Definition of "manna"

And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Exodus 16:14-15

In the juriſdiction of Huquang there are ſeveral places where they gather up great store of Manna, which the Natives take for a Frozen Dew.

1669, John Nievhoff, translated by John Ogilby, An Embassy from the Eaſt-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham Emperour of China‎, London: John Macock, page 242

Fair ladies, you drop manna in the way / Of starved people.

c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act V, scene i]

The introduction of technical progress in this model can be made in a very simple manner if we assume that it is of the ‘disembodied’ type, that is, something like manna that falls from heaven on all capital goods, old and new. [emphasis in original]

2010, Giancarlo Gandolfo, Economic Dynamics, 4th edition, Springer, page 197f

The icing on the cake was made from manna, which was gathered under the manna gums. Manna mixed with milk made a splendid icing.

1966, Bill Beatty, Tales of Old Australia, National Distributors, page 14, discussing old Australian foods