Why do Jews and Muslims avoid pork? 0 11

The pig, as an unclean animal, is mentioned in the Torah, dated to the 9th century BCE. The aversion to pigs among Jews was so strong that instead of the word "pig," they often used the expression "davar acher," which translates to "another thing," meaning something that is better left unnamed.

The negative attitude of Jews and Muslims towards pigs is explained by the uncleanliness of these animals, which can consume their own feces, as well as the fact that in hot climates, toxins quickly accumulate in their meat. Nevertheless, Jewish scholars emphasize that one should not seek rational reasons, as the motivation of the Lord remains hidden from man.

Ethnographers believe that the reason lies in the characteristics of primitive beliefs, from which many taboos were transferred to later religions. In totemism, one of the early religious systems, it was forbidden to utter the names and touch those animals that were considered deities of the tribe.

It is likely that among Semitic peoples, the boar was once such a deity. The cult of animal worship was displaced by the cults of anthropomorphic gods; however, ritual taboos continued to operate "inertia-wise." For example, our ancestors could not call the bear by its real name — ber, so the name "med-ved" became established, meaning "one who knows honey." By the way, among the Slavs, there was also a prohibition on the consumption of bear meat.