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Barley is a common grain grown in the middle east, and it was grown in Bible times both in the Old and New Testaments. Barley was harvested just after The Passover in The Spring.

Barley is planted in the late Fall and sprouts in early Spring. This grain is what Israel grew before the first Passover in Exodus. The green sprouts of Barley in Egypt, were crushed by the Plague of Hail. Exo 9:31

In John 6, the five Barley Loaves which Jesus blessed, and were used to feed 5,000 men and their families, sets the time of year. This event must have been just after a Passover. John 6:4 "And the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh." 'Nigh' may give a wrong impression. Barley was not to be harvested until after The Passover. The Barley harvest began at 'First Fruits' just after The Passover Feast began, and continued until Pentecost when The Wheat Harvest had begun. Barley was an inferior grain for bread as it did not rise and was thus naturally an unleavened bread.*

After feeding the 5,000 in John 6:17, we read Jesus went into The Galilee area. HE did not go up to Jerusalem to attend a Passover Feast. This clue along with the Barley Loaves proves that Passover 'was' finished and the crowd of people were evidently returning to their homes.  

John 6:4 is thus an important verse which is used to determine how many years Jesus ministered before He became The Passover Sacrifice. It would seem that Jesus ministered for 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 years. Most Bible scholars select 3 and 1/2 years but if all the events written in the 4 Gospels could be compressed (leaving out the months in which no activity is written) it could be squeezed into less than 2 years.

* Barley Flour has no gluten so yeast has no affect. Rather baking powder and baking soda could be used. Eggs, oil, milk, and honey or sugar can be added. But the Barley bread will turn out like pancakes or tortillas.

John 6:4 Mentions ‘a Passover was nigh’ or just past in John 5. The text mentions a lad had 5 Barley loaves. Jesus multiplied these Barley Loaves to feed 5,000 men plus women and children.