John the Baptist Ate Them…Steve Ate One too!

[Michie]

I was just on the radio and mentioned how I ate a grasshopper in the Holy Land, in honor of John the Baptist. Since we just returned from Israel I thought I would repost this blog entry in honor of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus on January 9 and my appearance on Relevant Radio to discuss this Feast Day. And to celebrate … STEVE RAY LIVING THE BIBLE IN THE HOLY LAND!


While on Pilgrimage in Israel we stopped at Qumran a while back, near the Dead Sea and the place where John the Baptist baptized. John the Baptist ate grasshoppers here (Matthew 3:4).

I mentioned to my pilgrims that if anyone found a grasshopper — I would eat it like John the Baptist did in the desert. Grasshoppers, locusts and crickets were considered “clean foods” for the Israelites (Lev. 11:22).

Did Jesus eat them? Why not? It was clean food for the Jews specifically mentioned in the Bible. Leviticus 11:22 says they are “clean” and can be eaten.

Continued below.
John the Baptist Ate Them...Steve Ate One too! – Defenders of the Catholic Faith

 

[jesuslover811]

I believe only certain types of locus and grasshopper were allowed.

 

[Michael V. Pardo]

I believe only certain types of locus and grasshopper were allowed.

20 ‘All flying insects that creep on all fours shall be an abomination to you. 21 Yet these you may eat of every flying insect that creeps on all fours: those which have jointed legs above their feet with which to leap on the earth. 22 These you may eat: the locust after its kind, the destroying locust after its kind, the cricket after its kind, and the grasshopper after its kind. 23 But all other flying insects which have four feet shall be an abomination to you. Leviticus 11:20-23

 

[Blaise N]

I was just on the radio and mentioned how I ate a grasshopper in the Holy Land, in honor of John the Baptist. Since we just returned from Israel I thought I would repost this blog entry in honor of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus on January 9 and my appearance on Relevant Radio to discuss this Feast Day. And to celebrate … STEVE RAY LIVING THE BIBLE IN THE HOLY LAND!


While on Pilgrimage in Israel we stopped at Qumran a while back, near the Dead Sea and the place where John the Baptist baptized. John the Baptist ate grasshoppers here (Matthew 3:4).

I mentioned to my pilgrims that if anyone found a grasshopper — I would eat it like John the Baptist did in the desert. Grasshoppers, locusts and crickets were considered “clean foods” for the Israelites (Lev. 11:22).

Did Jesus eat them? Why not? It was clean food for the Jews specifically mentioned in the Bible. Leviticus 11:22 says they are “clean” and can be eaten.

Continued below.
John the Baptist Ate Them...Steve Ate One too! – Defenders of the Catholic Faith

Heck,id eat John the Baptists diet!,honey and locusts seems quite modest and reasonable!

 

[Michael V. Pardo]

Some people eat cockroaches and they certainly aren't kosher, but insects don't appeal to my gustatory desires in general. However, faced with starvation I would be inclined to eat grasshoppers before most. Insects that consume plants are herbivores, known as "primary consumers" in the "food chain". They can supply the body with as much raw energy as a good beef steak (I just prefer the steak.)

 

[chevyontheriver]

I was just on the radio and mentioned how I ate a grasshopper in the Holy Land, in honor of John the Baptist. Since we just returned from Israel I thought I would repost this blog entry in honor of John the Baptist baptizing Jesus on January 9 and my appearance on Relevant Radio to discuss this Feast Day. And to celebrate … STEVE RAY LIVING THE BIBLE IN THE HOLY LAND!


While on Pilgrimage in Israel we stopped at Qumran a while back, near the Dead Sea and the place where John the Baptist baptized. John the Baptist ate grasshoppers here (Matthew 3:4).

I mentioned to my pilgrims that if anyone found a grasshopper — I would eat it like John the Baptist did in the desert. Grasshoppers, locusts and crickets were considered “clean foods” for the Israelites (Lev. 11:22).

Did Jesus eat them? Why not? It was clean food for the Jews specifically mentioned in the Bible. Leviticus 11:22 says they are “clean” and can be eaten.

Continued below.
John the Baptist Ate Them...Steve Ate One too! – Defenders of the Catholic Faith

Kosher and Halal and no way short of absolute starvation I'm eating one.

 

[Trusting in Him]

When you are taught about survival techniques, eating certain insects is part of survival training. A source of fat in your diet is very necessary for your survival and grasshoppers contain a quite a lot of fat. Non predatory insects do not contain bad things like toxins,because they do not eat other lving creatures of any sort. Loading up your body with toxins where you are a difficult survival situatation is not a good idea.

 

[prodromos]

I remember the monks on Mt Athos having a chuckle on hearing that other Christians believe John the Baptist ate locusts.
The word translated as "locusts" is "ακρίδες", which is not incorrect per say, however the word has another meaning of "shoots", the soft edible tips of plants, which is what the Orthodox understand St John to have been eating, similar to the pottage eaten by the sons of the prophets in the Old Testament.

 

[Michael V. Pardo]

I remember the monks on Mt Athos having a chuckle on hearing that other Christians believe John the Baptist ate locusts.
The word translated as "locusts" is "ακρίδες", which is not incorrect per say, however the word has another meaning of "shoots", the soft edible tips of plants, which is what the Orthodox understand St John to have been eating, similar to the pottage eaten by the sons of the prophets in the Old Testament.

The orthodox may be correct, but locusts are definitely kosher and safer to consume than "shoots" as many are toxic. This presupposes that John was taught the difference between edible and inedible, or was divinely guided to the edible sort. It's possible, but herbivorous insects are selective in what they consume. Very few eat plants with toxic or psychotropic substances, and their energetic value as a food source is quite high.

 

[Trusting in Him]

The calorific value of eating edible insects is quite high and maintaining an adequate level of calories in difficult survival situations is quite important. In many parts of africa there are days when the flying ants take to the air and are eaten by the local human population.

africans eating flying ants at DuckDuckGo

 

[Bob Crowley]

Witchetty Grubs were a staple of aboriginals in Australia. I'm not even sure if I've seen one, preferring meat under a plastic cover in a shopping centre.

Witchetty grub - Wikipedia

 

[Michie]

Witchetty Grubs were a staple of aboriginals in Australia. I'm not even sure if I've seen one, preferring meat under a plastic cover in a shopping centre.

Witchetty grub - Wikipedia

I think I saw that on a documentary once. They put them on sticks and put them over an open fire for a bit?

 

[Bob Crowley]

Most likely - I haven't tried them myself. I'm also not very good at starting fires if I haven't got a match or magnifying glass.

 

[Wolseley]

I have eaten a lot of things in my life, but I would starve to death before eating a bug.

Especially grasshoppers....they give me the freakin' creeps. I think maybe it was because I saw Five Million Years to Earth when I was a little kid, and it really freaked me out----the Martians looked just like big grasshoppers. (shudder)