Bible animals : $b being a description of every living creature mentioned in the Scripture, from the ape to the coral.Wood, J. G. (John George)
Religion
Bible animals : $b being a description of every living creature mentioned in the Scripture, from the ape to the coral.
Wood, J. G. (John George)
Animals in the Bible; Nature in the Bible
The milk of the white Goat is useful medicinally for affections of the
lungs, and the spleen of a female kid for diseases of the spleen. But
if Goats are allowed to drink of the water in which blacksmiths cool
their iron, the spleen gradually withers away, and at last disappears
altogether. If the owner should desire to fatten a she-goat, he ought
to tie up the udders so tightly that the milk cannot come into them,
and the nourishment is therefore converted into fat instead of milk.
Also, he should take care to keep his Goats away from the place where
bread is being made, as they are very fond of the unbaked dough, and
always die if they eat it.
In sacrifices, the Goat was in nearly as much requisition as the lamb,
and in one--namely, that which was celebrated on the Great Day of
Atonement--the Goat was specially mentioned as the only animal which
could be sacrificed. The reader will, perhaps, remember that for this
peculiar sacrifice two Goats were required, on which two lots were
cast, one for the Lord, _i.e._ with the word "Jehovah" upon it, and
the other for the scapegoat, _i.e._ inscribed with the word "Azazel."
The latter term is derived from two Hebrew words, the former being
"Az," which is the general name for the Goat, and the second "azel,"
signifying "he departed." The former, which belonged to Jehovah, was
sacrificed, and its blood sprinkled upon the mercy-seat and the altar
of incense; and the Goat Azazel was led away into the wilderness,
bearing upon its head the sins of the people, and there let loose.
These being the uses of the Goat, it may naturally be imagined that
the animal is one of extreme importance, and that it is watched as
carefully by its owners as the sheep. Indeed, both sheep and Goats
belong to the same master, and are tended by the same shepherd, who
exercises the same sway over them that he does over the sheep.
They are, however, erratic animals, and, although they will follow the
shepherd wherever he may lead them, they will not mix with the sheep.
The latter will walk in a compact flock along the valley, the shepherd
leading the way, and the sheep following him, led in their turn by the
sound of the bell tied round the neck of the master-ram of the flock.
The Goats, however, will not submit to walk in so quiet a manner, but
prefer to climb along the sides of the rocks that skirt the valleys,
skipping and jumping as they go, and seeming to take delight in
getting themselves into dangerous places, where a man could not
venture to set his foot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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