Chapter II
Various modes of capturing Fish—The hook and line—Military use of the hook—Putting a hook in the jaws—The fishing spear—Different kinds of net—The casting-net—Prevalence of this form—Technical words among fishermen—Fishing by night—The draught of Fishes—The real force of the miracle—Selecting the Fish—The Fish-gate and Fish-market—Fish killed by a draught—Fishing in the Dead Sea—Dagon, the fish-god of Philistina, Assyria, and Siam—Various Fishes of Egypt and Palestine 571
INVERTEBRATES.
MOLLUSCS.
The purple of Scripture—Various Molluscs from which it is obtained—The common Dog whelk of England—The sac containing the purple dye—Curious change of colour—Mode of obtaining the dye—The Tyrian purple—The king of the Ethiopians and the purple robe—The professional purple dyers—Various words expressive of different shades of purple—Care taken to keep the preparation of the dye secret 586
THE SNAIL.
The Snail which melteth—Rendering of the Jewish Bible—Theory respecting the track of the Snail—The Hebrew word Shablul—Various Snails of Palestine 589
THE ONYCHA.
Ingredients of the sacred incense—The Onyx, or Onycha—Derivation of the word—The Arabic Dofr—The Doofu of Abyssinia—Odour of the perfume 590
THE PEARL.
The Pearl of Scripture—Wisdom compared to Pearl—Different renderings of the Hebrew word—Opinions of the Talmudists—Structure of Pearls—The Pearls of the marine and aquatic mussels—Pearl-fisheries of the Conway—Metaphorical uses of the Pearl—The Pearl of great price—Casting Pearls before swine—An ancient proverb 592
INSECTS.
Insects—Beetles not mentioned in Scripture—The Locust—Various species of the insect, and different words used to signify it—The Arbeh of Scripture, and its derivation—The two migratory Locusts at rest and on the wing—The Locust swarms—Gordon Cumming’s account—Progress of the insect hosts—Vain attempts to check them—Tossed up and down as a Locust—Effect of the winds on the insect—The east and the west winds—Locusts used for food—Ancient and modern travellers—The food of St. John 596
THE BEE.
The Hebrew word Debôrah—The Honey Bee of Palestine—Abundance of Bees in the Holy Land—Habitations of the wild Bee—Hissing for the Bee—Bees in dead carcases—The honey of Scripture—Domesticated Bees and their hives—Stores of wild honey—The story of Jonathan—The Crusaders and the honey—Butter and honey—Oriental sweetmeats—The Dibs, or grape-honey, and mode of preparation—Wax, its use as a metaphor 605
THE HORNET.
The Tzirah or Hornet of Scripture—Travellers driven away by Hornets—The Hornet used as a metaphor—Oriental symbolism—The Talmudical writers—Sting of the Hornet 613
THE ANT.
The Ant of Scripture—Solomon’s allusion to the Ant—Habit of laying up stores of food—A controversy respecting the Ant—The Ants of Palestine, and their habits—The Agricultural or Mound-making Ant—Preparing ground, sowing, tending, reaping, and storing the crop—Different habits of Ants—Development of the insect—The winged Ants—An Arab proverb 616
THE CRIMSON WORM.
The scarlet or crimson of Scripture—Signification of the word Tolââth—The Coccus or Cochineal of Palestine compared with that of Mexico—Difference between the sexes—Mode of preparing the insect—The Arabic word Kermes 622
THE CLOTHES MOTH.
The Moth of Scripture evidently the Clothes Moth—The Sâs and the ‘Ash—Similitude between the Hebrew sâs and the Greek sês—Moths and garments—Accumulation of clothes in the East—Various uses of the hoarded robes—The Moths, the rust, and the thief 624
THE SILKWORM MOTH.
Various passages wherein Silk is mentioned—The virtuous woman and her household—Probability that the Hebrews were acquainted with Silk—Present cultivation of the Silkworm—The Silk-farms of the Lebanon—Signification of the word Meshi—Silkworms and thunder—Luis of Grenada’s sermon—The Hebrew word Gâzam, and its signification—The Palmer-worm of Scripture 627
FLIES.
Flies of Scripture—Dead Flies and the apothecary’s ointment—Gadflies and their attacks—Annoyance caused by the House-fly—Flies and ophthalmia—Signor Pierotti’s account of the Flies—The sovereign remedy against Flies—Causes of their prevalence 632
GNATS.
The Gnat of Scripture—Straining out the Gnat and swallowing the camel, a typographical error—Probable identity of the Gnat and the mosquito 635
THE LOUSE.
Insect parasites—The plague of Lice—Its effect on the magicians or priests—The Hebrew word Chinnim—Probability that it may be represented by “tick”—Habits of the ticks, their dwellings in dust, and their effects on man and beast 636
THE FLEA.
Prevalence of the Flea in the East, and the annoyance caused by them to travellers—Fleas of the Lebanon—The Bey’s bedfellows—The Pasha at the bath—Use of the word in Scripture 638
THE SCORPION.
The Scorpions of Palestine—Signification of the word Akrabbim—Habits of the Scorpion—Dangers of mud walls—Venom of the Scorpion—Scorpions at sea—The Scorpion whip, and its use—The Scorpion Pass 640
THE SPIDER.
Signification of the word Semamith—Various interpretations of a Scriptural passage—Talmudical opinions respecting the creature—The ‘Akkabish and its web—Spiders of Palestine 643
THE WORM.
Various words translated as “Worm”—Probable confusion of the words—The Rimmah and the Tole’ah—The Worm which destroyed Jonah’s gourd—The Earthworm 644
THE HORSE LEECH.
Signification of the word Alukah—The Arabic word—Leeches in Palestine—The horse and the Leech—Leeches in England 646
SPONGE AND CORAL.
Use of the Sponge in Scripture—Probability that the ancient Jews were acquainted with it—Sponges of the Mediterranean—The Coral, and its value—Signification of the word Ramoth 647