Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ANIMALS

Almost all commentators caution that it is virtually impossible to have 100 percent certainty when identifying Hebrew animal terms with modern scientific species. Today’s fauna is not identical to that of the past; also, many of the Hebrew terms appear as isolated names which appear only one or two times in the Bible in texts which give no real hint as to the habitat or characteristics of the named animal; finally, the names for a given animal sometimes changed through time or the same animal is given a different name by neighboring peoples who speak a similar, but not identical dialect or language. In spite of the problems, however, modern scholars have arrived at a general consensus for the identity of most of the animal terms found in the Bible. They have done this by combining etymology, comparative languages, examination of the context of the text, and study of present-day fauna, as well as the fauna in the archaeological record.

Mammals

At least 128 species of wild mammals have been identified in modern Israel so far. These include a large number of small mammals (e.g., rodents, bats), as well as marine mammals. In addition to the wild mammals, at least 10 species of domesticated mammals live in Israel. These include the dog, cat, pig, sheep, goats, cattle, oxen, donkeys, horses, and camels.

The OT provides at least 60 words which have been identified as pertaining to mammals in either a generic or specific sense. Of these, eight have been applied to the horse family; six to large cattle; 14 to small cattle; 14 to carnivores; seven to rodents; one to the monkey; and one generic term referring to large animals. Nine terms are applied to other miscellaneous mammals.

Grouping these terms according to whether the mammals were wild or domesticated, it appears that at least 30 terms refer to wild mammals, while the rest are domestic. The wild mammals can be divided into three groups: large herbivores, large carnivores, and small mammals. The herbivores include the wild ox (aurochs), wild ass or onager, wild goat, gazelle, ibex, fallow deer, roebuck, addax(?), and wild swine. The carnivores include the bear, fox, wolf, hyena, jackal, panther, and lion. Small mammals include rodents, mouse, hare, hyrax, bat, and possibly the porcupine. One term, qôp, refers to the monkey, which, although probably kept as exotic pets, were nevertheless wild.

The Bible’s domestic mammals can also be divided into several groups: camel, horse family (horses, asses, mules), large cattle, and small cattle (sheep and goats). The dog family should probably also be included here, although wild dogs were undoubtedly also plentiful. Of the domestic animals, sheep and goats played the most significant role in the lives of biblical peoples since they provided meat, milk, cheese, skin and wool or goats hair. Not surprisingly, their bones provide the greatest quantity of faunal remains at an archaeological site.

Amphibians

Because Palestine is mostly an arid region, there are few amphibian species. Herpetologists have identified seven species of amphibians currently living in the region — three frogs, two toads, a salamander, and a newt.

The best-known reference to an amphibian in the OT appears in the account of the second Egyptian plague (Ex. 8:1-15), generally understood to be a plague of frogs (ṣĕpardēaʿ; cf. Ps. 78:45; 105:30). Frogs also appear in the plague of Rev. 16:13 (Gk. bátrachos). Since the plagues occurred in Egypt, the type of frog involved should be identified with one of the local species, either the common Rana esculanta (green frog) or Rana punctata (spotted frog).

Reptiles

While amphibians are rare, reptiles are plentiful in Palestine. At least 126 species have been identified in modern times. These include the lizard, snake, and turtle families.

The most plentiful group of reptiles is the lizards, of which there are at least 40 species. At least seven Hebrew words have been rendered as lizard by various translators, mostly from the list of unclean foods in Lev. 11:29-30, although probably only three or four words actually refer to lizards and even here there is no certainty. Heb. lĕṭāâ appears to be a general term for lizard, although some have equated it with the plentiful Syrian green lizard. Other common or well-known members of the lizard family that might be referred to in the Bible include the gecko (ʾănāqâ [?]), the skink (ḥōmeṭ [?]), the dab lizard (a spiny-tailed hardun also known as the land crocodile, possibly Heb ṣāḇ), and the monitor (kōaḥ [?]).

There are presently some 35 species of snake in Palestine, eight of which are poisonous. Ten Hebrew and four Greek words have been translated as either serpent, viper, or adder. The contexts suggest that the Bible writers were only concerned with the poisonous snakes.

Correlating the Hebrew and Greek terms with specific species is difficult. Heb. peṯen probably refers to the Egyptian cobra. The śārāp is probably a general term for desert vipers, of which there are four species in Palestine. The one mostly likely to be identified with the fiery serpent is the carpet viper, which has been numerous and highly poisonous.

Although there do not appear to have been any references to turtles in the Bible (the KJV has mistranslated Lev. 11:29), there are, nevertheless, currently 12 members of the turtle family in Palestine. In addition to seven species or sub-species of sea turtles, there are several species of freshwater turtles and land-dwelling tortoises. The better-known members of Palestine’s turtle family include the softshelled turtle (Trionyx triunguis), the striped-necked terrapin or pond turtle (Mauremys caspica rivulata [Clemys caspica]), and the common or spur-thighed tortoise (Testudo graeca terrestris).

Some important reptile species no longer live in Palestine. The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) ranged from the Nile River to the rivers along the coast of Palestine until the last century. Indeed, the Zerqa River, which flows into the Mediterranean near Caesarea, was known as the Crocodile River. However, crocodiles have since been entirely eliminated from the region north of the Aswan Dam in Egypt.

Randall W. Younker

Prayer Tents Bible References - Prayer Tents

ANIMALS

Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (2000)