When a man comes clothed in camel’s hair or a leather girdle, these are made from external objects, made from skin, made from hair, the most external thing on a man, so that man’s teaching is represented by external things

The most external parts of a man is hair and skin; so he’s clothed in camel’s hair and a leather girdle.

And suddenly I gave it all up and for seven years I was a strict vegetarian, teetotaler, celibate. John represents that state in man’s ongoing when he does violence to his appetite.