In biblical times, the method of boiling was a common practice for preparing food, particularly in the context of sacrificial offerings and daily sustenance. The process of boiling involved cooking food in water or other liquids, and it is mentioned in various contexts throughout the Scriptures.

Old Testament References

The practice of boiling is first noted in the context of sacrificial offerings. In Leviticus 6:28, the instructions for the sin offering include the boiling of the flesh: "The clay pot in which the meat is boiled must be broken; if it is cooked in a bronze pot, it must be scoured and rinsed with water." This indicates the importance of ritual purity and the specific handling of sacrificial meals.

In Exodus 12:9, during the instructions for the Passover, the Israelites are commanded not to boil the lamb: "Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water, but only roasted over the fire—its head and legs and inner parts." This command underscores the distinctiveness of the Passover meal, setting it apart from other forms of meal preparation.

The boiling of meat is also mentioned in the context of the priestly duties. In 1 Samuel 2:13-14, the sons of Eli are described as taking advantage of the sacrificial system: "Now it was the custom of the priests with the people that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork while the meat was boiling and plunge it into the pan, kettle, cauldron, or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the priest would take for himself." This passage highlights the misuse of sacrificial practices and the corruption present in the priesthood at that time.

New Testament References

While the New Testament does not specifically mention the act of boiling, the cultural practices of the time would have included boiling as a common method of food preparation. The focus in the New Testament shifts more towards the spiritual significance of food and meals, as seen in the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles.

Symbolic and Cultural Significance

Boiling, as a method of cooking, often symbolized the preparation and purification of food. In the sacrificial system, the act of boiling could represent the transformation of the offering into something acceptable to God. The specific instructions regarding boiling in the Law of Moses reflect the broader theme of holiness and the separation of the sacred from the profane.

In a broader cultural context, boiling was a practical method of cooking that allowed for the preparation of stews and soups, which were staples in the diet of ancient Near Eastern peoples. The communal aspect of sharing a boiled meal could also serve as a symbol of fellowship and unity among those partaking.

Overall, the references to boiling in the Bible, while not numerous, provide insight into the daily life and religious practices of the Israelites, as well as the broader themes of purity, obedience, and community.1. (imp. & p. p.) of Boil.

2. (a.) Dressed or cooked by boiling; subjected to the action of a boiling liquid; as, boiled meat; a boiled dinner; boiled clothes.

2200. zestos -- boiling hot
... hot. From zeo; boiled, ie (by implication) calid (figuratively, fervent) -- hot.
see GREEK zeo. (zestos) -- 3 Occurrences. 2199, 2200. zestos. 2201 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2200.htm - 6k1311. bashel -- cooked, boiled
... 1310, 1311. bashel. 1312 . cooked, boiled. Transliteration: bashel Phonetic
Spelling: (baw-shale') Short Definition: boiled. Word ...
/hebrew/1311.htm - 6k

5138. nazid -- something sodden or boiled, pottage
... 5137b, 5138. nazid. 5139 . something sodden or boiled, pottage. Transliteration:
nazid Phonetic Spelling: (naw-zeed') Short Definition: stew. ...
/hebrew/5138.htm - 6k

1310. bashal -- to boil, seethe, grow ripe
... root Definition to boil, seethe, grow ripe NASB Word Usage baked (1), boil (12),
boiled (7), boiled at all (1), boiling (2), cook (1), produced ripe (1), ripe ...
/hebrew/1310.htm - 6k

Book Two He Concentrates Here on his Sixteenth Year, a Year of ...
... Both boiled confusedly within me, and dragged my unstable youth down over the
cliffs of unchaste desires and plunged me into a gulf of infamy. ...
/.../augustine/confessions and enchiridion/book two he concentrates here.htm

Stricken with Exceeding Grief, He Remembers the Dissolute Passions ...
... Both boiled confusedly within me, and dragged away my unstable youth into the rough
places of unchaste desires, and plunged me into a gulf of infamy. ...
/.../the confessions and letters of st/chapter ii stricken with exceeding grief.htm

Whether Plain Water is Necessary for Baptism?
... 2: Chrism does not destroy the nature of the water by being mixed with it: just
as neither is water changed wherein meat and the like are boiled: except the ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether plain water is necessary.htm

The Right to the Ordinary Safeguards of Good Health
... At home we always kept a crock of cooled boiled water on hand, but here there was
nothing like that; and drinking unboiled water was as unthinkable to her as ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 3 the right to.htm

St. Gregory the Great.
... all sides. Like boiling water they bubbled up with the world's actions;
like bits of flesh they were boiled in their own heat. He ...
/.../allies/the formation of christendom volume vi/chapter v st gregory the.htm

Rights
... Your bed may be made of a couple of planks laid on sawhorses, and you may have
to eat boiled rice, greens, and beancurd three times a day. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/williamson/have we no rights/chapter 1 rights.htm

However, as we have Already Remarked, it Cannot but Distress us ...
... had become a Christian, had treated the Christians with great cruelty: well, left
alone in his palace, suffering under a contagious malady, he boiled out in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/tertullian/to scapula/chapter iii however as we.htm

Biogenesis
... or any organic matter. They are boiled to kill all germs of life, and
hermetically sealed to exclude the outer air. The air inside ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/biogenesis.htm

Further Answers to Prayer
... statement. I knew not what to do. Fortunately for me my pan boiled up, and
I had a good reason for rushing with it from the room. Glad ...
//christianbookshelf.org/taylor/a retrospect/chapter iv further answers to.htm

Idolatry: Origin and Meaning of the Name.
... idolatry. [178]. Footnotes: [173] "Boiled out," "bubbled out.". [174] Or,
brass. [175] ie, a little form. [176] Idolatry, namely. ...
/.../tertullian/on idolatry/chapter iii idolatry origin and meaning.htm

Boiled (15 Occurrences)
... 2. (a.) Dressed or cooked by boiling; subjected to the action of a boiling liquid;
as, boiled meat; a boiled dinner; boiled clothes. ...Boiled (15 Occurrences). ...
/b/boiled.htm - 11k

Boil (29 Occurrences)
... to boil," "to be greatly moved" under strong emotion (the bowels), Hiphil "to cause
to boil" (Job 30:27 the King James Version "My bowels boiled, and rested not ...
/b/boil.htm - 23k

Pots (30 Occurrences)
... Numbers 11:8 The people went around, gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat
it in mortars, and boiled it in pots, and made cakes of it. ...
/p/pots.htm - 15k

Rinsed (6 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 6:28 But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken; and
if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water. ...
/r/rinsed.htm - 8k

Raw (10 Occurrences)
... Raw (10 Occurrences). Exodus 12:9 Don't eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water,
but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts. ...
/r/raw.htm - 10k

Roast (8 Occurrences)
... Exodus 12:9 Don't eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted
with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts. ...
/r/roast.htm - 10k

Roasted (13 Occurrences)
... (WEB WBS NAS RSV NIV). Exodus 12:9 Don't eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water,
but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts. ...
/r/roasted.htm - 10k

Earthen (19 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 6:28 But the earthen vessel in which it is boiled shall be broken; and
if it is boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured, and rinsed in water. ...
/e/earthen.htm - 13k

Drink (414 Occurrences)
... the Hebrew tongue means every kind of drink which can intoxicate, whether made from
grain or from the juice of apples, or when honeycombs are boiled down into ...
/d/drink.htm - 45k

Pottage (7 Occurrences)
... Easton's Bible Dictionary Hebrews nazid, "boiled", a dish of boiled food, as of
lentils (Genesis 25:29; 2 Kings 4:38). Noah Webster's Dictionary. ...
/p/pottage.htm - 9k

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