RITUALLY CLEAN AND UNCLEAN ANIMALS
| Classes of Animals | Ritually Clean Animals and Scripture Reference | Ritually Unclean Animals and Scripture Reference |
| Mammals |
Two classes: 1. Animals with divided or cloven-footed 2. Animals that chew the cud. These animals included cattle, sheep, goats, red deer, gazelle, roe deer, ibex (wild goat), addax and oryx (antelope), and mountain sheep (Leviticus 11:1-3; Deuteronomy 14:6-8). * |
All carnivores and all those not mentioned in the "clean" categories, including animals that only chew the cud or only have cloven hoofs. These animals included camels, hares, rock badgers, and pigs which do have hooves and are cloven-footed, but do not chew the cud and are therefore unclean; the covenant people cannot eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies (Leviticus 11:4-8, 26-28; Dt 14:3-8). |
| Animals that fly | All birds not listed as forbidden (Leviticus 11:13-19 and Deuteronomy 14:11-20). | All birds of prey and scavengers: eagles, vultures, griffon, osprey, buzzards, kites, ravens, ostriches, nighthawks, seagulls, hawks, horned owl, night owl, cormorants, great owls, ibis, pelicans, desert owls, storks, herons, hoopoes, and bats (Leviticus 11:13-19; Deuteronomy 14:11-20). |
| Reptiles | None | All reptiles are unclean |
| Water animals |
Two classes: 1. Those with fins 2. Those with scales (Leviticus 11:9; Deuteronomy 14:9). |
Water animals that do not have fins or scales, including all shellfish, lobsters, crabs, and muscles (Leviticus 11:10-12; Deuteronomy 14:10). |
| Insects | All those that hop and walk with jointed legs: locusts, grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets (Leviticus 11:20-22). | All other insects, including winged quadrupeds (Leviticus 11:20, 24-25; Deuteronomy 14:20, 23). |
| Dead animals | All animals that were discovered dead or died of natural causes or were killed by other animals were unclean and must not be eaten by members of the covenant community (Lev 11:24-29, 39-40; Deuteronomy 14:21). |
* The five kinds of ritually clean animals offered in sacrifice were cattle, sheep, goats, turtledoves, and pigeons.
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