From the Epistle of Barnabas, chapter 10 about why the unclean meats were deemed unclean.
But in that Moses said, Thou shalt not eat the
swine, nor the eagle, nor the hawk, nor the crow, nor
any fish that hath not scales in itself, he had in his
mind three doctrines.
10:2 For in the end he saith unto them in
Deuteronomy, And I will arrange before this people my
ordinances. The commandment of God is not, therefore,
that they should not eat; but Moses spake in a
spiritual sense.
10:3 He spake of the swine with this meaning: Thou
shalt not cleave, he meaneth, unto men of this sort,
who are like unto swine, for when they become wanton
they forget their Lord, but when they are in want they
think upon the Lord; even as the swine when it eateth
knoweth not its lord, but when it is hungry it crieth,
and when it hath received it is again silent.
10:4 Nor shalt thou eat of the eagle, nor of the
hawk, nor of the kite, nor of the crow. Thou shalt
not, he meaneth, cleave to, nor be like to men of this
sort, who know not how to provide sustenance for
themselves by labour and sweat, but in their iniquity
seize the property of others, and, as though they
walked in innocence, watch and observe whom they shall
plunder, through their covetousness; even as these
birds alone provide not sustenance for themselves by
means of toil, but, sitting idle, seek out how they
may eat the flesh of others, being destructive by
reason of their wickedness.
10:5 And thou shalt not eat, he saith, of the
lamprey, or the polypus, or the cuttle-fish. Thou shalt
not, he meaneth, cleave to or become like unto men of
this sort, who are impious unto the end, and have been
already condemned to death, even as these accursed
fish alone swim in the depth, not floating as the
others do, but dwelling in the earth below the depth
of the sea.
10:6 Thus, he saith, Thou shalt not eat the hare,
meaning thou shalt not indulge in unnatural lusts;
10:7 nor shalt thou eat the hyaena, meaning thou
shalt not be an adulterer;
10:8 nor shalt thou eat the weazel, meaning thou
shalt not do uncleanness with thy mouth concerning
food;
10:9 therefore Moses spake in the spirit these three
doctrines. But they, according to the lusts of their
flesh, received them as being about meat.
10:10 And David receiveth knowledge concerning the
same three doctrines, and saith in like manner,
Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel
of the ungodly, even as the fish walk in darkness into
the depths of the sea, and hath not stood in the way
of sinners, even as they who pretend to fear the Lord
sin as doth the swine, and hath not sat in the seat of
the destroyers, even as the birds that sit for prey.
Ye have also in the end a commandment concerning food;
10:11 but Moses said, Eat ye everything that is
cloven-footed and that cheweth the cud. What meaneth
he? He that taketh food knoweth him that feedeth him,
and, resting upon him, seemeth to be glad. He
therefore saith well, having regard to the
commandment. What then meaneth he? Cleave ye unto them
that fear the Lord, who walk in his commandments,
which they have received in their hearts; unto them
that speak of the ordinances of the Lord, and observe
them, unto them who know that the practice of them is
a work of gladness, and who meditate on the word of
the Lord. But what meaneth that which cleaveth the
hoof? It meaneth that the just walketh even in this
world, and expecteth the holy life. Behold how well
Moses hath made these laws;
10:12 but how was it possible for them to perceive
or understand these things? But we, having rightly
understood the commandments, speak them even as the
Lord hath willed. On this account hath he circumcised
our ears and hearts, that we should understand these
things."
