The Exodus - Food & Water Requirements
I was cleaning out some papers and came across the following calculations I had some some time ago. I'm throwing the papers away but putting the information here in case, for some reason, I want it in the future.
Numbers 1:44 (NIV) These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. [45] All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. [46] The total number was 603,550.
I think it would be conservative to estimated that there were at least 1.2 million Israelites (men, women & children) traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land.
(The total population of Boone, Cole, Osage, Moniteau, Miller & Callaway counties is 352,000.)
The following is data on meat consumption during different time periods: 1851-2# of meat per day per family, 1900-slaves consumed 150# of meat per year & 1909-the poorest American individual consumed 136#/yr while the wealthiest consumed 200#/yr.
600,000 "families", consuming 300# of meat per year (1#/day for each adult and would eat 180 million pounds of meat in a year, 493,000# per day.
Sheep at 130#, 50% waste, 65# meat/sheep
Goats at 100#, 50% waste, 50# meat/goat
Cow at 800#, 40% waste, 500# meat/cow
Assume they ate a mixture of 40% sheep, 40% goats & 10% beef.
2,100 sheep + 2,100 goats + 485 cows = 484,000# meat per day
Water would also have been a problem.
Exodus 17:3 (NIV) But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Just to stay alive humans need to drink an average of a gallon of water a day. The World Health Organization says a lactating female who is engaged in moderate physical activity in a warm climate needs 2 gallons per day. This does not include an allowance for bathing/sanitation.
Considering only 1 gallon per day for 1.2 million people requires 1.2 million gallons. This does not include drinking water for children nor for livestock. A 42' tank truck has a 5,000 gallon capacity. 1.2 million gallons would require 240 trucks per day.
Numbers 1:44 (NIV) These were the men counted by Moses and Aaron and the twelve leaders of Israel, each one representing his family. [45] All the Israelites twenty years old or more who were able to serve in Israel's army were counted according to their families. [46] The total number was 603,550.
I think it would be conservative to estimated that there were at least 1.2 million Israelites (men, women & children) traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land.
(The total population of Boone, Cole, Osage, Moniteau, Miller & Callaway counties is 352,000.)
The following is data on meat consumption during different time periods: 1851-2# of meat per day per family, 1900-slaves consumed 150# of meat per year & 1909-the poorest American individual consumed 136#/yr while the wealthiest consumed 200#/yr.
600,000 "families", consuming 300# of meat per year (1#/day for each adult and would eat 180 million pounds of meat in a year, 493,000# per day.
Sheep at 130#, 50% waste, 65# meat/sheep
Goats at 100#, 50% waste, 50# meat/goat
Cow at 800#, 40% waste, 500# meat/cow
Assume they ate a mixture of 40% sheep, 40% goats & 10% beef.
2,100 sheep + 2,100 goats + 485 cows = 484,000# meat per day
Water would also have been a problem.
Exodus 17:3 (NIV) But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
Just to stay alive humans need to drink an average of a gallon of water a day. The World Health Organization says a lactating female who is engaged in moderate physical activity in a warm climate needs 2 gallons per day. This does not include an allowance for bathing/sanitation.
Considering only 1 gallon per day for 1.2 million people requires 1.2 million gallons. This does not include drinking water for children nor for livestock. A 42' tank truck has a 5,000 gallon capacity. 1.2 million gallons would require 240 trucks per day.
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