Dietary Timeline

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3200 B.C.

According to Grivetti, before 3200 B.C. Egypt consisted of two distinctive geographical-cultural entities: a pork-consuming north or Lower Egypt, and a pork-avoiding south or Upper Egypt.

"Shortly after 3200 B.C., both regions were united politically when the Southerners invaded and conquered the north. One result of this conquest was the institution of broadly based pork avoidance throughout the Egyptian Nile valley and delta that pre-dates the Jewish pork prohibition by more than two thousand years."

"Pigs in the ancient Egyptian pantheon were associated with Seth, the evil brother of Osiris. During political periods when Osiris worship dominated, pork was avoided; when Seth gained ascendancy pork was widely consumed and considered a desired food. Pork was widely eaten during the 18th-20th dynasty reign of Amenhotep III (c. 1405-1370 B.C.) who offered pigs as offerings to the temple of Ptah at Memphis. Seti I, father of king Rameses II (c. 1318-1298 B.C.), allowed pigs to be raised inside the temple of Osiris at Abydos."

Grivetti, L.E. (2000) Food prejudices and Taboos. Cambridge World History of Food. Cambridge University Press.