Ancient Jews May Have Eaten Non-Kosher Seafood, but That Doesn’t Mean They Weren’t Aware of the Torah

In a recent study, two Israeli archaeologists examined data from collections of fishbones discovered in 30 sites across ancient Judea, dated from the prebiblical period to the end of the talmudic era, and found evidence of the widespread consumption of non-kosher fish—including shark, eel, and especially catfish. As much of the Hebrew Bible is devoted to chronicling Israelite noncompliance with the Pentateuch’s commands, this should come as no surprise. But the researchers have further argued that the prohibitions on eating fish without fins or scales (as opposed to other non-kosher animals) are not attested before the 1st century BCE. Joshua Berman and Ari Zivotofsky present a rebuttal: