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 CRIMSON WORM, OR COCHINEAL. (Isa. i. 18) 623
BUTTERFLIES AND CATERPILLARS OF PALESTINE. (Joel i. 4) 631
FLIES. (Isa. vii. 18) 635
THE SCORPION. (Rev. ix. 10) 641
THE CORAL. (Job xxviii. 18) 648
MAMMALIA.
BIBLE ANIMALS.
THE APE.
The Monkey tribe rarely mentioned in Scripture--Why the Ape was
introduced into Palestine--Solomon's ships, and their cargo of
Apes, peacocks, ivory and gold--Various species of Monkey that
might have been imported--The Rhesus Monkey--The Hoonuman or
Entellus--Habits of the Monkey, and reverence in which it is
held by the natives--The Egyptians and their Baboon
worship--Idols and memorials--The Wanderoo--its singular
aspect--Reasons why it should be introduced into
Palestine--General habits of the Wanderoo--its love of
curiosities--Probability that Solomon had a menagerie--Various
species of Monkey that maybe included in the term "Kophim"--The
Satyr of Scripture--Babylon in its glory and fall--Fulfilment of
prophecy--Judaic ideas of the Satyrs, or Seirim.
Animals belonging to the monkey tribe are but sparingly mentioned in
Holy Writ. If, as is possible, the Satyr of Scripture signifies some
species of baboon, there are but three passages either in the Old or
New Testament where these animals are mentioned. In 1 Kings x. 22, and
the parallel passage 2 Chron. ix. 21, the sacred historian makes a
passing allusion to apes as forming part of the valuable cargoes which
were brought by Solomon's fleet to Tharshish, the remaining articles
being gold, ivory, and peacocks. The remaining passage occurs in Is.
xiii. 21, where the prophet foretells that on the site of Babylon
satyrs shall dance.
The reason for this reticence is simple enough. No monkey was
indigenous to Palestine when the various writers of the Bible lived,
and all their knowledge of such animals must have been derived either
from the description of sailors, or from the sight of the few
specimens that were brought as curiosities from foreign lands. Such
specimens must have been extremely rare, or they would not have been
mentioned as adjuncts to the wealth of Solomon, the wealthiest, as
well as the wisest monarch of his time. To the mass of the people they
must have been practically unknown, and therefore hold but a very
inferior place in the Scriptures, which were addressed to all mankind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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