List of animals in the Bible

This is a list of animals whose names appear in the Bible. Whenever required for the identification, the Hebrew name will be indicated, as well as the specific term used by zoologists. This list will include names such as griffon, lamia, Siren and unicorn, which, though generally applied to fabulous beings, have nevertheless, because of misunderstandings or educational prejudices of the Greek and Latin translators, crept into the versions, and have been applied to real animals. In the following list D.V. stands for Douay Version, A.V. and R.V. for Authorized and Revised Version respectively.

Contents 

A

The ass serves in the East for many purposes. Its even gait and sure-footedness, so well suited to the rough paths of the Holy Land, made it at all times the most popular of all the animals for riding in those hilly regions (Genesis 22:3; Luke 19:30). Neither was it ridden only by the common people, but also by persons of the highest rank (Judges 5:10; 10:4; 2 Samuel 17:23; 19:26, etc.). No wonder therefore that Jesus, about to come triumphantly to Jerusalem, commanded His disciples to bring Him an ass and her colt; no lesson of humility, as is sometimes asserted, but the affirmation of the peaceful character of His kingdom should be sought there. Although the Scripture speaks of "saddling" the ass, usually no saddle was used by the rider. A cloth was spread upon the back of the ass and fastened by a strap was all the equipment. Upon this cloth the rider sat with a servant usually walking alongside. Should a family journey, the women and children would ride the asses, attended by the father (Exodus 4:20). This mode of traveling has been popularized by Christian painters, who copied the eastern customs in their representations of the Holy Family's flight to Egypt.
Scores of passages in the Bible allude to asses carrying burdens. The Gospels, at least in the Greek text, speak of millstones run by asses (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:41; Luke 17:2); Josephus and the Egyptian monuments teach us that this animal was used for threshing wheat. Finally, we repeatedly read in the Old Testament of asses hitched to a plough (Deuteronomy 22:10; Isaiah 30:24, etc.), and in reference to this custom, the Law forbade ploughing with an ox and an ass together (Deuteronomy 22:10). From Is., xxi, 7, confirmed by the statements of Greek writers, we learn that part of the cavalry force in the Persian army rode donkeys. We should perhaps understand from IV K., vii, 7, that the Syrian armies followed the same practice; but no such custom seems to have ever prevailed among the Hebrews. With them the ass was essentially for peaceful use, the emblem of peace, as the horse was the symbol of war. The flesh of the donkey was unclean and forbidden by the Law. In some particular circumstances, however, no law could prevail over necessity, and we read that during Joram's reign, when Ben-hadad besieged Samaria, the famine was so extreme in this city, that the head of an ass was sold for 120 pieces of silver (IV K., vi, 25).

B

C

D

Other places, such as Esth., x, 7; xi, 6; Ecclus., xxv, 23, can be neither traced back to a Hebrew original, nor identified with sufficient probability. The author of the Apocalypse repeatedly makes mention of the dragon, by which he means "the old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who seduceth the whole world" (Revelation 12:9, etc.). Of the fabulous dragon fancied by the ancients, represented as a monstrous winged serpent with a crested head and enormous claws, and regarded as very powerful and ferocious, no mention is found in the Bible. The word dragon, consequently, should really be removed from Bibles, except perhaps from Is., xiv, 29 and xxx, 6, where the draco fimbriatus is possibly spoken of. See BASILISK, 4 (sup.).

E

F

Though a trifle less annoying than in Egypt, flies were, however, deemed a plague severe enough in Israel to induce the natives to have recourse to the power of a special god, Bá'ál-zebhûbh, the master of the flies, that they and their cattle be protected against that scourge.

G

H

I

J

K

L

Unlike other insects, locusts are most voracious in every stage of their existence.

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

See also

References

  1. 1 2 International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915, 1939): B: badger.
  2. Hewlett, John Grigg, D.D. Bible difficulties explained (1860), pages 159–163 ISBN 978-0559757136.
  3. Hasson, Nir (Jan 17, 2014). "Hump stump solved: Camels arrived in region much later than biblical reference". Haaretz. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. Sapir-Hen, Lidar; Erez Ben-Yosef (2013). "The Introduction of Domestic Camels to the Southern Levant: Evidence from the Aravah Valley" (PDF). Tel Aviv 40: 277–285. doi:10.1179/033443513x13753505864089. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
  5. A history of ancient Israel and Judah by James Maxwell Miller and John Haralson Hayes
  6. The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, edited by E. Stern, vol. 3, 1098–1102. Jerusalem: Carta, 1993
  7. Symbols and Emblems of Early and Mediaeval Christian Art by Louisa Twining — page 188 - published 1885
  8. Strong's Concordance – 3733. ornis: a bird, specifically a rooster or hen
  9. PROVERBS 10-31, Volume 18 – Michael V. Fox – Yale University Press 2009 – 704 pages
  10. The Three Blessings:Boundaries, Censorship, and Identity in Jewish Liturgy: Boundaries, Censorship, and Identity in Jewish Liturgy – Oxford University Press, Dec 24, 2010 – page 142
  11. Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament HALOT 1:281 s.v. zarzir
  12. 1 2 Matthew 12:40 (multiple versions) As early as the Wessex Gospels of 990 CE the Greek "κήτους" of Matthew 12:40 was translated as "hwæle" (whale). The Greek Septuagint translated the fish of Jonah 1:17 as "κήτους".
  13. Online Parallel Bible Project – alektór: a rooster
  14. Genesis 1:21 (multiple versions) The first created and largest of all creatures, the whales are notable as the only kind of creatures other than mankind expressly mentioned in the creation account.

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "article name needed". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton. 

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