We’ve left ancient Egypt and moved eastward toward Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent. After we read about that civilization and all of the many amazing things they did during that time, we continued our journey through Genesis and learned about Babylon, Abram and Sarai. We imagined what it might have been like to leave the comforts of civilization in Ur for the desert. After we looked at middle eastern desert life and travel, we learned about their clothing, their food, their tools, and everyday items and went on our own trip through the desert. Sam and Rachel Walton joined us and the kids dressed in tunics and head scarves and sandals and I packed a lunch for our “Old Testament Picnic.”
The weather cooperated and it was HOT that day! The “desert” was a couple of acres out behind our house and the destination was an oasis (a pond with a flat rock and a tree). We unfolded our handmade “traveling table” ( a round piece of cloth with a drawstring through the outer edges) and ate our picnic. We tried goat cheese, dried dates, seasoned lamb (gyro meat), flat bread, and lentil stew. We used no flatware, just our hands, and we scooped the stew up with the bread.
Caleb learned that they also ate locusts! Fried, boiled, ground up for biscuits, locusts were a staple back then (I think they still are for some nomads). So he and Sam hunted for grasshoppers. They brought me two (the girls politely declined) and I fried them in oil and salt and garlic. Didn’t help, I’m afraid. They were all smiles in the “before” picture, but the grimaces that followed the first bite told me that I am no chef when it comes to bugs. They chomped and chewed, but had to spit them out in the end. It was a big adventure for all of us.
I can’t wait for ancient China!
Give Them Roots and Wings 