Roman Food

This isn't a complete list of Roman ingredients, but it's a start, and includes many fresh fruits and veggies that would be great for Roman snacks.  Below that I've included some of the easiest Roman recipes I've found (literally one is drizzle honey on yogurt) that could be used in a Roman food shop for VBS, and some main dishes to do in a "celebration dinner."  

The food shop is probably more historical in Rome than any other Holy Land VBS.   In the city of Rome, the common people ate "fast food."  They lived in tightly packed "apartments" up to five stories high, and many of these places did not allow cooking inside, because it was a fire hazard.   So in the home you'ld have bread and dried fish and fruits and vegetables, but if you wanted anything hot, you had to go out to get it.  

FRUITS

(Including dried fruit versions of these)

Apple

Blackberry (2). - Sometimes eaten with honey

Elderberry

Figs (possibly imported)*

Grapes and Raisins

Lemon

Mandarine Oranges or Tangerines (New research found them in Pompeii!  Probably not very common, but present.)

Melon (described as yellow and sweet) 

Sweet will it be, and when it ripened is
And yellow grows upon well-watered ground
Oft to sick mortals sure relief will bring.   

( Columella, 1st century Roman Writer)

Pear

Peach (introduced in later half of 1st century

Pomegranate (possibly imported)*

Plum

Strawberries (the ones in Rome had small berries)

Quince

*Not sure whether was imported or grown in/near Rome in the 1st century. 

NUTS

Almonds 

Filbert

Hazelnut

Pistachio (introduced sometime before 37 AD, so may not yet be widespread at the time Paul lived there, since trees take time to grow, but probably was imported)

Pine Nut

Walnut

VEGETABLES (and un-sweet fruit)

Artichokes

Asparagus

Beans (unsure of type)

Beets

Cabbage

Carrots

Chicory

Chick Peas (Garbanzo Beans)

Cucumbers

Lentils

Lettuce

Olive

Onions and Leeks

Peas

Parsnips

Radishes

Turnips

RECIPES

In past ancient food posts I've shared every recipe I've found for the ancient place.   That's fine in Egypt or Babylon where there's not as many surviving recipes, but for Rome, there was just too many.   There are whole cookbooks that have been found and I don't have time to list them all (and some other places have already done the work of listing a BUNCH of them).   

But I did want to list a few that I thought would be more appropriate for VBS (things that are not too hard, with ingredients that are not impossible to find, and that kids might actually eat).   

If you want to explore more Roman recipes, I suggest visiting Historical Italian Cooking or The Romans in Britain Recipe List.

DESSERTS & SWEETS

Curds (Yogurt) With Honey - Super simple.  Just drizzle honey over yogurt.  The link just ads a way to make it decorative.  

Dates Alexandrine - Dates, almonds, butter and some spices.  I have read elsewhere that cinnamon, while imported to Rome,  wasn't usually used in cooking (just perfume--as it was expensive).  It was not mentioned in the original translated recipe, so up to you whether to include.  Blanched almonds are almonds with the brown skin removed.  Probably would taste fine with regular almonds too.  

Egg Pancakes and Honey - No wheat, just eggs!   Sort of seems like a dish, not a desert, but was categorized as desert on the Roman history site I found it on.

Sesame Biscuits - Just needs honey, sesame, and some olive oil.  

Libum - Sweet Cheesecake (not like modern cheesecake)

Want more....here's 18 Delicious Roman Dessert Recipes

BREADS  (And a bread topping)

Breads are a little less easy, but if you have volunteers with a bread maker they might be happy to make some of these.  

Kyobi (Cheese Bread)

Plaited Bread - Cool looking - would look really neat in the marketplace food shop, especially if several were made.   You could break off little pieces for kids.

Mushroom SHAPED Bread - No actual mushrooms used.

Soft Bread

Soldiers Hardtack - These could be fun and I could see some ways these could be incorporated in snack (maybe handed out by costumed soldiers). 

Moretum (Herb and Cheese Spread) - Similar to pesto, this will require fresh herbs.   

SNACKS & COLD SIDES

No Bake Fig Cake - SUPER easy and cool.  I think they mean ground coriander, not whole.

Melon Salad - This  mainly includes melon (cantalope) and watermelon.   While they did have sweet melons in the Roman empire in the 1st century (as well as un-sweet varieties), sweet watermelon is a different story.   Watermelons were very different in ancient times.  They started as a bitter fruit mainly used for its seeds in ancient Egypt, and gradually changed due to cultivation practices to become the sweet fruit that we have today.  The earliest we have evidence of it being sweet was in the 2nd century, from Hebrew sources (the earliert Roman source was the 5th century)...so after the 1st Century when Paul was in Rome.   Up to you whether to include it or just use cantalope in this dish.  

Dried Pear Pudding - Just dried pears reconstituted by heating in a little water, then serving with its own sauce.  A little cream can be added.   

Pancakes - They had pancakes too, cooked in olive oil.  They had white bread so white flour is fine.

Roman French Toast

Chick Pea (Garbanzo Bean) Pancakes 

Maza (Barley Cake) 

Wine Cakes (Grape Juice Used, Not Wine)

Cheese and Honey (Super easy. - Uses feta or cottage cheese, with spices). - This Recipe has more ingredients than included in its preparation instructions, so i think you just sprinkle them on top, or mix them in, you decide.

