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DidJohntheBaptistBugs?

NO!

JohnTheBaptistsurvivedontheediblefruitofthelocusttreeyearround.

MATTHEW,Chapter3,Verse4, KJVJohnTheBaptistdidNOTsurvivebyeatingadultlocusts,theflyinggrasshopperlikeinsect.

Whiletheconsumptionofinsectlocustswasnotcompletelyunheardof,itwasmostuncommonandhighlyunusual,relegatedtolastditchoptionsinstarksurvivalsituations.Hecertainlycouldhaveeatenthosebugsintheirshortseason,occasionally,wheneverlocustlarvawouldpupate,matureintoadults,andthenemergeabovegroundenmasse,eat,sometimesswarm,mate(afterwhichthemalesdie),andlayneweggcasesintheground,afterwhichthefemalesalsodie.

ItisquitepossiblethateventssurroundingthereferencesinMatthewandMarkcoincidedwithatime(ashortseason)whengrasshopperlikelocustswereavailabletoJohninabundance.Yieldinghimabonanzaofhighproteinsustenance,formanyadultandlarvalinsectsareawonderfulsourceof"survivalchow".And,thereisalwaystheveryrealisticpossibilityofGod'sProvidenceintheprovisionofsustenance,andthepossibilitythatJohnTheBaptistwasnotoutinthewilderness,livingonlocustsandwildhoney,foralongperiodoftimebutjustforashortseason.

While,intheIsraelregion,therearealwayssomelocustsavailable,itisduringandshortlyaftertherainy

"....andhisfoodwaslocustsandwildhoney."

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seasonswhentheyareseeninanyabundance.Throughouttheyear,anyavailablelocustsarewellscatteredamongthefewlush,green,wellwateredareaswhereeithernaturaloragriculturalvegetationpredominates.Themajorityofthelandsinthatregionaredry,rocky,barrenandvoidofvegetationandlocustsdonothangoutinthesandydeserts.Undernormalclimaticconditions,locustsaresolitarycreatures.Butoccasionally,intimesofscarcevegetation,whethercausedbytoomanylocustsbyalackofrainorbyacombinationofthetwo,locustsbecomeagitated,beginflyingabout,thentheybegintouncustomarilycongregateinlargemasses.Thereleaseofchemicalprecursors,pheromones,inducesamassivecoordinatedhatchofadditionallocusts,whichfurtheragitatestheevergrowingmobofinsects.Andtheybegintoswarm,joiningtogetherwithanyothermobs,inducingeachtoalsoswarm.Andalthoughlocustscanbeagriculturallyproblematicwhenevertheirnumbersaregreat,theytrulybecomea"Plague"whentheyswarmandproduceruinthroughoutentireregions.Aplagueoflocustswillcausefamineaftertheyhaveravagedflourishingcrops,otherplantsandtreesthroughoutaregion.

Locustswarmsarenotevenadependableannualevent,andifJohnTheBaptistweresoobservantorsoluckyastodiscoveranareawherefemalelocustswere,enmasse,layingtheireggcasesintheground,hecouldharvestthespent,dying,adultfemalelocusts.Buthewouldhavetowaitmanymonthstodigupandharvestanylocustlarvaorpupaeuntilaftertheyhadprogressedfromembryosintoanediblestageofdevelopment.And,thatassumesheobservedanareawhereeggcaseswerebeinglaidandknewwheretolaterdig,expendingmuchenergytocoverafewacres.

Insteadoffeastingoninsects,itismuchmorelikelyJohnTheBaptistsurvivedona"beanfeast"oflocustpodssincehewasoutinthewildernessforagreatlengthoftime.

SOMEREFERENCES

CAROB

Leguminousevergreentree(Ceratoniasiliqua)nativetotheEMediterraneanregionandcultivatedelsewhere.Itissometimesknownaslocust,orSt.John'sbread,inthebeliefthatthe"locusts"onwhichJohntheBaptistfedwerecarobpods.Thetree,about50ft(15m)tall,bearscompound,glossyleaveswiththickleaflets.Itsredflowersarefollowedbyflat,leatherypodsthatcontain515hardbrownseedsembeddedinasweet,ediblepulpthattastessimilartochocolate.Source:TheColumbiaEncyclopedia,SixthEdition.Copyright2002,ColumbiaUniversityPress.

LOCUST

1.AnyofnumerousgrasshoppersofthefamilyAcrididae,oftenmigratinginimmenseswarmsthatdevourvegetationandcrops.2.Theseventeenyearlocust.3.AnyofseveralNorthAmericandeciduoustreesofthegenusRobinia,especiallyR.pseudoacacia,havingcompoundleaves,droopingclustersoffragrantwhiteflowers,anddurablehardwood.3a.Anyofseveralsimilarorrelatedtreesbearingediblefruit,suchasthehoneylocustorthecarob,oftheE.Med.area.4.Theediblefruitorthewoodofoneofthesetrees.[MiddleEnglish,fromOldFrenchlocuste,fromLatinlocusta.Sense3a,probablyfromtheresemblanceofitsfruittoalocust.]:

Source:TheAmericanHeritageDictionaryoftheEnglishLanguage,FourthEditionCopyright2000,byHoughtonMifflinCompany.PublishedbyHoughtonMifflinCompany.Allrightsreserved.

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