BEETLE. (חַרְגֹּל, H3005, beetle [KJV]; cricket [ASV, RSV] Lev 11:22). The context is a list of edible insects: this alone makes the RSV tr. preferable, though still uncertain. No identifiable reference can thus be found to the Coleoptera, which includes nearly half the known kinds of insects and are characterized by having the forewings thick and leathery. Palestine has a wide variety, including the scarab dung beetle sacred to the ancient Egyptians and many species capable of becoming farm pests. No kinds are known to be eaten there, though many are relished, esp. in grub form, in parts of Africa and Australia. See Cricket.