Ask A Scientist© General Science Archive

> > >   name        Lee
> > >   status      educator
> > >   age         40s
>
> > >   Question -  I am looking for drawings of the species of locust that
> > > French Historian Henri Daniel-Rops states there are four migratory
> > edible
> > > species of during New Testament Biblical times. Any clue as to who might
> >
> > > have this info??



>There are two assumptions suggested in the question that Mr/Ms Chichester
>needs to challenge. First, the species concept that we use is relatively
>modern; nothing comparable had arisen in biblical times that allows
>comparison. Translations of Aristotle which do use the word species clearly
>mean something less precise. Therefore any comment on 'species must be
>carefully interpreted. For example, crocodiles were classified as 'insects'
>even into the 1700s based on the fact that they have superficial
>segmentation (i.e., abdominal scales). Thus they were in-sects as originally
>meaning having 'sections' or segments. Second, there are over 8000 related
>species in the family to which 'locusts' belong. Assuming that there were
>only 4 edible species (are there any that are inedible or is it just social
>constraints that determine that issue?) and that all of the rest have
>evolved during the last 2000 years seems highly unlikely. On what evidence
>does the historian base his assertion? A picture/drawing of any present day
>locust from the Middle East would likely have a good chance of representing
>those consumed during New Testament Biblical times.
>I hope that helps.
>CED
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