Origin of Cow Milking Practices in Ancient Cultures
The practice of milking animals, particularly cows, sheep, and goats, has ancient roots, deeply intertwined with the agricultural and dietary customs of various cultures, including those described in biblical texts. The Bible frequently references milk and its products, indicating their significance in the daily lives and economies of ancient peoples.
In the ancient Near East, animal husbandry was a primary occupation, with families and even entire lineages dedicated to raising cattle, sheep, and goats [2]. This practice naturally led to the utilization of animal products, including milk. For instance, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and their descendants, were known for their involvement in cattle breeding and feeding [2]. The land of Canaan, often described as a "land flowing with milk and honey," further emphasizes the abundance and importance of these provisions [1].
Milk from various animals was consumed directly and processed into other food items. Butter, for example, was commonly made from cow's milk. John Gill, in his commentary on Deuteronomy 32:13, explains that the "butter of kine" referred to the fat that gathered on top of milk, which was essentially cream, serving as the butter of the ancients [1]. Sheep's milk was also valued; while not as plentiful as cow's milk, it was considered wholesome and nourishing. Ancient philosophers noted that sheep produced more milk relative to their body size than cows, and their milk was often described as sweeter and more nourishing, yielding the fattest butter [1]. Goats also contributed significantly to the milk supply. Lactantius, as cited in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, mentions that Melisseus, a Cretan king, had daughters who nourished Jupiter with goat's milk and honey [3].
Beyond fresh milk and butter, cheese was another common dairy product. The biblical narrative in 2 Samuel 17:27 mentions "cheese of kine" being brought to David and his people, indicating its role as a staple food item [4]. This suggests that cheesemaking from cow's milk was a well-established practice. Honey and butter were also frequently consumed together, forming a significant part of the diet for people in Judea, as noted in Isaiah 7:15 and referenced by Gill [4]. The ancient Scythians, for example, were known to subsist on milk and honey [4].
The cultural significance of milk and dairy products extended beyond mere sustenance. Certain practices involving milk were associated with pagan rituals, which the Mosaic Law sometimes addressed. One notable example is the prohibition against "seething a kid in its mother's milk" (Exodus 23:19). This passage has puzzled commentators, but Dr. Cudworth, citing a Karaite Jewish commentary, suggests it refers to an ancient heathen custom. According to this interpretation, after gathering their fruits, pagans would boil a kid in its mother's milk and then sprinkle their fields and orchards with this mixture in a magical rite, believing it would ensure future fertility [6]. This prohibition, therefore, may have served to distinguish Israelite practices from those of surrounding pagan cultures, preventing the adoption of idolatrous customs [6].
The symbolic and practical importance of cattle, and by extension their milk, is also evident in the religious landscape of the ancient world. The worship of the calf or ox, particularly in Egypt, where a white ox named Apis was revered in Memphis, influenced Israelite idolatry [5]. The golden calves made by the Israelites, as described in Hosea 8:5, reflect this Egyptian influence, where the ox was considered a supreme deity [5]. This connection highlights how deeply integrated cattle were into both the daily life and the religious imagination of ancient societies.
The care for animals, including those providing milk, was also a subject of ethical consideration. The Mosaic Law, according to Theophilus in the Ante-Nicene Fathers, provided for the humane treatment of animals, even those destined for consumption. While allowing for the consumption of young animals like kids and lambs, the law implicitly acknowledged the bond between offspring and dam, suggesting a level of consideration for animal welfare [7]. This perspective underscores that the relationship between humans and their milk-producing animals was not purely utilitarian but also carried ethical dimensions within the cultural framework.
Overall, the evidence from biblical texts and ancient commentaries indicates that the milking of cows, sheep, and goats was a widespread and essential practice in ancient cultures, providing crucial sustenance and contributing to various aspects of daily life, from diet to economy and even religious customs.
Sources
- Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 32:13: Butter of kine,.... Made of milk, which kine or cows give; Jarchi says, this is the fat that is gathered on the top of milk, he means cream, and which indeed was the butter of the ancients, and is here meant: and milk of sheep: which they give, though not in such plenty as the kine, yet what is very wholesome and nourishing: the philosopher (b) observes, that sheep give more milk in proportion to the size of their bodies than cows: and Pliny (c) says their milk is sweeter and more nourishing, and the butter made of it is the fattest: with fat of lambs; or fa”
- Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 46:30: That ye shall say, thy servants' trade hath been about cattle,.... Breeding, feeding, and selling them: from our youth, even until now: this had been their constant employment, they never followed any other: both we, and also our fathers; their father, grandfather, and great grandfather, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were all of the same occupation: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; Joseph instructed his brethren to be very particular in the account of their occupation to Pharaoh, that it might be a direction to him how to dispose of them, and where to set”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — AND SUPERSTITIONS.: These are the mysteries of the gods. Now let us inquire also into the origin of superstitions, that we may search out by whom and at what times they were instituted. Didymus, in those books which are inscribed Of the Explanation 230 of Pindar, relates that Melisseus was king of the Cretans, whose daughters were Amalthea and Melissa, who nourished Jupiter with goats' milk and honey; that he introduced new rites and ceremonies of sacred things, and was the first who sacrificed to gods, that is, to Vesta, who ”
- 2 Samuel (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 2 Samuel 17:27: And honey and butter,.... Honey was much in use with the ancients; Homer (b) speaks of it as a part of the provisions at a feast, and as food with which persons were nourished and brought up; and the ancient Scythians lived on milk and honey (c); and this and butter were pretty much the food of the people in Judea; see Isa 7:15, and sheep; with which and goats the land of Gilead abounded; see Sol 4:1, and cheese of kine: made of the milk of cows, as it commonly is: for David, and for the people that were with him, to eat; and no doubt they brought wine with t”
- Hosea (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Hosea 8:5: Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off - Bishop Newcome translates: "Remove far from thee thy calf, O Samaria!" Abandon thy idolatry; for my anger is kindled against thee. How long will it be ere they attain to innocency? - How long will ye continue your guilty practices? When shall it be said that ye are from these vices? The calf or ox, which was the object of the idolatrous worship of the Israelites, was a supreme deity in Egypt; and it was there they learned this idolatry. A white ox was worshipped under the name of Apis, at Memphis; and another ox under the name”
- Exodus (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Exodus 23:19: Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk - This passage has greatly perplexed commentators; but Dr. Cudworth is supposed to have given it its true meaning by quoting a MS. comment of a Karaite Jew, which he met with, on this passage. "It was a custom of the ancient heathens, when they had gathered in all their fruits, to take a kid and boil it in the milk of its dam; and then, in a magical way, to go about and besprinkle with it all their trees and fields, gardens and orchards; thinking by these means to make them fruitful, that they might bring forth more ”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 2: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria — CHAP. XVIII.--THE MOSAIC LAW THE FOUNTAIN OF ALL ETHICS, AND THE SOURCE FROM WHICH THE GREEKS DREW THEIRS.[2] (part 8): it provide beforehand a cure for cruelty and savageness of disposition; so that even if they despise nature, they may not despise teaching. For they are permitted to satiate themselves with kids and lambs, and perhaps there might be some excuse for separating the progeny from its dam. But what cause is there for the exposure of a child? For the man who did not desire to beget children had no right to ”