Roman Salad Dressing (use lettuce for salad and top with this)

BREAKFAST

Puls - Wheat Porridge - Called the porridge that built an empire, and from what I read was often a breakfast food though you could serve it anytime.  This recipe includes both sweet and savory topping options, which you could set out "salad bar" style and let kids choose from.  That pinch of cinnamon would have been a luxury (you can include or not but I say if you do the salad bar style cinnamon might be something to leave off anyways, just because kids have no concept of how much to use, and too much makes it inedible and cinnamon isn't cheap). 

DINNER MAIN DISHES 

Most of these would not work well for the snack shop as they need to be served hot.  These are probably more appropriate if you are doing a family meal.  There are several more in the "Garum" section.

Earliest Pasta

Ancient Roman Pasta and Meatballs - You can replace Asafoetida with equal parts garlic and onion powder.  You can use the same amount or up to twice the amount of asafoetida.   You can substitute rosemary for rue.  

Browned Chicken Frontinian 

Beets with Chicken 

Ham in Red Wine Sauce - Yeah, I know, wine for VBS?  But it cooks out and if you want something other than chicken this works.

Pork in Piquant Sauce - Also, wine.   But again, a not too hard meat recipe.

HOT SIDE or VEGETABLE DISHES

Sweet Fritters

Chick Peas and Parmesan:  I'm re-writing this recipe to make it easier using canned chick peas, which are pre-boiled (garbanzo beans):

Ingredients:   

• 1 16 oz can of chick peas (garbanzo beans) 

•  2.5 cup grated parmasan 

•  Salt to taste (maybe 1 tsp)

Directions:   Heat chick peas in water with salt (to taste, probably about 1 tsp).   Drain.  Mix with parmesan cheese.  Serve warm.  

Fried Parsnips/Carrots (looks like french fries so kids will probably try them). 

Spicy Lentils 

GARUM/LIQUIMON (The Most Popular Sauce in Rome) + RECIPES 

This gets its own section because this condiment was so common.  It was as common as ketchup or ranch in America.  I don't know if kids would like it, but I felt like I had to include it because so much of Roman food surrounded it, so it would be cool to at least have it available for braver kids to try.    Several sites say you can substitute fish sauce (found in the Asian section of your local grocery store) so if you don't want to make it you can also use that.    I'm putting recipes that require it in this section (no matter if they are snacks or main dishes).  

Garum/Liquimon (ROMAN'S FAVORITE CONDIMENT) - EASIER Modern Recipe:  This recipe is a modern, less authentic version, but the real version involves weeks of fermentation so, I'm sharing something that I understand tastes similar with less time and work.  You could use it on meats or dip the carrot/parsnip fries in it, maybe.  I'm not sure I'd make this but I sort of felt like I had to include it.  

Chicken With Dill and Garum - This recipe uses Garum but otherwise has simple ingredients.  It uses a whole chicken but I could see this done with chicken drumsticks.  It involves boiling then baking and doesn't include a baking time.   When I bake drumsticks they usually take 35-45 minutes at 420 degrees.  Since these would be pre-boiled they might take a little less.   This recipe also lacks measurements.  They do say to use two parts garum to one part honey, but don't say how much dill or pepper to use.   Based on the pictures (and my own experience that you can't overdo dill), I'd suggest just saturating the garum/honey mixture with dill (fresh or dried), and then adding a small amount (a sprinkling) of white pepper.  

Steak with Garum Pepper Sauce - This one assumes you know how to cook a steak, and doesn't give precise measurements for the sauce, but still, if you already have garum, doesn't look too hard, and looks tasty.   Long pepper is similar in taste to black pepper, so you can just use black pepper in stead.  

Roman Stew  - Anise can be used in stead of lovage, or it can be skipped.

Roman Frittata (Eggs) 

https://tavolamediterranea.com/2018/05/17/mediterranean-triad-grapes-grains-olives-defrutum/

SOURCES
Other sources are linked in the text

Primary Source (anything not labeled/linked came from here):  https://europe.factsanddetails.com/article/entry-1155.html

The Picture at the Top:
This picture by Carole Raddato of a Roman meal by is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.   

A Roman Marketplace

Marketplace stalls in Rome wouldn't necessarily have to look much different than in Egypt or Nazareth...in various places all that's needed to set up shop was a table or blanket, and some sort of covering to keep yourself and your wares out of the sun.  Marketplace stalls like this could be found in open areas like the Forum, or along roadsides. 

But you could also make your marketplace look like Roman shops.   Roman shops were found in the first levels of tall apartment buildings, so shop booths could be made to look more like permanent structures (or even be located in Sunday School rooms in stead of tents). 

And you can certainly put a Roman twist on decorating your shop, incorporating Ivy, draping, Roman lettering and other features.

Here's some examples of shops with a very Roman feel (though some of these are from Athens--where they had a similar decorating style). 

 Pictures by Michelle LaFlamme

Picture By Michelle Barrera

Babylon Decor - Inspiration Pictures

Here are some Babylon decor pictures people from various churches have let me share here.  You can click on any of these to view larger.


