With a camel skin on
Why does John the Baptist wear camel skin? Commentators often connect this with John’s role as Elijah, the “Baal of hair” or, as I like to say, the “Hair-baal.” That’s correct, but the specificity of “camel hair” seems to point to something else.
Camels are unclean - they chew the cud but don’t split the hoof - and hence represent Gentiles. John is putting himself in the position of a Gentile, he becomes a Gentile beast of the desert, leading people back into the promised land through the Jordan.
The OT passage that uses the word “camel” most often is in Genesis, the story of the servant of Abraham procuring a wife for Isaac. John is also a servant of the Father, who is readying a bride for the Son.
Peter Leithart
Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.
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