Milk and honey: Prosperity in the Promised Land

Milk and honey make grand appearances in the Old Testament to represent prosperity in the Promised Land. It is God who promises to lead the enslaved Israelites “into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey” (Ex 3:8).

The description is so significant in the covenant between God and His people that “land flowing with milk and honey” is repeated at least 20 times from Exodus to Ezekiel. It’s an expression of agricultural prosperity in Canaan (the Promised Land), according to the New American Bible, Revised Edition.

Aside from those references, milk and honey appear in separate mentions throughout the Bible. One favorite passage is Matthew’s introduction to John the Baptist, whose “food was locusts and wild honey” (Mt 3:4).

Bible writers chose their words well because milk and honey were sacred foods for quite a while before their time. The respected culinary encyclopedia “Larousse Gastronomique” says milk has long been a symbol of fertility and wealth, and milking animals was a venerated ritual in early human societies. Honey had equal respect in ancient times. The sweet golden liquid was “regarded as the food of the gods, a symbol of wealth and happiness.”

These symbols persisted in early Christian communities. The newly baptized would sip from a cup of milk and honey, honoring their entry into the Lord’s new promised land.

Before and during Christ’s time on earth, sheep, goats and cows were milked for butter, cream, cheese and yogurt. However, most of these products looked and tasted a bit different from modern dairy equivalents.

The Book of Job acknowledges the making of curds when the author pleads, “Did you not pour me out like milk, and thicken me like cheese?” (Job 10:10). Domesticated beekeeping was also common in ancient Greece, Egypt and Palestine, and honey became the definitive sweet of the Bible, where it often appears as a metaphor. “Pleasing words are a honeycomb, sweet to the taste and invigorating to the bones” (Prv 16:24). 

Sugarcane arrived in the Middle East four centuries before Christ’s birth, but it was rare and expensive. Common sweeteners of the time included syrups, also referred to as honey, made from dates, pomegranates or other fruit.

Protein-packed and loaded with good-for-you foods from Scripture, this parfait makes a quick dessert or breakfast for any New Year celebration. If dates or pomegranates are not available, any fresh fruit would make a satisfying substitute. 

Promised Land Parfait

Prep Time: 20 minutes • Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup walnuts or walnut pieces
• 4 large Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
• 1 orange, peeled and segmented
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
• 16 ounces Greek-style plain whole milk yogurt
• 4 tablespoons honey
• A few lavender buds or mint leaves (optional)

Method

1. Place the walnuts on a metal tray and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring the nuts once at the halfway point. Remove from oven when golden in color and let cool.
   
   
2. Divide about three-quarters of the yogurt between four dessert cups. Then layer on the fruit and nuts. Save a bit of fruit to garnish the top. 
   
   
3. Drizzle about 1/2 tablespoon honey over the fruit in each cup. Divide the remaining yogurt between the dishes and drizzle more honey over each.
   
   
4. Garnish with the remaining fruit and lavender buds or mint leaves and serve immediately.