The Ishtar Gate backdrop below was printed and then mounted on a backing.   You can buy the files to print these yourself (needs a wide-format printer).

Picture of backdrop by ProphecyArt.com

The same church is doing Babylon again this year, but used the backdrop differently, putting the gate at the entrance of their sanctuary and some of the panels inside to create the palace.

Printed backdrop by ProphecyArt.com

This next church made a white building with blue details...

Here is the drawings for the plans for the stage above. 

 

(If this is your church and you want credit, please leave a comment and let me know.  I got permission from the person who shared on facebook to use this but I lost her info and don't know how this should have been credited). 

~~~

"Hanging Garden" photo by BabylonCynthia Heredia De Martínez 

from St.  Francis of Assisi in Frisco, TX

~~~

The following photos of the Babylon VBS at BLC in 2012. You can find more pictures from this VBS, including construction shots, here.   They were shared under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) by Flickr user "Boynton."

More Babylon Decor Ideas

Babylon Crafts, Food and More

The Lion Den

Below is an amazing lion den created by Garden Ridge Church of Christ.   At the end is a video explaining how they did it.

More Babylon Decor Ideas

Babylon Crafts, Food and More

 

 

 

 

Foods of Ancient Israel

On this page you will find a list of recipes, ingredients, and other info about food in ancient Israel.  

 

COMMON MEALS
Two daily meals were usually eaten.   Here are an example of common meals eaten:

Late Morning Meal:  Could include roaster grain, olives, figs or grapes, and bread with garlic, onions, or black radishes.   Water or wine were drunk.

Evening Meal:
A vegetable stew, served in a common pot, that family members would dip their bread into.   Sometimes small bowls would be used.   Occasionally fresh or dried fruit, or cheese, would be served alongside the soup.   Water, wine, or milk was drunk.


RECIPE IDEAS



Lentil Soup and Barley Flatbread
A common daily meal throughout Isreal.

Ashishim
This was a fried lentil cake...honey-dipped pancakes made from crushed red lentils and sesame seeds.


Pressed Dried Fruit
While I don't have a "recipe" for this, this seems easy to do, and pressing dried fruit into blocks or clusters might be something you could do with kids as an activity.

• Raisins were pressed together into clusters and dried, which kept the interior raisins softer.
• Dates were sun dried and pressed into blocks to dry more, then used throughout the year
  

Meaty Stew
Cuts of meat (see meat section) were boiled with garlic and leeks, and flavored with cumin and coriander (it was Babylonian dish thought to be used in Israel too).  Stewed meat was considered a dish worthy of serving to honored guests (Judges 6:19-20).   Here's some recipes I found that used only ingredients they had at the time.

Stewed Lamb with Cumin and Coriander

Babylonian Stewed Meat

INGREDIENTS
Here are some ingredients available in ancient Israel.  There may be more ingredients they had access through trade, or which I just haven't found through my sources.  I've tried to note which one I know were introduced later, or were only available through trade.

Meats
Storing meat was difficult, so larger animals were often saved for special occasions.  Goat and mutton was often eaten during celebrations, festivals, and sacrificial feasts.  Beef was regarded as a delicacy, and served at royal banquets.  Dried fish was also eaten by wealthy in inland cities, and fresh and dried fish were eaten by rich and poor living near the sea.  Chicken and pigeon were the principal poultry in Roman times (NT). 

Meat was often cooked in a stew, but also roasted over an open fire (always done for passover lamb).  Meat was preserved by smoking, dryng and salting.

Many meats were forbidden by the Torah, but the meats below were, to my knowledge, available and allowed.   I am not including meats such as pork, that while available, were not allowed to be eaten.

Goat
Lamb (mutton)
Fish (fresh and dried)

• sea bream
• grouper
  
• meager
  
• grey mullet 
• Nile perch (imported dried)
  

Beef/veal (only eaten by wealthy)
Deer (red and fallow deer, wild game)
Gazelle (wild game)
Chicken (domesticated, became common around 2nd century BC)
Pigeon (wild and domesticated, but could only be raised in small numbers)
Geese (domesticated)
Turtledoves (domesticated and available wild April to Oct)
Partridges (wild)
Quail (wild)
Other wild game
Some types of locusts

Dairy
Until the domestication of the chicken (2nd century BC), eggs were considered a delicacy.  

Milk (goat and sheep's milk)
Butter
Cheese (mostly from goat and sheep's milk)
Eggs (from domesticated chicken, pigeon, turtledoves, ducks, geese, and also wild birds such as quail and partridge)

Grains/Flours
Bread was eaten with every meal.   Porridge was made from ground grain, water, salt, and butter, to which oil and fruits was sometimes added.   Click links for more about threshing grain, and bread making.  The cooking methods used produced flat loaves of bread that were broken, not cut.  Matza (unleavened bread) was eaten at Passover.  In Roman times (New Testament era), other cooking methods were introduced that allowed for thicker loaves.  The Mishna (Hallah 2:2) mentions one type of bread made with fruit juice substituted for water (which worked to leaven the bread and added sweetness).   Fennel and cumin were sometimes added to bread for flavoring, and bread was sometimes dipped in oil or vinegar.  Unripe grains were also eaten fresh, or roasted over a fire and eaten. 

