The Carob tree (ceratonia siliqua) is an evergreen, leguminous tree, reaching up to thirty feet in height and approximately an equal spread of branches. Its flowers are small and typically yellow and red. The tree is very common throughout the Holy Land, Syria, and Egypt.

The pods of the Carob tree are most abundant in Spring, and are flat, narrow, horn-shaped, 6 to 10 inches long, 1 to 1½ inches wide, containing numerous pea-like seeds embedded  in a flavored pulp. The pods, when ripe, are full of a sweet, dark-colored, honey-like syrup and is used with or without the seeds, in the making of candy. The pods are also used for feeding cattle, horses, and pigs.  The Carob is frequently mentioned in the Talmud as a source of good food for domestic animals. The seeds of the Carob were formerly used as standards of weight, given their uniformity in size and weight, and are the source of the term "carat". 

There seems to be little doubt amongst historical botanists that the pods of the Carob tree were the pods referred to in the parable of the the Prodigal Son (see Luke 15:11-32).

The Carob tree is commonly referred to as the "locust" tree, or St. John's Bread in the Holy Lands. There are many who believe the "locusts" John ate (Matthew 3:4) were actually Carob beans, and not the winged variety of locusts mentioned in Leviticus. The source of this appears to come from a belief that it arose from a transcriber substituting the Hebrew 'G' for the 'R' in cherev, which turns the word from 'carob' to 'locust'.

John the Baptist was a man set apart by God and by his own actions. From his birth John was taught to deny himself of the pleasures of the world. He was taught to abstain from things that could contaminate his ministry. This does not mean he separated himself from others, but that he lived a lifestyle separate and different. His lifestyle was a witness to those who saw his actions - he was not like the world around him.

This was a must for his ministry, and we must also be like John. We must be in this world but not of the world. We must show by our lives that Jesus is the best thing to have in our lives. Our actions, like John, are a testimony to others. In 1 Peter 5:3 we are called to be good examples to the flock, for which we will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

As a work-in-progress I am sometimes hesitant to profess my faith to others, as I know many of us are, but the way that we act and live speaks volumes to those around us and is our daily public testimony. In 1 Corinthians 10:31-32 it says:

³¹So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ³²Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God.

In His service,

¹¹Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.

¹³"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

¹⁷"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'

²²"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.

²⁵"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'

²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'

³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
 

¹In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea ²and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." ³This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

   "A voice of one calling in the desert,
   'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "

⁴John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹²His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire."