Wheat - Jeremiah 41:8
For the people of the Bible, wheat was a great food treasure. It was a staple at most every meal. In addition, wheat could make the difference between life and death because of its nutritional value and the protection it offered against a host of disabling, often deadly, disorders and diseases.
Wheat was the "staff of life." Because it was such an important part of everyday survival it became an important religious symbol for both Jews and Christians. An abundant harvest was a blessing from God.
Biblical people ate their grain boiled and parched, soaked and roasted, and even ate it green from the stalk. It was pounded, dried or crushed to be baked into casseroles, porridges, soups, parched grain salads and desserts such as puddings and flans.
Bible scholars say that Ezekiel's Bread was intended to be a survival food during the dark days of the Babylonian conquest because it contains wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt. The Israelites put their faith in this multi-grain foodstuff to maintain their health and stay fighting fit.
Much of the wheat the Israelites ate was actually the wheat bran, the outermost layers of the wheat kernel which is nearly all fiber. It is now well-established just how critical fiber is to healthy digestion and efficient bowel function. Wheat bran is also absolutely loaded with crucial B vitamins and protein.
According to most Bible scholars, the parched grain spoken of was the forerunner to tabbouleh, the bulgar-wheat salad which is still popular throughout the Middle East. Its popularity spread to other parts of the world with different variations. The Bible's cracked wheat, bulgar wheat and tabbouleh are actually whole wheat kernels that have been boiled, dried and cracked