Barley (two-row)

Wheat  (various types...see below)
 - Emmer - earliest native wheat domesticated in Canaan, time consuming to de-husk
 - Einkorn - another early cultivated wheat
 - Duram - a descendant of emmer that largely replaced it during the Iron age, as it was easier to remove the husks, though it was more difficult to grind (and had to be sifted to obtain fine flour).  Primarily used for porridge, though also used for bread.
 - Common Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum), became popular for making bread after the Greek conquest (so, in New Testament era)

Carob (can be ground into flour)

Rice (introduced during Persian period sometime after 539 BCE, so was not used before the Isrealites were allowed to return to Jerusalem after exile in Babylon)

Lentil/Bean flour - Ezekiel 4:9 mentions a bread made with barley, lentils and bean (presumably ground into flour).


Fruits
Grapes, dates, and figs were the most commonly used fruits.

Apricots (fresh and dried)
Carob
Dates (from date palm,)
Figs (fresh and dried)
Grapes and Raisins
Mulberry (black mulberry)
Pomegranates
Apple or Quince (possibly...there's some disagreement about this)
Watermelon (sweet, but with yellow-orange flesh)



Vegetables/Legumes
Legumes (peas and beans) were the main source of protein in ancient isreal.  Legumes and other vegetables were usually eaten in stews, which often contained garlic, onion, and leek for flavor.   Legumes were also eaten roasted.

Broad Beans (fava beans)
Carob
Capers
Chickpeas
Chicory (leaf, one of the bitter herbs commonly eaten at Passover)
Cucumber
Dandelion Greens
Endive (one of the bitter herbs commonly eaten at Passover)
Fennugreek
Garden Rocket (leaves)
Garlic
Gourds (unsure of type, eaten raw or flavored with vinegar)
Leeks
Lentils
Lettuce, wild (chazeret)
Lettuce, head-lettuce (introduced by the Romans, available in NT times)
Mallow (Corchorus, young leaves eaten, or made into tea)
Onions
Olives
Peas
Radishes (black radish)
Saltbush/Orach (leaves)
Vetch, bitter


Seeds and Nuts

Carob
Mallow seeds (can be used as a flavoring, but not sure if it was)
Sesame Seeds
Almonds (eaten primarily by the wealthy)
Walnut (very common)
Pistacios (eaten primarily by the wealthy)

Herbs and Spices
Note, there were more herbs and spices used for medicinal purposes, or for perfumes or other uses, but I'm only including spices used for food here.

Anise (used to season meats, breads)
Bay Leaf (seasoned stews and stewed meat)
Chicory (dwarf)
Cinnamon (imported)
Coriander Leaves (flavoring in soups, stewed meat, pudding and wine)
Coriander Seeds (sprinkled on breads, rolls, and fish...possibly crushed first)
Cumin (regular and black, used to season unleavened bread)
Dill
Fennel
Fenugreek
Garlic
Ginger (imported)
Hyssop
Majoram
Mallow seeds (can be used as a flavoring, but not sure if it was)
Mint (grows wild in Palestine)
Mustard (black)
Pepper (imported)
Reichardia
Salt (sea salt from dead sea, and mined salt)
Saffron (imported)
Sesame
Thyme

Oils

Olive Oil
Sesame Oil
Radish seed oil

Sweeteners
Date Syrup (also called date honey)
Carob
Grape Honey (syrup left after grape juice is boiled)
Honey


Other
Vinegar
Wine
Mushrooms (including Boletus edulis )



Sources
Wikipedia:   Ancient Israelite Cuisine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Israelite_cuisine

Cattle in the Ancient World
http://womeninthebible.net/bible_daily_life/cattle_ancient_world/

Food in the Bible
https://womeninthebible.net/bible-extras/food/

History of Cucumbers
http://www.vegetablefacts.net/vegetable-history/history-of-cucumbers/

History of Watermelon
https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2020/7/watermelon-DT/

The 5,000-Year Secret History of the Watermelon
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/150821-watermelon-fruit-history-agriculture

Cuneiform Craft

 

Cuneiform was one of the earliest types of writing.   It started in Mesopotamia, and was used by various cultures including the Assyrians and Babylonians and early Persians.  

Writing your name or a message in cuneiform can be a fun way for kids to explore ancient Mesopotamian history.   But to write cuneiform you need a certain type of stick with an edge to it.  This will be your cuneiform stylus. 

STYLUSES

We made our own cuneiform styluses by cutting a stick so it has a flat end,  and then carving the end in the shape of a triangle.   It's really quite easy...if you can use a knife to whittle off the bark of a stick you can do this.  

But if you don't feel like carving, there's another option.   Chop sticks (the wooden kind they give you at Chinese restaurants) already come with a flat edge.   The end of the chopstick is in the shape of a square,  not in the shape of a triangle, but it will still work for many of the cuneiform alphabets as it still gives you that wedge shape.   The only shape you can't do is a straight down triangle stamp, which not all cuneiform alphabets use.   

A third option for styluses is to buy dowels and then cut them to smaller sizes (crayon size is generally good.)

