VIEW #1

Although there is scientific evidence to support the theory that the antediluvians lived in a consistently warm environment, they still used fire. Fire was probably unnecessary for warmth, but Genesis 4:22 states, "And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron." Working with brass and iron requires fire. If fire was used for such purposes, it may also have been used during sacrifices or for cooking food before the Flood.

The first mention of a burnt sacrifice is in Genesis 8:20, but that does not prove that it wasn't practiced before the Flood. By the same token, we cannot prove that food was not cooked before the Flood. The history that God gives us pre-Flood is sketchy at best.

VIEW #2

In Genesis 1:29, God gave Adam and Eve "every plant producing seed" and " every tree which has fruit producing seed" for food. "And the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to do work in it and take care of it. And the Lord God gave the man orders, saying, You may freely take of the fruit of every tree of the garden" (Genesis 2:15-16).

God gave Adam and Eve plants and fruit to eat while in the Garden of Eden. These verses imply that they just plucked the fruit and ate it raw. Indeed, why would it be otherwise? Why would they take the time to cook an apple when it was perfectly delicious and healthful plucked ripe from the branch?

After the Fall, God cursed the ground because of Adam's sin and said, "The plants of the field will be your food" (Genesis 3:18). He also told Adam, "With the hard work of your hands you will get your bread" (v 19). Here, God added the "plants of the field" to Adam's diet. These plants probably included roots, pods, bark, leaves, seeds, and grain. There is nothing to imply that these foods were cooked.

After the Flood, God prescribed meat for our diets. The animal flesh probably had to be cooked, so other foods might have also been cooked that had previously been consumed raw. Cooking fruits and vegetables destroys the enzymes and most of the vitamins contained in them. The practice of cooking all kinds of food may have been gradually introduced at this point, but it is most likely that the pre-Flood inhabitants consumed a raw vegetarian diet.

MY OPINION

Both views have merit. I agree with view #2 concerning Adam and Eve's diet in the Garden. The evidence certainly supports that they ate raw fruit plucked ripe from the trees and plants in the Garden. It also makes common sense.

I also agree with view #1 that it is possible for food to have been cooked after the Fall. To further support this claim, God told Adam that he would have to work hard for his "bread" in Genesis 3:19. The Hebrew word for bread in this verse is lechem, which can mean bread made from grain or just food in general (Strong’s 3899). If this verse is referring to grain bread, then it would probably have to have been cooked; however, bread can also be made from raw, sprouted grains.

Neither view can be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. I do believe, though, that if the pre-Flood inhabitants cooked any of their food, it was only a small percentage. As I've stated before, it is my strong opinion that the pre-Flood diet was exclusively vegetarian. I also believe that this diet was mostly if not completely raw. See "Why Eat Raw Fruits and Vegetables?" to find out more. Look at the statistics below to see the prevailing opinion.

Read the Ask the Nutritionist column to learn more about how God intended us to eat. Also, check out the archived articles from the Article of the Month. Check out my recipe page, too!

Kenneth E. Loy, Jr., CN