Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

DEER

Three Hebrew words are commonly identified as deer: ʾayyāl, yaḥmûr, and ʿōper. All three of these animals were suitable to eat; ʾayyāl and yaḥmûr were specifically designated as a clean food (Deut. 12:15; 14:5; 15:22).

Historically four species of deer have inhabited Palestine — the red deer (Cervus elaphus), two varieties of fallow deer (Cervus [Dama] dama and D. Mesopotamica), and the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus). While the rather large red deer (height 1.37 m. [54 in.]) was the predominant species in Palestine during prehistoric periods, archaeological evidence suggests their population later declined and eventually disappeared due to climatic changes and deforestation; however, bones were discovered at Hesban from levels as late as Iron II or even the Ayyubid/Mamluk periods. Roe deer are small, delicate, and shy animals (height 76 cm. [30 in.]) that congregate only in small herds and are seldom seen. Although they were undoubtedly present in Palestine throughout the biblical periods, they have seldom turned up in archaeological remains, suggesting they were seldom seen or hunted and are probably not referred to in the Bible. The slightly larger fallow deer (height 102 cm. [40 in.]) were more conspicuous since they traveled in fairly large herds. Their bones turn up more frequently than any other deer species at sites such as Hesban and Tel Dan, suggesting they were well known by ancient peoples. It is, therefore, likely that the deer the ancient Israelites were most familiar with was the fallow deer, which thus should be identified with the Heb. ʾayyāl (Deut. 12:22; 1 Kgs. 4:23[MT 5:3]; Ps. 42:1[2]; Cant. 2:9, 17; Isa. 35:6).

Heb. yaḥmûr (1 Kgs. 4:23[5:3]; Deut. 14:5) carries the connotation of “red,” and has been, like ʿayyāl, associated with the fallow deer which has a pale rusty color. However, since 1 Kgs. 4:23(5:3) distinguishes between the two terms they should probably not be identified with the same species. Another possibility is the red deer, which is not only red in color, but possibly still lived in the area during the Iron Age and Arabic periods. A third suggestion is the bubal or red hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus; cf. LXX Gk. bubalos for yaḥmûr). According to the 19th-century naturalist H. B. Tristram, Arabs claimed to have hunted this beast near springs east of the Dead Sea; although there is no other evidence that these animals ever lived as far north as Palestine, they apparently lived in Egypt during Dynastic times.

Heb. ʿōper (Cant. 4:5; 7:3[4]) carries the connotation of “young” and should probably be identified with any young deer or deerlike animal (such as gazelle) and not equated with a particular species.

Randall W. Younker

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

DEER

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)