PREPPING THE CLAY

Next, you flatten out a piece of play dough or air dry clay (which can be bought at Hobby Lobby, Micheal's, and various other hobby stores).    If using clay I suggest doing this on a surface like a Plastic baggie (which can also be used to store the clay beforehand), since clay tends to stick to stuff.  You can put the clay in the baggie and something like a plate or rolling pin to press it flat.   You can also  plastic place mat or  paper plate, and cover it with plastic wrap to keep it from sticking to whatever you use to press it flat. 

WRITING IN CUNEIFORM

Then, using one of the alphabets linked below (under the video) use the method shown in the video to make your cuneiform.  Notice how he uses the edge to make wedge shaped impressions. You don't need to "trace" out triangles, but use the natural shape of the stylus to make those for you.

Now, we did our cuneiform with real air dry clay (easy, and you get that feel of real clay,  but it's fragile after it dries).  I've heard of people using salt dough or play dough too, but my favorite method I've seen (but not yet tried) is cuneiform gingerbread cookies!

Here are some cuneiform alphabets you can try.   Note though, that most (maybe all) of these were actually syllabaries (where one symbol often stood for a whole syllable, not just a single sound like in the English alphabet).  Also, some of these languages didn't use the same sounds as we do in English.  So when you see a cuneiform "alphabet," it is likely an approximation (but that's good enough to help kids explore what it was like to write in cuneiform).  

• Ugaritic Alphabet (c. 1300 BC ) More about it.
• The cuneiform is fairly simple to write, but the one I have is not in alphabetical order, and uses some international symbols for sounds.   It doesn't contain all the English letters/sounds so you might have kids make up their own cuneiform letters for the letters they didn't have.  

• Old Persian Alphabet (c. 550-486 BC).   
• This was created by or under Darius I, who is mentioned in the biblical books of Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra, and Nehemiah (for those supplementing with Bible stories, around Chap 21 of SOTW).   It is also not too complex to write.  It's also not in alphabetical order, and is presented as a syllabary (but a very simple one...if kids wanted to try out the idea of using a syllabary this would be a good one to do that).  Again, it doesn't contain all the English letters.

• Babylonian Alphabet and Numbers (c. ?)  and  More Babylonian Numerals (c. 2000 BC)  
• This has all the English letters, even c (which is redundant with k and s), so it's definitely at best an approximation.  These are COMPLEX characters to make, but it is nice to have all of it in alphabetical order without having to mess with syllables.   It also has numbers 1-20.

• Sumerian Syllabary (c. 2200 BC)  
• First phonetic cuneiform, and kinda complex but older students might enjoy looking at it (symbols were by syllables,  so "ba, be, bi, bu" would all be separate alphabetic symbols).  Some modern scripts, such as Japanese, are structured similarly.  There is a simplified sumerian "alphabet" here though. 

   Then just let your creation air dry, for for more sturdiness, bake it. 

 

We made some other clay creations after playing with cuneiform - my son made the vase and I mad the crocodile.  (I was pretty proud of that crock...used the triangle end of stylus like a stamp to make the scales on his back)

Wilderness VBS: Sinai Desert Snacks

Since it wasn't included in the program, I tried to make a "Isrealite Camp" snack rotation for Wilderness VBS that would reflect the things they actually had in the Sinai wilderness (or had brought with them from Egypt).   After the Egyptian foods ran out, that would have been things God miraculously provided (manna, quail), along with sparse plants available seasonally in the Sinai (in amounts that wouldn't have been large enough to feed the whole population without God's provision), and meat and dairy from their herds.

This is not the type of snack to "tide kids over" but a "taste and experience" type of snack, to help them bring meaning and understanding and context to the Bible story.   Its important not to just serve these foods, but to talk about why they are eating these foods.   Many of the foods stretch kids "comfort zone" for taste, so you may want to provide another snack kids are more likely to eat outside of the marketplace if you are worried about kids getting hungry.

Thanks to Go Tell It On the Mountain, Wandering Through the Wadis, and Bedouin History Desert Saffari for most of the information I found about edible plants in the Sinai, as well as some Bedouin recipes which are possibly the closest things we have to an idea of what the Isrealites would have eaten in the dessert (other than manna), though they do come from another cultural tradition. 



DAY 1:  Crossing the Red Sea
Exodus 12

"So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing...With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves."
Exodus 12:34 and 12:39

On the first night the Isrealites have just crossed the red sea with their unleavened bread on their shoulders.  They would have baked it by now.  They also may have brought other food, some of the produce of Egypt which they would later complain about missing (Numbers 11: 5-6):  cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic and fish (fishsticks could work).   Grapes, figs, raisins, were other items they might have brought with them.    A full list of food Egyptians ate can be found here.  

Yogurt mixed with honey could also be served.   Goats milk is something else the Isrealites would certainly have had, as they brought their flocks with them.  Tiger nut sweets seem like a portable food they could have brought with them (see earlier link to Egyptian food).   

