The Epistle of Barnabas

WHY DID MOSES SAY: "You shall not eat the pig, the eagle, the hawk, the raven, or any fish without scales?" He embraced three doctrines in his mind when he did so. Moreover, the Lord says to them in Deuteronomy, "And I will establish my ordinances among this people." Is there not a command of God that they should not eat these things? There is, but Moses spoke with a spiritual reference. For this reason, he mentioned the pig, implying, "You shall not associate with people who resemble pigs." For when they live in pleasure, they forget their Lord; but when they come to need, they acknowledge the Lord. Similarly, the pig, when it has eaten, does not recognize its master; but when hungry, it cries out, and upon receiving food is quiet again.

"Neither shall you eat," he says, "the eagle, the hawk, the kite, or the raven." By this, he means, "You shall not associate with people who do not know how to procure food for themselves by labor and effort, but seize that of others in their wickedness, and although appearing simple, are on the lookout to plunder others." These birds, while they sit idle, seek how they may devour the flesh of others, proving themselves pests to all by their wickedness.

"And you shall not eat," he says, "the lamprey, the polypus, or the cuttlefish." He means, "You shall not associate with or be like people who are ungodly to the end and are condemned to death," similar to those accursed fish that float in the deep, not swimming on the surface like the rest but dwelling in the mud at the bottom. Moreover, "You shall not," he says, "eat the hare." Why? "You shall not be a corrupter of boys or like them," because the hare multiplies the places of its conception year by year; for as many years as it lives, so many it has.

Furthermore, "You shall not eat the hyena." He means, "You shall not be an adulterer, nor a corrupter, nor like them." Why? Because that animal changes its sex annually, being male at one time and female at another. Moreover, he rightly detested the weasel. He means, "You shall not be like those who commit wickedness with the mouth due to their uncleanness, nor shall you be joined to impure women who commit iniquity with the mouth, as this animal conceives by the mouth."

Moses then issued three doctrines concerning meats with spiritual significance, but they received them according to fleshly desire, as if he had merely spoken of literal meats. David, however, understood the knowledge of the three doctrines and speaks similarly: "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly," just as the fishes go in darkness to the depths of the sea. "And has not stood in the way of sinners," like those who claim to fear the Lord but go astray like pigs. "And has not sat in the seat of the scorners," like birds that lie in wait for prey. Take a strong and firm grasp of this spiritual knowledge.

But Moses also said, "You shall eat every animal that is cloven-footed and ruminant." What does he mean? The ruminant animal represents someone who, upon receiving food, acknowledges Him who nourishes and is visibly made glad. Moses spoke well, respecting the commandment. What, then, does he mean? That we ought to join ourselves with those who fear the Lord, those who meditate in their heart on the commandment they have received, those who both pronounce and observe the judgments of the Lord, those who know that meditation is a work of gladness and who ponder the word of the Lord. But what does the cloven-footed mean? That the righteous person walks in this world yet looks forward to the holy state to come. See how well Moses legislated. But how was it possible for them to understand or comprehend these things? We, rightly understanding his commandments, explain them as the Lord intended. For this purpose, He opened our ears and our hearts, so we might understand these things.