Everything about Unclean Animals totally explained
Unclean animals, in some
religions, are
animals, on whose consumption or handling is labelled a
taboo. According to these religions' dogmas, persons who handle such animals may need to
purify themselves to get rid of their uncleanness.
History
The origins of practices in relation to "clean animals" and "unclean animals" are lost to
prehistory but are maintained by several large
religions. The idea that some animals are dangerous or disgusting is present in almost all known human cultures. This could be due to the fact that in ancient times man hadn't realized how to preserve and prepare some foods. Pork for instance if not prepared or stored properly can cause illness as can some seafood.Beef can be eaten rare as long as it isn't ground. Pork can not. By labeling the food as unclean and forbidden, consumption of those potentially dangerous foods wouldn't occur.
The most well known prescriptions concerning clean and unclean animals are probably those found in the Bible. Both the books Leviticus and Deuteronomy contain lists of unclean animals but the idea can also be found in the book of
Genesis in the story of
Noah and the
Ark.
Judaism
In
Judaism,
Kashrut (
kosher) is the set of dietary laws governing what can or can't be consumed. These laws are based upon the
Torah and the
Talmud. According to
Jewish law, animals that
both chew their cud (
ruminate) and have
cloven hooves are kosher. Animals with one characteristic but not the other (the
camel, the
hyrax and the
hare because they've no cloven hooves, and the
pig because it doesn't ruminate) are specifically excluded . Jews are
forbidden from eating pork, as swine are considered to be unclean. In the context of Judaism, the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy from the
Hebrew Bible specify what must not be consumed.
The Book of Leviticus states:
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These are the animals considered to be unclean according to and .
It should be noted that the translations of some of the aforementioned animals from the Hebrew are a matter of dispute in classical Jewish commentaries. With respect to birds the Torah only specifies ones which may not be eaten and the translations of these are also a matter of contention in traditional Jewish texts so it's common practice to eat only birds with a clear tradition of being kosher, eg. domestic fowl:
Many additional animals are not mentioned specifically by name, but from the characteristics mentioned in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, may also be considered to be unclean. For example, all
shellfish are generally considered unclean. Examples of animals often considered to be unclean by their characteristics:
permits certain kinds of "winged swarming things" (for example
insects) while prohibiting others; however, today
rabbis are uncertain as to which insects were specifically permitted, so now all insects are prohibited to be on the safe side. An exception to this is a number of Yemenite communities that have retained their own traditions with respect to kosher locusts. As a result these particular locusts are considered kosher for the specific community which has the tradition.
Bees'
honey is, however, considered kosher because the honey isn't made by bees, but is rather collected
Nectar and concentrated by bees. There are no exceptions to the rule that any product of a non-kosher animal is also non-kosher, for example
gelatin (but see the controversy on
shellac). Within the past twenty years "kosher gelatin" has begun appearing. Some of this is derived from
cows or from
fish and made in a manner keeping with kosher traditions; others are derived from a
plant or
seaweed base using
agar or
pectin.
In order to eat an animal or bird it must be slaughtered according to Jewish law (
Shechita). This involves cutting the animal's
trachea and
esophagus, the
carotid artery and
jugular vein are also severed in this operation – as are most arteries and veins leading to and from the brain – with a sharp knife that has been thoroughly checked for imperfections beforehand. The cut must be swift and without pause, to avoid tearing, and must be performed by an expert. Fish must also be killed before being eaten, but no particular method is specified in Jewish law.
The animal must then be determined to be free of
treifot – which are 70 different categories of injuries, diseases and abnormalities – whose presence renders the animal non-kosher.
Not all parts of the animal may be eaten; certain
fats, known as
Chelev, may not be eaten. As much blood as possible must be removed from the meat, either by soaking, salting and rinsing or by broiling over a fire. In addition the
sciatic nerve in each leg and the fat surrounding the nerve must be removed.
It is forbidden to cook, eat, or derive any benefit from
mixtures of
milk and
meat (and their by-products). It is also forbidden to cook or eat dairy products together with poultry as a rabbinic injunction against mixing milk and meat.
Clean animals in Judaism
The term
clean animals in the Hebrew bible is a misnomer as the actual term refers to the 'purity' and 'impurity' of the animal, which itself is a reference to the status the animal has in terms of
Kashrut and its eligibility for sacrifice. Hence all pure or clean animals are allowed to be eaten [areKosher] while the unclean or impure animals may not be eaten. These land, sea, or air creatures are listed in the book of
Leviticus in the
Torah and have different criteria for kosher consumption as follows: All animals that have the characteristics of having completely divided hooves and also chew their
cud are by definition clean. All
fish that have both scales and fins are clean. There are no biblical signs for poultry as the bible simply delineates 24 specific species of bird as being non-kosher with all other birds being by default, kosher.
Hebrew Bible
This contains a list of clean animals that are specially mentioned from the Chapter 11 in the book of
Leviticus in the
Hebrew Bible. See the .
Note: The Torah specifies certain morphological characteristics in grasshoppers that identify them as one of four kosher grasshopper species. All other insects and rodents are non kosher.
Expanded list
This list contains animals that are not specified in the Hebrew Bible, but from the characteristics mentioned in the passage (Leviticus 11:1-47) are considered to be clean.
