In biblical times, the concept of imprisonment and the treatment of prisoners were markedly different from modern practices. Prisons were often used as holding places for individuals awaiting trial or punishment, rather than long-term correctional facilities. The Bible provides several instances where individuals were confined and subjected to harsh conditions, including being fed on bread and water.

One notable example is found in the account of the prophet Micaiah. During the reign of King Ahab of Israel, Micaiah was imprisoned for prophesying against the king. Ahab ordered that Micaiah be fed "only bread and water until I return safely" (1 Kings 22:27). This austere diet was intended as a form of punishment and deprivation, reflecting the king's disdain for the prophet's message.

Similarly, the prophet Jeremiah experienced harsh treatment during his imprisonment. Under the reign of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah was cast into a cistern where he sank into the mud, and later he was confined in the courtyard of the guard. Although the text does not explicitly mention bread and water, Jeremiah's imprisonment was marked by severe conditions and limited sustenance (Jeremiah 38:6-13).

The use of bread and water as sustenance for prisoners symbolizes a minimal provision for survival, emphasizing the punitive nature of their confinement. This practice reflects the broader biblical theme of suffering and endurance under persecution, as seen in the lives of the prophets and other faithful individuals who faced opposition for their commitment to God's truth.

In the New Testament, while there is no direct mention of prisoners being fed only bread and water, the theme of suffering for righteousness continues. The apostles, including Paul and Silas, were imprisoned for their faith and often endured harsh conditions. Their experiences highlight the early Christian understanding of persecution as a means of sharing in Christ's sufferings and a testament to their unwavering faith (Acts 16:23-25).

Throughout Scripture, the treatment of prisoners serves as a reflection of the moral and spiritual state of a society. The harsh conditions faced by those confined, including the provision of only bread and water, underscore the trials endured by God's servants and the ultimate hope of divine justice and deliverance.1 Kings 22:27
And say, Thus said the king, Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction, until I come in peace.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

How a Man's Conduct Comes Home to Him
... you think that so long as backsliding is confined to the ... What dungeons, what grim
and dark prisons under ground ... the Bible if it calls such persons good, though ...
/.../spurgeon/sermons on proverbs/how a mans conduct comes.htm

Period iv. The Age of the Consolidation of the Church: 200 to 324 ...
... to the islands, or shut up in the prisons for nothing ... and parts adjacent, had ceased
to be confined chiefly to ... not only rich men, but also some persons of rank ...
/.../ayer/a source book for ancient church history/period iv the age of.htm

Justinian.
... He ate no bread; drank only water; for his ... He restored Trajan's aqueduct, which fed
the mills on the ... Chalcedon, the Pope had condemned the persons of Theodoret ...
/.../allies/the formation of christendom volume vi/chapter iv justinian.htm

Introduction to Oration ii.
... in worth, that which is confined to the ... be preserved, and the Trinity of Persons
confessed, each ... pass over the persecutions, councils, prisons, bonds, accusers ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/introduction to oration ii.htm

Conclusion --Repent Ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand.
... to dig the conduit by which the water was to be ... left off smoking cigarettes, while
several officious persons hastened on ... those who are in want of bread have to ...
/.../the kingdom of god is within you/chapter xii conclusionrepent ye for.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... When I went out to seek the bread of life ... the better observance of the Lord's-day;
all persons were prohibited ... let it come into his bowels like water, and like ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm

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