Category Archives: Sources

Stork

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Stork.

This goose-sized bird looks ungainly in flight, with its legs dangling and its wings slowly flapping. But people in Palestine were always glad to see the storks on their yearly migration from Europe to Africa. Storks had the reputation of bringing good luck. If they were numerous, surely crops would be good. Farmers welcomed storks because they helped their crops by eating insects.

Both black and white storks were often seen in Palestine. White storks nest as high as possible– often on chimneys. But since houses in the Holy Land had low, flat roofs, they nested instead in the fir trees (Ps. 104:17). In spite of their commendable features, storks were considered unclean (Lev. 11:19; Deut. 14:18).
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Swallow

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Swallow.

The swallow is a migratory bird quite familiar to residents of the Holy Land. Frequently on the move to warmer climates, swallows gather in huge flocks to travel thousands of miles. A chattering flock can make quite a racket (Is. 38:14). The psalmist makes an interesting distinction between the sparrow, who finds a home, and the swallow, who gets a nest (Ps. 84:3). Only a permanent resident needs a home. Some translations render the Hebrew word for swallow as thrush (Jer. 8:7), (NIV, NASB) or wryneck (Jer. 8:7), (NEB).
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Swan

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Swan.

Swans are seen occasionally in Palestine. As vegetarians, they are related to ducks and geese. Alternate translations of the Hebrew term for swan include ibis, stork, white owl, and water hen. These are better translations, since there seems to be no reason why swans would have been considered unclean (Lev. 11:18), (KJV).
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Swift

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Swift.

The swift is a small migratory bird often confused with the swallow. Although they are similar, the two birds come from different families. Swifts are strong fliers that can travel short distances at over 100 m. p. h. They spend much of their time feeding on airborne insects.
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Lice

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Lice. Lice thrive in dry, dusty climates where sanitation is poor. These tiny insects are parasites with flat, colorless bodies. They cling to animals, humans, or plants, sucking blood or sap. The Egyptian nobles and priests shaved their heads and beards so lice could find no hiding place on their bodies. An infestation of lice, the third plague of the Exodus, must have been particularly bothersome to them (Ex. 8:16-18), (gnats, RSV, NIV, NASB; maggots, NEB).

Source: [Anon-Animals]

See also Maggot,

Lice is a type of insect that lives in the hairy parts of animals and people, eating and living off of them as a host. In the Bible it is associated with evil.

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Swine

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Swine.

The association or idea of a pig is an animal which really has no discernment nor desire to live cleanly, rather it highly prefers to live in the filth, and “bathe” itself in this filth. It eats and sleeps and lives happily in its own urine and excrement. The Bible associates this with great uncleanness and displeasure in God’s eyes.

[David Cox]
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Turtle

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Turtle.

Both turtles and tortoises (a type often found in Palestine) and their eggs and meat were eaten. In (Numbers 6:10) and (Jeremiah 8:7) (KJV), turtle is simply an abbreviation of turtledove. The context clearly indicates that a bird is meant, not the silent, slow-moving turtle.




Source: [Anon-Animals]