"Why Do You Refuse to Eat Pork?": Jews, Food, and Identity in Roman Palestine

Both Jewish and non-Jewish (particularly Roman) sources from antiquity attest to a culinary 'fact': Jews do not eat pork. The meaning of this foodway, however, depends upon one's perspective. According to some rabbinic sources, because Romans eat pig they are, as such, embodied as pigs. On the other hand, according to some Roman sources, by refusing to eat pig, Jews are never able to ingest Roman-ness and, thus, can never truly become Roman. Beginning in antiquity, the practices of pork consumption and abstention become symbolic, or metonymic, of 'Self' and 'Other' with respect to Jewish and Roman identity. This article explores how these ancient sources construct identity around a specific dietary practice. In particular, it focuses on how the same culinary item is deployed to create both 'Self' and 'Other' with respect to Rome.