American Bison
Antelope (all species)
Deer (all species)
Giraffe (though it's difficult to slaughter correctly)
Goat
Pronghorn
Reindeer/caribou
Water Buffalo
Cow
Sheep
Islam
In Islamic dietary laws several animals are considered unclean and not to be eaten (Haraam), while others are permitted (Halaal), as long as they've been killed or slaughtered in the correct manner. Halaal and Haraam are dissimilar to the Jewish Kashrut in that they also encompass behavior, speech, dress, conduct and manner. In non-Arabic-speaking countries however, the terms are most commonly used in the narrower context of Muslim dietary laws, especially where meat and poultry are concerned, though they can be used for the more general meaning as well.
The Qur'an states:
"Forbidden to you are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah. that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being d to death; that which hath been eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it; that which is sacrificed on stone [Altar?]; [forbidden] also is the division by raffling with arrows: that's impiety..."
According to Muslims the most important condition is that bismillah (pronouncing the name of Allah) be performed at the time of slaughter. Also important is that the meat of those animals were ended by Zabiha (Sharia slaughter) of which tasmiyah is a condition. If not those animals are considered Maytah (carrion) and are expressly forbidden. The meat of animals slaughtered by a Kafir (unbeliever) or Mushrik (polytheist) is also forbidden, though the Quran does permit eating food of the people of the book:
"
Today I've made permissible for you pure things and the food of those who were given the Book (Ahlul-Kitaab) is also Halal for you."
Dogs
Dogs are mentioned in the holy book of Islam the Quran several times for example in the main story of sura 18 where a dog is a companion of the dwellers of the Cave. The Quran also tells that it's permissible to eat what trained dogs catch (5:4). Nevertheless, many Islamic teachers state dogs should be considered unclean and that Muslims licked by them must perform purification. According to Hadith, anything a dog touches must be washed seven times, the final time in dust. Some religious traditions hold that if a dog passes in front of someone preparing to pray, that it pollutes their purity and negates the prayer.
This view is contested by many modern scholars of the Quran. Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, professor of Islamic Law at UCLA, says this zealous adherence to doctrine led one religious authority to advise a Muslim that his pet dog was evil and should be driven away by cutting off its food and water.
Another exception appears to be made by the Bedouin in the case of the Saluki. They are allowed in the tents and considered special companions. It has been said that the Bedouin will never sell a Saluki, but will give one as a special and precious gift.
Christianity
In the very early days of Christianity it was debated if converts ought to follow Jewish customs (including circumcision and dietary laws) or not. A decision was reached at the Council of Jerusalem, though the extent and application of this decision has been a matter of some debate. (Some see a parallel with the Noahide Laws - See also: ). In the Acts of the Apostles the "apostles and elders" promulgated the decision in a letter "to the Gentile believers":
"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled ..."
The commonly held theological position is that with the death and resurrection of Jesus, the "Old Covenant" and its restrictions no longer apply (See Christian View of the Law for the different viewpoints).
In the First Epistle to Timothy it states:
"...commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it's sanctified by the word of God and prayer."
In the Epistle to the Colossians it states:
"...Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ....Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days."
However, there are Torah-submissive Christians who hold different interpretations of passages such as those cited and believe that the dietary restrictions continue under the new covenant. For example, in Peter was convinced that it would be out of character for the Lord to recommend an unclean diet. (See also for context.) clarifies Peter's vision. These verses indicate that God was instructing him not to refer to gentiles as "unclean" as it was common in Israel, indicating that salvation had been extended to the gentiles. One modern example of a Torah-submissive group is the Seventh-day Adventist Church whose co-founder Ellen G. White was a proponent of vegetarianism. Many Seventh-day Adventists avoid meat for health reasons, though vegetarianism isn't a requirement.
In the Roman Catholic Church, it was forbidden to eat meat (defined as the flesh of any warm-blooded animal) on Friday, but as a penance to commemorate Christ's death rather than for meat's being regarded as "unclean" (exceptions are few, such as when Christmas falls on a Friday, in which case Thursday is the day of abstinence). After the Second Vatican Council, the mandatory Friday abstinence from meat was limited to Lent, although some traditionalist Catholics still maintain the abstinence year-round. In Eastern Orthodoxy, both Friday and Wednesday were similarly considered off-limits. Many Protestants on the other hand have never observed the tradition, and may consider the tradition to be pagan in origin.
Scientific studies
In 1953 Dr. David I. Macht, one of the primary proponents of biblical scientific foresight, conducted toxicity tests on more than a hundred species of mammals, birds and fish. He reported that in every case, extracts from meat of unclean mammals, birds, and fish inhibited the growth of lupin seedlings more than those the Old Testament called clean. Macht's methodology, known as phytopharmacology, hasn't been widely used by other researchers and is regarded as outdated and unreliable by modern mainstream science.
In 1966, British anthropologist Mary Douglas published the influential study Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo. In Purity and Danger, Douglas first proposed that the kosher laws were not, as many believed, either primitive health regulations or randomly chosen as tests of Jews' commitment to God. Instead, Douglas argued that the laws were about keeping symbolic boundaries. Prohibited foods were those which didn't seem to fall neatly into any category. Her theory was that pigs were declared unclean in Leviticus because pigs' place in the natural order was ambiguous since they shared the cloven hoof of the ungulates, but didn't chew cud.
A 1985 study by Nanji and French found that there was a significant correlation between cirrhosis and pork consumption. Modern day swine raising is very different from earlier times with greater exposure to toxins but reduced exposure to pests and disease.
Further Information
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