What Fish Did Jesus Eat According to the Bible?

Learn about what the Bible says about Jesus and the fish he may have eaten, why he ate them, and what they likely were.

By Petal Mashraki

Edited by Joel Taylor

Published December 9, 2021.

There are several places in the New Testament where fish are mentioned, but only one passage explicitly states that they were eaten by Jesus. But do we know which fish he ate exactly?
Jesus was Jewish, and so the foods he ate would have met Jewish dietary restrictions. In short, this means that he would only have eaten fish with fins and scales. 
What Does the Bible Say About Jesus Eating Fish?The Bible verse that mentions Jesus eating fish is Luke 24:42. After his resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples and asked if they had anything to eat, and the passage reads:
So they gave him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb. And he took it and ate it in their presence.
Why Did Jesus Eat Fish and Honey?Jesus ate the fish to show the disciples that he was not a ghost. He then bit into a piece of honeycomb to show his teeth marks, to confirm he was not an illusion. The honeycomb is not mentioned in all translations of the Bible.
Did Jesus Eat Fish During Lent?Today, Christians traditionally abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, but this usually applies to meat from hot-blooded animals and not fish, which are cold-blooded. So theoretically, yes, Jesus could have eaten fish during Lent.
However, Lent only became a Christian tradition in about the 4th century, long after Jesus was crucified.
What Fish Did Jesus Likely Eat?Based on tilapia and carp bones found at Sea of Galilee excavation sites, archaeologists believe that tilapia and carp would have populated the Sea of Galilee during Jesus' lifetime. So it is likely that the fish eaten by Jesus was tilapia from the Sea of Galilee. Tilapia (St. Peter's fish) and carp still populate the region and are often eaten throughout the Israeli Holy Land.