Biblical References

While you may be familiar with the following stories in the Old Testament, perhaps today you will see them in a way that you haven't in the past. The lost teachings of Jesus, taken from the Essene Gospel of Peace, are controversial in some circles, but I am firm believer in their Validity.

The Old Testament

Numerous classical commentators, such as Rashi, Maimonides, Nachmanides, and Abraham Ibn Ezra, stated that God's first intention was for people to be vegetarian. In The Five Books of Moses, God's initial dietary law was strictly nonmeat: "And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed. To you it shall be for food.'" (Genesis 1:29)
The Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years in good health on a diet of manna. When they cried out for flesh, which the Lord reluctantly provided in the form of quails, a great plague broke out and many people died. Some commentators have interpreted this incident as an early warning about the negative health effects of eating meat.
When the Lord promised the Jews a special land in Canaan, He said, "For the Lord, thy God, bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey; a land wherein thou shalt not lack anything in it. And thou shall eat and be satisfied and bless the Lord thy God for the good land which He hath given thee." (Deuteronomy 8:7-10) To me it seems that the ideal diet here was vegetarian too.
The Book of Daniel holds the world's first recorded dietary test. "But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's rich food, or with the wine which he drank; therefore he asked the Chief of eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the Chief of eunuchs and the Chief of eunuchs said to Daniel, 'I fear lest my lord the king, who appointed your food, and your drink, should see you were in poorer condition than the youths who are your own age, so you would endanger my head with the King.' Then Daniel said to the steward whom the Chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azair-ah; 'Test your servants for ten days; let us be given veget ables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the King's rich food be observed by you, and according to what you see deal with your servants.'
"So he hearkened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. At the end of the ten days they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh [more muscular] than all the youths who ate the King's rich food."
Later we find that Daniel was able to interpret the King's dreams when none of the wise men of Babylon were able to do so.
"Then the King gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and Chief Prefect over all the wise men of Babylon."