In the parable of the young prodigal and his older brother, Luke says that when the younger brother ran out of money he would gladly have eaten the pods the pigs were eating.
He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. (Luke 15:16 NET)
BDAG says that the word keration (translated pod) is used in the plural “of the fruits of the carob tree, carob pods.” Louw-Nida states that the word is “a diminutive derivative of keras which means horn.” They add,
“the pod of the carob tree (which closely resembles a small horn.…Carob pods were commonly used for fattening swine and were employed as an article of food by poor people.”
The first photo shows a carob tree loaded with green pods in the Spring of the year in the Jezreel Valley at Gan-Hashlosha.
Some nutritionists suggest that carob is high in protein content and is a good substitute for chocolate.
The next photo shows dried pods underneath a Carob tree at Hazor. Having been brought up on a farm, I can easily image the pigs rooting in these pods for the best one.
When the young prodigal son came to himself he headed for home. There is a good lesson in this for each of us when we become too attached to the things of this world (1 John 2:15).
Ferrell's Travel Blog 
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