I’m still puzzled why you think I think it would have another meaning. But it does seem to mean sustenance in general in a few places:
“And [there was] no bread in all the land;” (Gen 47:13) But the Jews had plenty of meat and potatoes, right?
“Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; “ (Ex. 16:4) Manna didn’t exactly come down in loaves, you know...
“Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these;” (lev 22:25) But go ahead and feed him meat and potatoes, right?
“Give us this day our daily bread.” (Mat 6:11)
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. “
“But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast [it] to dogs.”
“And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone,” (Luk 4:4) No, of course not! Meat and potatoes, too!
“Bread” seems to be used in general to mean “basic sustenance.”
What??? were these Irish Jews???The bread was their primary food made from the grains of the land. So if they had no crops they had no grain and no grain then no bread.
“Bread” seems to be used in general to mean “basic sustenance.”
Are you just trying to be cute or evasive? The Greek word "artos" does not mean "basic sustenance". It means specifically "bread" or "a loaf of bread". It is translated as such everywhere in the NT.
He gave to the 5000 loaves of bread [artos]. He took the bread [artos] in His hands at the Last Supper. And even after the blessing and the consecration at Communion years later, Paul acknowledges that the Corinthians are eating bread [artos]:
"For as often as you eat this bread [artos] and drink this cup, ye do proclaim the Lord's death until He comes." [I Corinthians 11:26]
So whatever the 5000 ate was what Jesus took in His hands and broke and what the Corinthians and everyone else was eating in their communion feasts -- BREAD [ARTOS] -- not meat and potatoes.