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b-hebrew - [b-hebrew] Re: Mice, Rats, Badgers, & Weasels

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peterkirk AT qaya.org>
  • To: "David Kimbrough (CLWA)" <dkimbrough AT clwa.org>
  • Cc: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [b-hebrew] Re: Mice, Rats, Badgers, & Weasels
  • Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 09:03:32 -0700

On 29/04/2004 08:31, David Kimbrough (CLWA) wrote:

Of the four times that the word "mice" (akbari) occurs in the OT, all are
associated with golden objects resembling the animal rather than actual
animal. Further, all four occur in 1 Sam 6 (4-18) as "trespass offerings".
The two times that the word "mouse" (akbar) is used, it is in association
with dietary prohibitions (Lev 11:29 and Isa 66:17). I know people will eat
mice and rats in desperation but I don't know of any societies where it is
the norm. If people were not actually eating these animals on some sort of
routine and conspicuous basis, there would be no need for a prohibition. It
may well be that it is a reference to some other small mammal, although I
guess the LXX translators clearly thought the appropriate Greek word was
"mus".

In terms of given names, many English family names are from small (and large
mammals), e.g. Fox, Lamb, Hare, Rabbit, Mink, Hogge, etc.


David Eugene Kimbrough


I looked at Leviticus 11:29 and found that in fact this is not primarily about dietary laws. Unclean food animals have already been listed in vv.4-8. Although the animals listed in vv.29-30 are certainly also not to be eaten, what the text actually says about them is that any person, article or food which touches theire dead bodies is unclean. Finding a dead mouse, rat or whatever would have been a common occurrence; eating them would not normally have been attempted.

--
Peter Kirk
peter AT qaya.org (personal)
peterkirk AT qaya.org (work)
http://www.qaya.org/





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