“In those days, certainly not in a paper bag, but, as was common, in a small wicker basket as most Jews did in order to have something kosher to eat. (If traveling Jews carried these baskets, and the Apostles were traveling Jews, it is interesting to note and compare the number of these baskets that were filled at the end of the meal to then number of Apostles and also the number of completion.)”
Yes, it makes sense that others had brought food with them, and those 11 other baskets were likely donated to the boy by those who had been fed, who had already eaten their contents, and whose baskets had been already empty before the miracle, maybe the disciples, or maybe just other grateful diners. But maybe eleven other families went home with filled baskets.
And yes, the end result of the distribution of the word of grace (5 loaves) via the pairs of truthful witnesses (2 fish) would be a completed church (12 baskets full).
Maybe another message of the miracle is that even the most insignificant sacrifices by the most insignificant of donors given to Jesus contribute to the completion of the church.
" What I am imagining is that the crowd also had some well-to-do people, people who were also carrying as a matter of course food in their little baskets that probably had something more palatable than barley bread and pickled fish."
I suspect that the bread and fish were nevertheless the best tasting barley bead and fish the crowd had ever tasted - much like the wine at Cana was the best.
"Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father of lights… "
