When animals became fetishes, there ensued the taboos on eating the flesh of the fetish animal. At one time the cow was a fetish, the milk being taboo while the excreta were highly esteemed. [1]
Cattle was hunted by Neanderthalers. [2] By 5000 B.C. the Mesopotamian, Turkestan, and Chinese farmers had begun the raising of cows. [3] The first medium of exchange was a fish or a goat. Later the cow became a unit of barter. [4] Nodites imported cattle and other domesticated animals. [5] Primitive men loved cattle more than their wives. [6]
Prince’s staff helped improve breeding. The cow was so improved by careful breeding as to become a valuable source of food; butter and cheese became common articles of human diet. [7] Cattle stealing was universally punished by summary death, and even recently horse stealing has been similarly punished. [8] It was widely used in animal sacrifices. [9]
Jesus’ home had three cows. [10] In the famous parable of Jesus the prodigal son is given the fatted calf to merry for his return. [11]