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The
Journey of Honey
Honey has had a long journey through the centuries.
It is
one of the oldest know foods to have been used by man. It
has
been around as long as our recorded history. Honey has been found in many
different locations
around the world dating back many centuries. Pictures of
honey
and beekeeping were found in Spain painted on cave walls, which dates
back to 7000 BC. This seems to be one of the earliest
written
records of honey being used by man. Honey has also been found
on
wall paintings in Catalhuyuk, Turkey. Although there have
been
fossils found of honeybees dating as
far back as 150 million years. If bees were found, then
there
must have also been honey.Honey was found to be recorded near Cairo in a sun temple which was erected about 2400 BC. Honey and beekeeping were very much part of the daily lives of the Egyptian people in ancient times. Records show that it was used as a symbol for Egyptian royalty. It was sought after by Pharaohs, who used it as gifts for their gods. Honey was also found to be used when the ancient Egyptians died. It was one of the materials used in their embalming. Honey has been found in pots next to Pharaohs in their tombs to be used in the after life. Many ancient civilizations have used honey in there everyday lives. It was used as a sweetener, like we would use sugar today. There have been recipes found using honey by the Greeks in which to make sweet meat dishes. It was also used in the making of alcoholic drinks called Mead. It was used as an ingredient, mixed with different cheeses to make cheesecakes. The ancient Greek and Romans also used honey as a healing medicine, as did many our ancient cultures. It has been found to have been used in the making of cement and used in furniture polishes and varnishes. There are many references to honey in the Bible. It has been mentioned as a food, a medicine, an ingredient for drinks, a gift to be given away and a valuable possession. Of course, not to mention the Israelites were said to be traveling to the "land of milk and honey" when they exited the land of Egypt. The Bible also mentions that the day Christ rose from the dead. He saw his disciples and was hungry. He asked for food and was given fish and honeycomb to eat. In ancient times honey was highly prized and was often used as a form of currency. The ancient Romans used honey as an alternative to gold to pay their taxes. The ancient Egyptians and Aztecs of Central America also prized the golden liquid. It is said that German peasants in the 11th century AD, paid their landlords with honey and beeswax. Honey has also been written about in some of our ancient classical texts, like Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to the Deontologists of Athenaeums. Two of the great philosophers of ancient times, Plato and Aristotle wrote about honey in their texts. There have been many famous poets of our past who have been inspired by honey. Today you can still see honey being used as a source of inspiration. Honey was used in the middle ages from Asia to Africa and then spread throughout Europe. Native Americans didn't know about beekeeping and honey until it was brought to the Americas by the first European colonists. Honeybees were called " the white man's flies" by native Americans Indians. Beekeeping and the use of honey quickly spread across the Americas and is still used today. Honey it seems, was one of the most naturally used foods of many ancient civilizations. It was revered by the ancient Egyptians to Greek and Romans. Europeans and many native Americans in the Americas also used it in their daily lives. Honey and it's history has been part of our lives and cultures for centuries. It will most likely be a part of it for many centuries to come. To find out more on the history of honey visit this site is has more information on the history of honey http://www.greekproducts.com/greekproducts/honey/history.html it is informative and interesting. Content and photos may not be copied or used without express written permission. Copyright 2011-2012 |