Was the First Controlled Experiment Actually in the Bible?

Posted by Alex in Religion, Science & Tech on November 21, 2007 at 11:51 am


One of the first – if not the very first – controlled experiments was actually described in the Bible. In the Book of Daniel, the prophet Daniel tested the effects of eating simply (a diet of pulse or lentils and other seeds) versus a kingly feast of meat and wine:

12Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.

13Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.

14So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

15And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.

More at Omni Brain: Link – Thanks Steve Higgins!


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15 comments to "Was the First Controlled Experiment Actually in the Bible?"

  1. Jesus
    November 21st, 2007 at 12:02 pm

    [spam]

  2. L
    November 21st, 2007 at 12:20 pm

    So... he's proving that vegetarianism is better?

    I don't think that's going to go over very well with most Neatorama readers...

  3. Advice Network
    November 21st, 2007 at 12:31 pm

    Sounds like Daniel was a veggie head hippie. The first recorded!

  4. XuYu
    November 21st, 2007 at 2:41 pm

    Sounds more like a Woman's magazine to me: "How to Feel Great in 10 Days!"

  5. A
    November 21st, 2007 at 2:42 pm

    Also the only place in the bible that God says "test me on this" is about tithing 10% and you shall be rewarded.

  6. Vonskippy
    November 21st, 2007 at 5:02 pm

    LOL - science in the bible - that IS funny.

    I guess it just goes to prove that if you get enough monkeys pounding on a typewriter, sooner or later you'll get something close to Shakespeare.

  7. Atomic
    November 21st, 2007 at 5:36 pm

    OH NOES! Mention even a brief, innocuous passage from the Bible and the atheists go batty. Get a grip folks! Even if you don't believe in the Bible as God's Word, it's a good read for its historical relevance.

    Oh, VonSkippy.. just for you.

    "...it is unfair to turn round and blame the Bible because of all these legends and jokes and journalistic allusions, which are read into the Bible by people who have not read the Bible."
    --G. K. Chesterton

  8. Justin
    November 21st, 2007 at 5:37 pm

    I love how if the word bible is mentioned people go crazy. If the bible said people should be happy you guys would go AHH HOW CRAPPY IS THAT!?

    I'm not even religious, but it just is kind of lame how you guys can be worse than the flat Earthers! :P

  9. John
    November 21st, 2007 at 5:58 pm

    Arguably, Judges 6:36-39 features an earlier experiment.

  10. vorxaw
    November 21st, 2007 at 8:28 pm

    Good one!

    Unfortunately, this claim of "first" stands on the presumption that the bible is primordial.

    ...but of course this is a joke, so I'll let it be:)

  11. ted
    November 21st, 2007 at 10:18 pm

    This is like waving a red flag in front of a bull for the bible-bashers.

    But I agree, it is presumptuous to call it the "first" just because it's in the Bible.

    Actually, the first controlled experiment was with Adam and Eve and the apple.

  12. Jess
    November 22nd, 2007 at 1:20 am

    Warning: I'm going to read into this a little too much:

    It's not really a controlled experiment because there there was no control group.
    Experiments like this one (two group pre-test/post/test designs) are occasionally performed today, but are minimally valid because of their lack of a control group.
    It appears as though there was no random allocation too. So any outcomes could easily be due to other variables.

  13. jonn
    November 22nd, 2007 at 2:05 pm

    Well, since the Bible was written by a conglomerate of writers, most of whom were never actually involved directly in anything they write about, I think it's safe to say anything in the Bible is about as truthful as the Hobbit.

    FICTION.

  14. ThornQ
    November 25th, 2007 at 1:49 am

    Oh no! Even suggest that you don't believe the Bible is 200% literal and scientifically accurate and the Jesus freaks go batty!

  15. DCer
    November 25th, 2007 at 5:31 pm

    OH NOES! Mention even a brief, innocuous passage from the Bible and the atheists go batty. Get a grip folks!
    ---------

    uhhh... no one above you went "batty." you made that all up in your head.


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