In times of severe famine, the Bible records instances where people resorted to consuming items that would otherwise be considered inedible or unclean, including dung. This desperate measure underscores the extreme conditions and the dire need for sustenance during such periods.

One of the most notable references to the consumption of dung during a famine is found in the account of the siege of Samaria. In 2 Kings 6:25, the Berean Standard Bible states: "So there was a great famine in Samaria, and they besieged it until a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung sold for five shekels of silver." This passage highlights the severity of the famine, where even the most repugnant items became valuable commodities due to the scarcity of food.

The mention of "dove’s dung" has been the subject of various interpretations. Some scholars suggest that it might refer to a type of seed or plant, while others maintain that it is indeed literal dung. Regardless of the interpretation, the text clearly indicates the extreme conditions faced by the inhabitants of Samaria, where they were driven to consume what was available, no matter how undesirable.

The consumption of dung during famine is also a reflection of the curses outlined in the Mosaic Law for disobedience. In Deuteronomy 28, God warns the Israelites of the dire consequences of turning away from His commandments, including famine and the resulting desperation. Such instances serve as a somber reminder of the spiritual and physical ramifications of straying from God's covenant.

Throughout the Bible, famine is often depicted as a tool of divine judgment or a test of faith. The resort to eating dung during these times illustrates the depths of human desperation and the lengths to which people will go to survive. It also serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of reliance on God for provision and sustenance, even in the most challenging circumstances.2 Kings 6:25
And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Lamentations 4:5
They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Of Justification by Faith. Both the Name and the Reality Defined.
... that, in the supper, Christ is eaten substantially ... tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness ... have suffered the loss of all things, and do ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 11 of justification by.htm

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... think nothing which lives and moves should be eaten, and look ... we worship our Creator
Who made all things for the ... brightness to the eyes, and its dung and that ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm

the Legendary History of Egypt
... the legends concerning them"The famine stela"The ... mingling of things excellent and
things execrable, which ... which fell from their mouths during their attacks ...
/.../chapter iii -the legendary history of.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... it was to divert the attention of the celebrant from holy things: she put ... him, governed
for him while he was engaged in foreign wars, or during his progresses ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

Against Jovinianus.
... a person pressed by hunger from devouring cow-dung, I may ... sum up and renew in Christ
Jesus all things which are ... the body of Christ, might not be eaten by those ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/against jovinianus.htm

Life and Works of Rufinus with Jerome's Apology Against Rufinus.
... It is true that, in the beginning of his invective he promises that he will avoid
personalities, and reply only about the things in question and the charges ...
/.../various/life and works of rufinus with jeromes apology against rufinus /

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
... be never so hard.' The new man is subject to transient sickness, during which desire ...
judgments that sin shall bring upon them, for of such things they ought to ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the desire of the righteous.htm

What is the significance of Egypt in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Agabus in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What is the story of Joseph and his brothers? | GotQuestions.org

Famine: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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