Sphagnum also been used to preserve food. Up to 2000-year-old containers of butter or lard have been found. "Sphagnum" moss has also been used for centuries as a dressing for wounds, including through World War I. Since it is absorptive and extremely acidic, it inhibits growth of bacteria and fungi, so it is used for shipping seeds and live plants. Peat moss is used to dispose of the clarified liquid output (effluent) from septic tanks in areas that lack the proper conditions for ordinary disposal means. It is also used as an environmentally friendly alternative to chlorine in swimming pool sanitation.
What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? MacDonald argues that the diet of the Israelites was very high in bread and grains and often contained little meat or vegetables, leading many to become deficient in vitamins and minerals. He also notes that they endured frequent famines. He criticizes the Bible Diet and maintains that the bible is best used to provide religious and moral, rather than nutritional, instruction. He argues that while people who attempt to determine an ideal diet based on the bible may offer sound nutritional advice, they frequently use flawed hermeneutics to arrive at their conclusions. What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? What Did