There is a red berry that grows in the Sinai near the ocean called Salt Tree Fruit.   They make a drink from it sort of like a flavored water, so you could have cool-aid or a flavored water for a drink that first day that was "discovered" by the snack tent volunteer.   They could also "discover" that some of the plants (listed toward the bottom of this page) make a good hot drink (I would start with one and "discover" a few other teas during the week).  There's a list at the bottom with these herbal teas.

If you start your week with some sort of special event/celebration that includes food, I found a very unique Bedoin meal that uses some things that Egyptian had (though granted watermelon in ancient Egypt was a very different fruit).  Melon Feta  uses watermelon charred in an open camp-fire, combined with various other ingredients.   It's NOT a dessert.   I'm very intrigued by it, and it would be something fun to try making as a group. 


DAY 2: Manna and Quail
Exodus 16

"That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.  When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost on the ground appeared on the desert floor.... 

When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, 'What is it?' For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, 'It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.'   The people of Israel called the bread manna. It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. ... The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was settled."
Exodus 16:13-15, 35-

Have the bowls in the snack tent practically empty the 2nd day, as the Isrealites battle hunger.  There should be no fresh food and just maybe a scant handful of raisins or nuts (though be careful with allergies), maybe a couple tiny shrivled onions,  or a little tea you could say was made from plants that have now dried out (but no milk or honey for it, as any herds that hadn't been eaten would be near starving and not able to make milk).   The snack tent host could complain about lack of food the first rotation, and praise God for the manna when it comes during the second rotation (or has come during Moses tent).

Whatever you use for manna, it would reinforce that God is still providing to include it as an option with other items in the snack tent the rest of the week.

Here are some suggestions for things to use:

QUAIL IDEAS:    Chicken, peeps, chicken nuggets, bread shaped like birds (see below), cookies shaped like quail, or actual quail if not cost prohibitive...maybe to let the kids taste in small sample size quantities.
Bread Bird 1
Bread Bird 2

MANNA IDEAS:  Frosted flakes, rice crispies (or rice crispy treats), popcorn (or popcorn balls), nilla wafers, coconut, frosted donut holes, sun chips, any strange chips or crackers or...
Manna Recipe with Oyster Crackers:
Coconut Balls
White Energy Balls:

Puppy Chow/Muddy Buddies - Various
Nutella Puppy Chow
Skinny Puppy Chow






DAY 3:  Defeating the Amalekites
Exodus 17

"The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands.”

 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill.  As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.  So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword."
Exodus 17: 8-13

Though the Bible doesn't specifically mention them taking any spoils when the Isrealites defeated the Amalikites, we know they took spoils in other cases, and it's likely they may have here too.  This could be an excuse to have something other than manna.  A trail mix of some sort might work, since if they got this from the Amalekites camp it's not out of the question that they would have found easy to carry food like dried fruit and nuts.   You could use dried cranberries in the mix and say that they were Zahroor  Berries (a sinai fruit that tastes good dried).  If you use any seeds you can say they are Desert Melon seeds (a melon that is inedible except for the seeds, which Senai Bedouins grind into a flour, so flatbread could be re-introduced as well).  Be careful of seed and nut allergies.

There are a few other things that grow in the Sinai dessert (though not all year round), some of which you can actually find in US stores, and others you you can approximate. I've included a list  at the bottom of this page and these can be incorporated during the rest of the week.   Granted, none of these would be in large enough supply enough to feed the whole Isrealite camp but might be fun to have kids taste all the same.

Dairy products like goats milk and yogurt might be able to be reintroduced now and served throughout the rest of the week.   We know that they had flocks and herds by Day 4 because God told Moses  that "not even the flocks and herds may graze in front of the mountain"  when Moses went up to mount Sinai (Exodus 34:3).  It could either be that some of the original animals they took with them out of Egypt survived the period without much food (in which case, they might not be using meat yet from these herd, but might use dairy).   Or they could have taken animals from the Amalekites.    Another possibility is that  Jethro (Moses Midianite father in law) had provided animals to the Isrealites from his own herds when he came and visited them in the wilderness (Exodus 18...which would have been slightly after this).  Even if you wait till Day 4,  dairy products could also be served throughout the rest of the week.

You can find an interesting article about how butter, yogurt, and cheese is made in the desert here.    It's worth looking at just for the pictures.    In your or right outside your food tent, you can use three sticks to make a tripod like is pictured there, and then put yogurt and some salt into cheesecloth and hang it from the tripod over a bowl to make Labneh, a type of cream cheese.

 

 
DAY 4:  Remembering the Passover
Exodus 12/Numbers 9

"Thus the Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai... saying, “Now, let the sons of Israel observe the Passover at its appointed time."Numbers 9:1

" It is a night to be observed for the Lord for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the Lord, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations."Exodus 12:42

On Passover they were instructed to eat unleavened bread and lamb, with bitter herbs...so this would be something to consider for snack this day.  With the unleavened bread you could have the kids eat just small bites of real lamb to cut on cost, or have some sort of lamb shaped snack.  Sinai Bedouins make a bread using ground seeds of the desert melon (inedible except seeds) so this is not unfeasonable that they would have had a little flatbread still.    As for bitter herbs--they would have had various bitter herbs in the desert (many of which we don't have access to).   Traditional bitter herbs served at passover are  lettuce, chicory, horseradish, dandelion greens, which are described as growing in the Sinai Peninsula or in Egypt, but the site doesn't specify which, and my other sources don't include these as wild plants of the sinai desert.     They did have a type of mint, something similar in taste to lemon balm, both of which would be a safe, bitter plant for the kids to try.  Parsley grew in Egypt and is also a traditional "bitter herb" alternative  which would be cheep and easy,  and a little easier for kids to swallow (while still somewhat bitter, I actually liked it as a child).   But in this case, kids liking it isn't the point.   The bitter herbs are meant to the bitterness of slavery, so it's not meant to be pleasant. 


