Kosher (or Kashrut, meaning “fit” or “proper”) laws concerning clean and unclean food are set forth in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, and other passages.  These laws may be summed up this way: (1) Land animals must have cloven hooves and must chew the cud (Leviticus 11:3-8; Deuteronomy 14:3-8).  (2) Water animals must have fins and scales (Leviticus 11:9-12; Deuteronomy 14:9-10).  (3) Birds may be eaten.  However, forbidden are birds of prey, birds that live off of carrion, and bats (Leviticus 11:13-17; Deuteronomy 14:11-18).  (4) Flying insects and creeping things in general are forbidden.  The exception are certain leaping creatures with jointed legs.  These include locust, crickets, and the grasshopper (Leviticus 11:20-23, 41-45; Deuteronomy 14:19).  (5) No animal that dies of itself is to be eaten (Deuteronomy  14:21; Leviticus 11:39-40).  (6) Eating the blood is forbidden (Leviticus 7:26-27; 17:10-14, etc.).  (7) A young goat was not to be boiled in its mother’s milk (Exodus 23:19; 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21).

Bible critics have problems with how some of the animals are listed and described in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.  The believed that the Bible has made some mistakes. 

1.  Bats.  Bats are listed under the category of birds (Leviticus 11:13-19; Deuteronomy 14:11-18).  However, the are not birds, but mammals. 

It is unreasonable to force our current method of classification on the Bible.  Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) is considered the father of taxonomy.  Defending The Faith Study Bible explains that “(God) did not divide animals into mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.  In fact the “creeping things” mentioned later in Leviticus 11 (vss. 29-30 cf. Genesis 1:24-25) include both mammals (such as mice) and reptiles (lizards).  Clearly then, God divided animals according to their locomotion and environment rather than whether or not they have hair, lay eggs, or nurse their young.”  Moreover, “the term ‘bird’ in Leviticus 11:13 (as well as Genesis 1:20-30) is translated from the Hebrew word op, which literally means ‘flying creatures… that this word is not used solely for ‘birds’ is evident from Leviticus 11:20-23 where it is used with Sherets in reference to ‘winged creeping things’ (ASV) such as flying insects” (ibid).  Bats are categorized with birds because they are winged creatures. 

2.  Hares.  Hares are said to chew the cud (Leviticus 11:6; Deuteronomy 14:7).  However, they do not have multiple stomachs.  They are not ruminants like cows, goats, sheep and deer. 

No, but they do appear to chew the cud.  “First, critics must acknowledge the fact that we frequently describe things as they appear to take place and not necessarily as they actually happen” (ibid).  We speak of the sun rising and setting.  “Rabbits often look like they are chewing their cud.  In fact, so convincing is this appearance that, according to Walter Kaiser, Carolus Linnaeus… at first classified the coney and the hare as ruminants.  In short, it may be that rabbits were listed as ‘cud chewers’ based on simple observation” (ibid).

Hares and rabbits practice something called refection.  “Grass is extremely hard to digest due to its high cellulose content… unlike most hoofed ruminants, hares do not have four-chambered stomachs.  So, they eat their own droppings instead.  These soft, green pellets, known as cecotropes, retain many undigested nutrients, including important minerals and protein.  By eating their droppings as soon as they pass, the animals extract this vital sustenance… All lagomorphs (hares and rabbits) use this strategy, known as refection” (Why Do Hares Eat Their Own Droppings? By Polly Pullard, discoverywildlife.com).  Defending the Faith Study Bible comments, “So although rabbits do not regurgitate previously swallowed food, they do swallow their partially digested food a second time… it is entirely proper to conclude that Moses simply defined ‘cud chewers’ more broadly than modern scientists.” 

3.  Fowl.  “All fowl that creep going upon all fours, shall be an abomination unto you (Leviticus 11:20 KJV).  Since when do birds go on all fours?

The error is in the translation.  “The Hebrew sherets op is more accurately translated ‘winged creeping things’ (ASV), ‘winged insects’ (NASV, ESV, RSV), or ‘flying insects (NKJV, NIV).  Interestingly, in Deuteronomy 14:19, where these same creatures are discussed, the King James translators used the phrase ‘creeping things that flieth’… what’s more, both history and the fossil record reveal that extinct reptiles also had arms and claws attached to membranous wings.  Though scientists believe these flying reptiles mainly walked upright, at the very least their ‘hands’ would have been used for climbing trees and handling food so they would have used ‘all fours’” (ibid).

4.  Locust, crickets, and grasshoppers.  They do not go on four legs but six legs (Leviticus 11:20-23).

We sometimes use numbers which are not to be taken literally.  We speak of centipedes and millipedes.  We do not mean that these creatures have one hundred or one thousand feet.  Defending the Faith Study Bible provides the following illustration.  In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm (1946) the pigs first gave the farm animals “Seven Commandments.”  Then they later simplified things with this maxim “four legs good, two legs bad.”  Four legs referred to the animals on the farm.  It did not exclude the birds.  Two legs referred to man. 

Granted.  But why does the Bible speak of insects going on all fours?  Here is a possible explanation.  “The phrase likely means that, in contrast to birds (listed just previously – Leviticus 11:13-19) which walk upright, ‘winged creeping things’ walk horizontally – they ‘go upon all fours’” (ibid).