Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-05-12
M;seellaneous Reaains.
NEBUcHApNEzzAR's GRASS DIET
Science Now Explains that Old King
Made His Meals OFF Alfalfa.

Made His Meals OF Alfalfa.
Students of the Bible have frequent
ly been puzzled by the statement that
Nebuchadnezzar, king Of Babylon, did
eat grass as the oxen," and lived in
that manner for seven years.
DR.. ]. B. S. King, Of Chicago. author
of the standard work, "The Chemistry
of Food" has put forward the inter-
esting suggestion that the reason why
Nebudchadnezzar was able to live so
long in this way was that he ate al
falfa, the wonderful food plant which
has done so much for vast regions OF
the west. There Is evidence to show
that alfalfa grew in the vicinity Of an
Client Babylon, and that it's raw leaves
will feed men.
The story of NebudchadneZZar is
told in the Book of Daniel. The great
king, at the height of his power, had
strange dream, and called upon DAN
lei to interpret it. The prophet said
that the dream meant that:
"They shall drive thee from men,
and thy dwelling shall be with the
beasts Of the field; they shall make
thee to eat grass like oxen, and seven
times shall pass over thee, until thou
know that the Most High ruleth in the
kingdom of men, and giveth it to
whomsoever he will.
"The same hour was the thing full
filled upon NebudchadnezZar; and he
was driven from men, and did eat
grass as the oxen, and his body was
wet with the dew Of heaven, till his
hairs were grown like eagles feathers
and his nails like birds claws"
The seven times" Is understood to
mean seven years." The Bible mar
rative tells us that at the end of that
period Nebudchadnezzar returned to
his home strengthened in mind and
body, free from arrogant and tyranni-
cal tendencies and greatly improved in
character.
Flow are we to explain this occur
renee? We know that a man cannot
live for seven years, or for n"~-. days,
on what is ordinarily called grass. Ev-
cry occurrence may, Of course, be eX-
planned on the ground that it was a
would be more reasonable to seek for
a natural explanation. This would be
provided IL We find that alfalfa grew
around Babylon.
The territory adjacent to the city Of
Babylon was q highly cultivated allu
vial district irrigated by a splendid
system Of canals and laterals, mainly
planned and constructed under the
personal direction Of King Nebuchad-
nezzar. The plain lying on the west
ern bank Of the Euphrates was COM
monty called "Edin," and is supposed
by many to have been the Eden" Of
Genesis. 1t was upon this fruitful plain
that the Bedouin subjects of Nebu
chadnezzar captured in war, pastured
the f1ocks and herds of their Baby
lonian masters.
Here was enacted the drama played
by the insane king, one Of the greatest
and most impressive figures in ancient
history. He had proved himself to be
an exception to the rule that strong
men in positions Of power must be
ruthless also. Invincible in war, un-
defeated throughout his forty odd
years as a ruler Of a war-like nation
he was yet a peace-loving monarch
and devoted to the work Of beautifying
his capital city, improving the agricul-
tifying both against invasion by neigh
boring rulers.
Twice he marched on and captured
Jerusalem. The second time. 5SS B. c.,
he sacked the city, tore down Solo
mons temple and led the inhabitants
away to the last Babylonian captivity.
This act was inspired by knowledge Of
the fact that the Jews had betrayed
him to the invading Egyptians, whom
he overthrow.
But neither Nebuchadnezzars great
ness as a military genius nor his wis
dom as a civil governor would have
kept him alive during his period of in
sanity IL he had not found food that
urally arises, therefore, could he have
eaten grass like oxen and still live?
In the light Of modern science the
answer 20 this question is Yes" Here
is the explanation:
In the year 490 B. c., less than 100
years after the Babylonian king is
said to have lived and fed with the
beasts in the field, the Arabs brought
into Greece from Persia the seeds Of
plant with which they long had been
familiar-"alfalfa." At that time Baby
lonia lad become part Of the Persian
empire through conquest by Cyrus af-
ter the death Of Nebudchadnezzar.
The Bedouins who fed the Babyloni-
an flocks on the plain of Edin were
nomadic, PASTORAL Arabs who had
flocks and herds Of their own: bred 4
strain Of horses that has been famous
for three thousand years; roamed
from place to place when they were
not serving in enforced captivity;
fought when they could find any one
to fight with: practical predatory rob-
berry and violence and stole everything
they could get their hands on. Yet
they honored with religious fidelity
code of ethics with respect to their
pledged word that modern peoples
might copy to their everlasting credit
They were popularity supposed to be
descendants Of Ishmael, son of Hagar
and their proper home was in the
northern part of the Arabian peninsu-
Ia. Southern Arabs were an agricul-
tural, commercial and industrial peo-
pie. living in cities and villages.
These so-called Bedouins had known
and used alfalfa for centuries before
they introduced it into Europe. and
they had given to it the name it now
bears in this country. the meaning OF
which is, literally the best fodder
This fact being established, it is pei
mitted to assume that alfalfa grew
abundantly on the irrigated plains OF
Babylon, just as it now grows luXuri-
antly in the irrigated valleys Of CEN
tral California in Texas and other