Locusts (Acridae)
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Matt. 3:4)—the food of John the Baptist in the wilderness. Locusts belonged to the winged creatures permitted as food under the law of Moses (Lev. 11:21-22). They have long been eaten in parts of the Near East, roasted, dried, or otherwise prepared. The source correctly understands the word as the insect rather than the fruit sometimes called “locust beans.” See Locust.