DAY 5:  10 Commandments
Exodus 19-20

I think it would be good to bring back manna and quail again, to show how God was still  providing for the Israelites.    Labneh, other cheeses, goats milk and yogurt could be served too, since they still had their herds.  Any of the Recipes below under the "Sinai Edibles" listed below would work too, and any of the teas listed under the herbs. 

SINAI DESERT EDIBLES

Below is a list of edible plants that grow in the Sinai Desert.   Note that all of the plants below would not have been available year round, many growing only in the spring, and few in abundant supply even then.  So having these doesn't mean that the Isrealites wouldn't have been starving at some point (especially since, even when these were available, they might not have initially known what could be eaten or how to find them, though Moses would have known more from his previous time in the wilderness with the Midianites).  Some of these are wild plants growing in the US, so if you have a safe place on your church property that these "weeds" grow, and you don't use pesticides and it's not near a road, you could take kids around to "find" these. 


Vegetables

• Wild Onions - probably smaller and less plentiful than what they had in Egypt.   Could use any small onion or shallot.
  
  
• Capers - Capers grow in the Senai on cliffs and rocky wall.  You can find pickled capers in most grocery stores....something a little adventurous for the kids to try.  I thought capers were a seed but they are actually a flower bud.   The fruits and leaves can also be pickled (I have not seen these in stores, but you can find pickled Caperberries online). (Pictures of Bush/Fruit/More about How they Are Used)
  
  
• Hambizan - An edible tuber which tastes and looks like carrot, only it's white.  I know you can grow white carrots and I've seen them sometimes in grocery stores and farmers markets, but they can be hard to find--if you did find this you could call the white carrots Hambizan and serve with the yogurt dip mentioned in the recipes at the bottom.
  
  
• Jahag/Wild Mustard -  A plant with edible, juicy, peppery leaves.   It grows on the desert plains right after seasonal rains.  You can buy mustard greens in most stores, which are similar in flavor.
  
  
• Dandelion (?) - One source I found said that dandelion may have been on of the bitter herbs eaten in the dessert, though it was not listed as a native Sinai plant.  Still, it would probably be closer to wild herbs that might have been used for lettuce than some other things.  All the parts of a dandelion can be eaten.  I've personally boiled dandelion buds which taste similar asparagus, and had dandelion leaves and flower petals in salad (which are peppery).  Again, avoid collecting where it may have been sprayed for pesticides.  While there are dandelion look-alikes, they tend to also be edible so it's less of a risky plant to collect. 
  
  
• Purslane - a common edible weed which grows in the United States too. Can be gathered, but stay away from roadsides (because of contamination from cars) and any lawns that might be treated with pesticides/herbicides.  There are look alikes that are not edible though, so make sure you only use this if someone familiar with it collects it and tries it first.  (Break the stem...if there's white sap it's spurge, not purslane.  Don't eat it!)
  
  
• Tummayr/Storksbill - While this can be found in the US, I do not suggest trying to gather and use this because it is easily confused with POISON HEMLOCK.   But in the Sinai, where I don't believe Hemlock grew, this was one of the plants they could have eaten.   There are several types that grow in the Sinai, and one type has a potato-like edible tuber that is sweet and crunchy.
  
  
• ALSO SEE HERBS  - Also see the herb section below as several of these can be included in salads and such. 

 

Fruits

• Hamaat (Wild Fig) - Yeah, something we can get at the store! (OK, not the spacific Senai variety, but figs in general, which is close enough).   These are a rare plant in the desert.
  
  
• Dates - From the date palm.   Another rare plant sometimes found in the Sinai.  
  
  
• Zahroor  Berries (Hawthorn) - a type of Hawthorn with edible berries.   You can find edible dried hawthorn berries online (not all hawthorn berries are edible though, so don't just get some from someone's hawthorn shrub, and be careful with buying them that you get ones that are meant for eating, not just medicinal use).
  
  
• Nabug - A red cherry sized fruit that grows in springtime off a tree from the mountain wadis (valleys or dry riverbeds).  Can be eaten fresh but the hard, dry fruit that’s fallen to the ground is tastier (so you might be able to substitute dried cranberries or cherries and just cal them "Nabug"
  
  
• Salt Tree Fruit - This is one of those "fruits you won't be able to find but might be able to use something to substitute."   It's a wild edible fruit that grows in the Sinai along the ocean.   About the size of a cranberry, but less round, it is bright red and eaten fresh.   It's also is mashed, strained, and mixed with sugar and water, used more like a flavoring for water than a thick juice.   You might make some flavored water as a drink and say that it is "Salt Tree Juice."  (Flavor with honey for a more realistic "ancient" sweetener). 
  
