The
Noahide Laws are seven
laws from the covenant made between God and
Noah after the 40 days and 40 nights of rain which flooded the whole world killing everyone except Noah and his family and the creatures of the
ark.
They are never enumerated as such in the Bible, but the covenant that God made with Noah (Genesis 9) contains these admonitions:
- Also, flesh with its soul, its blood, in it do not eat. (4)
- I will also inquire about your blood, your soul, from all animals, and from each human I will inquire about his brother's blood.
- Who sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed, because in the image of God was man made.
- So I judge that we should not overcrowd those Gentiles who are turning to God by requiring anything more than abstaining from pollutions of idols and fornication and strangled and blood. For Moses has preachers reading him in the synagogues in each city every Sabbath since ancient generations. (Acts 15:19-21)
- It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that we should not lay any more burden on you than these necessary things: Stay away from idol sacrifices and blood and strangled and fornication. If you keep that, you're doing well. (28,29)
("Strangled" refers to meat that was not killed in such a way that the blood drains. See
kashrut.)