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Garlic by the Book

© Virginia Marin

"We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, the onions, and the garlic: but now our soul is dried away and there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes" (Numbers 11:5-6).

The Israelites have left Mount Sinai and are on their way to the Promised Land. They were not free of problems, for wilderness wandering would be difficult for any people. When problems came their way they resorted to murmuring. Why were they complaining? They were out in the wilderness and they missed the foods of Egypt. They were tire of eating the manna which God provided daily for them. They missed, among other things - garlic.

Now garlic is actually considered a food as well as an herb. It is also important for its medicinal properties as well as being an excellent flavoring for foods. While the Israelites were enjoying garlic in Egypt, they were, no doubt, benefited by some of its many God-infused properties such as an anti-inflammatory, expectorant, carminative, anti-parasitic, anti-spasmodic, anti-fungal, and an antibiotic.

When garlic is cut or bruised it produces the enzymes alliinase and alliin which forms allicin. Allicin gives garlic its medicinal properties known to be antibiotic in nature. One milligram of allicin produces 15 standard units of penicillin.

One clove of garlic also contains 1 milligram of magnesium, 6 milligrams of phosphorus, 5 milligrams of calcium, 16 milligrams of potassium, and a high helping of selenium and thiamine, while containing only 1 milligram of sodium. It contains more germanium, an anti-cancer agent, than any other herb. Yahweh knew what He was doing when He gave us garlic. Surely the health of the Israelites benefited from their consumption of garlic as they labored and suffered injury as slave builders for the Egyptians.

The Israelites were in the wilderness without garlic, but they were not without health protection. They had manna. God miraculously provided them with manna each day. Manna was a wonderful food, but they simply did not like it, though it benefited them healthwise. As they walked through the wilderness their feet did not swell. They did not get beriberi or osteoporosis. Their stomachs were filled, and they were healthy, but they did not like the manna.

Manna had all of the necessary vitamins and minerals required for a healthy mind and body. It gave them complete nourishment. They simply did not like it. They missed the flavor of garlic.

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