  
• Desert Thumb - A rare, really strange-looking parasitic plant that has a small, black-coated, nut-like white, juicy fruit with a flavor and texture similar to apples.

 

Herbs for Teas and Seasonings
NOTES ON HERBAL TEAS:   In the middle east  and among the Bedouins tea is popular, and usually served with milk or cream.  Teas can be flavored with honey and cream or milk as those are things that could be gathered in the desert or are products of the animals they herded (when the herds weren't starving...ie, day 2.   On day 2 you could still provide the tea but just have it plain, without honey or cream.).   I like the idea of introducing some of these teas one day and have them talk about how they discovered that they can use them ("I've found several wild herbs that make good tea...would you like to try some?).  
 

• Habag (Horsemint) - You could substitute any type of mint to make a mint tea or to use as a flavoring.  But wild horsemint grows throughout the US, is edible as a tea or in small quantities as a fresh herb, and might be closer in flavor.  Though, looking at the picture of Habag here I think it looks more similar to regular mint than horsemint.   (Hanging a bunch of either in your "snack tent"  would make a nice smell and add to the decor)
  
  
• Stagshorn Lavender -  The leaves are tasty and can be used in salad (not sure how English lavender that people might have in their gardens in the US compares, but you could certainly include some hanging just for the smell, and use dried lavender flowers as an herb or tea or in crafts, as it seems likely they could have been used the same way and the smell and taste should be similar.)   To learn more about Stagshorn Lavender in the Sinai read this article, and you can learn about culinary uses of various forms of lavender here.
  
  
• Rubayaan (Wild Chamomile) - Just like regular camomile this is used in tea (so grab some camomile tea bags), and it looks really similar to European camomile, so if someone from your church has some growing at home, it would be fun to hang some to dry in your snack tent. 
  
  
• Bardagoosh (Sage) – This is the same plant we use for sage in English.
   
• Shamaar (Fennel) - Found mostly in rocky mountain areas.
  
  
• Homath - This is a plant with pink flowers in the spring, and edible green leaves with a lemony flavor (could substitute lemon balm or lemon basil).
  
  
• Salt and Other Seasonings -  The mountains of the Sinai contained salt, so them getting salt in the desert is reasonable.  Any dried seasoning they had in Egypt it's feasibile they would still have since spices can last for years and don't take much time to carry. 
  
  
• No Honey (update) -  Earlier I had said honey was rare in the Sinai.   Actually, it may not have been there at all.  "Sinai is one of the very few places in the world (and it may be unique) where no social bees of any kind occur naturally, only solitary bees…" (Wandering Through Wadis).  These bees don't product honey.   Honey might have been something carried from Egypt, since there were native honeybees there.   But it's also something that would have run out after the lean times, unless more could be gotten through trade (such as with the Midianites, or from spoils after defeating the Amalakites in battle).

Meat and Dairy
Since they brought their "flocks and herds" into the desert, these would have provided meat, dairy products, and also wool to make clothing and repair their tents.    These would have probably been mostly sheep and goats.   And of course there was the quail which God sent along with the manna.   A few other edible wild animals can be found in the desert, but not in large enough numbers to feed a large amount of people.  

• Lamb
• Goat
• Quail (through God's provision)
• Locusts/grasshoppers
• Nubian Ibex (in mountainous regions, rare)
• Goat's milk
• Yogurt
• Butter
• Cheese

RECIPE/ DISH SUGGESTIONS

Using just things they had available...

Labneh 
A very easy to make cheese similar to cream cheese (in fact, if you were short on time, you could use cream cheese...BUT, it does look different when you make it yourself.   And, showing the kids how to make this, and/or hanging some up in cheese cloth draining on a tripod of sticks over a bowl, would bring something very special to your food tent. 

Labneh can be rolled in seasoning to make little colorful tasty cheese balls (scroll all the way down on that site link and you'll see those on the bottom).   Kids can roll them themselves.  In the wilderness, as mentioned, they had something similar mint, lemon balm, fennel, and wild onions that could be used for this, and it's feasible that they had brought cumin, dill, garlic, and fenugreek in Egypt (dry herbs are easy to carry and last a long time).


Quail or Lamb
Seasoned with sage, mint, salt, honey and or Egyptian spices, fried in butter (which they would have had in some form), or grilled.    Not really a recipe, but you can search for recipes and just leave out ingredients they wouldn't have had.

Yogurt 
Sweeten yogurt with honey, and flavor with mint or lemon balm (or Egyptian spices).


Yogurt Dip
Have kids try mixing various of the spices which would have been available in  yogurt to make a dip for peta chips, flatbread, or carrots.

Butter
Kids can make their own butter in plastic baggies, and even season it with desert herbs.   This takes 15 minutes of shaking, which isn't a particularly interesting activity though.   However, if you do it while doing something else (like listening to a story, or going on a hike, it can work (did this once for girl scouts).   You could also play some sort of a passing game (where you pass and shake the butter to a fun song) could work also.

See Pictures of Desert Plants and Food
Wild Foods Page 1
Wild Sinai Foods Page 2