Biblical Context: Locusts
DB Ryen
Nothing was more devastating to ancient crops than a swarm of locusts, but that didn't stop some people from eating them.
Length: Short, ## words
John had clothes of camel hair and a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
— The Story of Jesus 4.1
[adapted from Mt 3:4; Mk 1:6]
When conditions are ideal, grasshoppers of the Acrididae family can reproduce so rapidly that they form huge swarms in response to sudden overcrowding. The masses of grasshoppers in these destructive swarms are called locusts, which are the same species, but have a slightly different appearance and behavior from solitary grasshoppers. In large numbers, they are virtually unstoppable, travelling huge distances and quickly reducing crops to stubble as each insect eats its weight in food every day. The Bible records that locusts devastated Egypt's crops in the midst of twelve plagues that forced Pharaoh to release Israel from slavery. Their bodies are 2-3 inches long, with six legs and two pairs of wings. According to Moses’ Law, only grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets were edible out of all the winged insects.
© D. B. Ryen Incorporated, 2019-2025.
The western slope of the Mount of Olives faces Jerusalem, while its eastern slope is the edge of the arid Judean Desert that extends to the Dead Sea.
Pontius Pilate was the fifth ruler of Judea under Rome. He was insensitive towards Jewish religion and customs, which led to various conflicts with the Jews.
