A Sidebar on John the Baptist aka Locust Eater

OK, even though he is not part of our focal passage for the week, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to chat about one of my favorite characters of the Bible: John the Baptist.  I think it's the little boy in me that is just amazed that someone would eat Locusts!

 If you're intrigued like I am read on.  If you're feeling mildly ill, skip this post and check back tomorrow!  What follows is an excerpt of a paper I authored a while back for a class.  That may explain a bit of the formal tone. :)

 JOHN AS THE LOCUST EATER

James Kelhoffer writes an interesting article concerning the fact that John the Baptist is portrayed as surviving on a diet of locusts and wild honey. Kelhoffer points out that “John’s diet has been completely overlooked in many fine monographs.” Why is it that two of the Gospel writers chose to specifically point out this man’s diet?

Kelhoffer lists out several possibilities for the reasons for the mentioning of the unique diet of John the Baptist. A diet consisting of locusts is by no means solely unique to that of John the Baptist. Kelhoffer refers to “certain ancient testimonies to locust-eaters in Herodotus, Pliny, Strabo and Jerome. … A significant insight concerns the popularity of locusts among the Babylonians (Assyrians?), who ‘evidently priced them as a prized delicacy.” In fact locusts are even eaten today in certain areas of the Middle East and parts of Africa. Part of the Dead Sea Scrolls actually gives instructions on the proper eating of locusts (referred to in Kelhoffer 109 as Damascus Document [CD-A] 12.12-15)

 Scobie points out that the locust is specifically listed in Leviticus 11:22 as being a clean animal suitable for consumption.

 22 ‘These of them you may eat: the locust in its kinds, and the devastating locust in its kinds, and the cricket in its kinds, and the grasshopper in its kinds.

 Kelhoffer summarizes Scobie’s explanation for the possibilities as to why John the Baptist chose to have a diet consisting of locusts and wild honey.

1. Due to John being in the wilderness, he may have been forced to subsist on what food was readily available.
2. At different times in scholarly articles John the Baptist is sometimes labeled as a Nazarite. The actions of the Nazarite are given to Moses in Numbers 6:1-21.
3. The possibility of an Essene influence. This may be strengthened by way of the Damascus Document mentioned previously.
4. Perhaps John chose of his own free will to limit his diet to locusts and wild honey.

It is also possible that the Gospel writers included John’s dietary information in order to highlight the fact that John preached in the wilderness.

 First and foremost Kelhoffer states that the predominant reason for why scholars believe that John is presented in this manner is to “highlight John as prophet, wilderness dweller, ascetic or vegetarian.” Although, labeling John as a vegetarian does not match up with him eating locusts.

 As we study the Scriptures concerning John the Baptist we realize that everything that John did pointed to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though John’s message was a bold one, pronounced in power, John never put himself any higher than he ought.
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References

Kelhoffer, James A. "'Locusts and wild honey' (Mk 1.6c and Mt 3.4c): the status quaestionis concerning the diet of John the Baptist." Currents in Biblical Research, 2, no. 1 (October 2003): 104-127.

Scobie, Charles H H. 1964. John the Baptist Philadelphia: Fortress Pr, 1964.

Image from: http://www.no-pest.com/Locust.htm