive in…
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with A
- Abalone
- Albatross
- Alligator
- Armadillo
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with B
- Badger
- Bat
- Bear
- Beaver
- Bittern
- Blindworm
- Boar
- Bullhead
- Buzzard
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with C
- Caiman
- Camel
- Cat
- Catfish
- Cheetah
- Clam
- Condor
- Coot
- Cormorant
- Coyote
- Crab
- Crane
- Crayfish
- Crocodile
- Crow
- Cuckoo
- Cuttlefish
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with D
- Dog
- Dolphin
- Donkey
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with E
- Eagle
- Eel
- Elephant
- European Turbot
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with F
- Flamingo
- Fox
- Frogs
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with G
- Gorilla
- Grebe
- Grosbeak
- Groundhog
- Gull
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with H
- Hare
- Hawk
- Heron
- Hippopotamus
- Horse
- Hyena
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with I
- None
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with J
- Jackal
- Jackdaw
- Jellyfish
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with K
- Kangaroo
- Kite
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with L
- Lapwing
- Leopard
- Limpet
- Lion
- Lizard
- Llama (alpaca, vicuña)
- Lobsters
- Loon
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with M
- Magpie
- Marlin
- Mole
- Monkey
- Mouse
- Mule
- Muskrat
- Mussels
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with N
- Newts
- Nighthawk
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with O
- Octopus
- Onager
- Opossum
- Osprey
- Ostrich
- Otter
- Owl
- Oysters
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with P
- Paddlefish
- Panther
- Parrot
- Peccary
- Pelican
- Penguin
- Pig (hog, bacon, ham, lard, pork)
- Plover
- Porcupine
- Porpoise
- Prawn
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with Q
- None
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with R
- Rabbit
- Raccoon
- Rail
- Rat
- Raven
- Rhinoceros
- Roadrunner
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with S
- Salamanders
- Sandpiper
- Scallop
- Seagull
- Seal
- Shark
- Shrimp
- Skunk
- Slug
- Snail
- Snakes
- Squid (calamari)
- Squirrel
- Stickleback
- Stork
- Sturgeon
- Swallow
- Swift
- Swordfish
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with T
- Tiger
- Toads
- Turtles
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with U
- None
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with V
- Vulture
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with W
- Wallaby
- Walrus
- Water Hen
- Weasel
- Whale
- Wolf
- Wolverine
- Woodpecker
- Worm
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with X
- None
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with Y
- None
Unclean foods in the Bible that starts with Z
- Zebra
*All insects except some insects in the locust family should not be consumed.
Can we eat these foods today?
There are no named foods to not eat in the New Testament. Jesus declared all foods clean in latter generations in Mark 7:19. God also gave Peter a vision that implied former unclean animals could be eaten in Acts 10:15. When Jesus died on the cross, He fulfilled all Old Testament laws (including animal sacrifices and clean/unclean foods.)
You are free to eat anything you’d like, according to Scripture; however, here’s a list of clean and unclean foods in the Old Testament meant for those in that culture in that time era, which was intended to set them apart from the culture around them.
Foods Jews do not eat
One of my friends is Jewish and so I wanted to include this section also. 😊
Observant Jewish people follow a dietary set of laws that prohibit certain foods. Those foods are:
Meat: Pork, rabbits, squirrels, camels, kangaroos, horse.
Seafood: shellfish (lobsters, crabs, shrimp, oysters, etc.)
Birds of Prey: Eagles, owls, gulls, hawks, and other birds of prey.
Insects: Most insects are not kosher (fruits and vegetables must be carefully inspected for insects. Please also note that many Jews do drink coffee, however, coffee is well-known to have cockroaches in it, ground up with the coffee beans, and cockroaches are not kosher).
Meat and Dairy: Meat and dairy products cannot be eaten together in one meal. They cannot be prepared or served on the same utensils or dishes.
Blood: Blood of any animal is prohibited.
Certain Animal Fats: Specific fats from certain animals are forbidden.
Non-Kosher Wine: Wine or alcoholic beverages not produced by Jewish people are also prohibited.
Kosher vs. Non-Kosher Rules
Kosher (what they can eat):
- Cows, sheep, goats, deer (chews its cud and has split hooves)
- Chicken, turkey, duck (domesticated species)
- Trout, tuna, salmon (has both fins and scales)
- Cow: chuck, rib, or shoulder plate (anything at the front side of the cow is okay)
Non-Kosher (what they don’t eat):
- Pigs, rabbits, kangaroo (doesn’t chew its cud and/or doesn’t have split hooves)
- Vulture, eagle, owl (all scavenger and predatory birds)
- Crustaceans, mollusks, water mammals (doesn’t have both fins and scales)
- Meat and dairy together
- Cow: loin, sirloin, rump, flank, heel (when prepared properly, some of these cuts may be kosher)
