What did John the Baptist Eat?

The Man in the Wilderness

In Matthew (the first Gospel), we’re introduced to John the Baptist who paves the way for a coming savior. In his description, he is distinguished from others in scripture by his surroundings (living wilderness), his attire and his choice of food. There have been many questions regarding Matthew 3:4, which mentions this “food”.

4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

2957789735_6b91660b8d_zAccording to the Bible, John the Baptist ate locusts. This seems unsettling to many people, to have a key member of the early ministry of Christ living in such a manner.

Many in the early church believed that this reference to locusts was actually meant to refer to the seeds of the carob tree, because the word used was similar in the Greek. However, most modern scholars accept that John the Baptist actually received his protein from Locusts.

The Greek word used for locust is “akris” and is used 3 other times in the New Testament, always to describe a locust.

Yes, Those Locusts

Locusts are an insect from the Acrididae family and also known as grasshoppers. Before you wonder why a famed biblical figure such as John the Baptist would live off of insects, consider this:

Many in the middle and far eastern world consider locusts to be a delicacy. The Oriental culture would often roast or season these animals, and Arabs eat the thorax which contains wing muscles.  The Israelites were also allowed in their dietary law (kashrut) to consume locusts (according to Leviticus 11:22).

50-60% of the weight of the average locust is pure protein. In fact, this actually makes them a more complete protein source than beef (by protein/weight ratio).

In fact, locusts contain:

  • Iodine
  • Phosphorus
  • Iron
  • Thiamine
  • Riboflavin
  • Niacin
  • and traces of calcium, magnesium and selenium.

Maybe John the Baptist was onto something.

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Joshua Hill

Blog & Content Director
Growing up outside of the church, Josh was saved at age 16 and was blessed to see multiple family members come to Christ and has held various positions including: Sunday School teacher, small group leader, Sunday School Director, member and chairman of multiple committees, interim youth pastor, ordained deacon and licensed minister. Most recently Josh served as the leader of a College and Career ministry teaching classes and leading service. An avid writer of his own curriculum, Josh took up blogging as a hobby. His hobby has become his newest passion in his current role with BibleSprout.
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