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.
This active little pest absolutely swarms in the East. The inhabitants are so used to the Fleas that either the insects do not touch them, or by long custom they become so inured to their attack that the bites are not felt.
But every traveller in Eastern lands has a tale to tell about the Fleas, which seem to be accepted as one of the institutions of the country, and to be contemplated with perfect equanimity. Miss Rogers, for example, in her "Domestic Life in Palestine," mentions how she was obliged to stand upon a box in order to be out of the reach of a large company of Fleas that were hopping about on the floor!
Mr. Urquhart, experienced Orientalist as he was, found on one occasion that the Fleas were too strong for him. He had forgotten his curtain, and was invaded by armies of Fleas, that marched steadily up the bed and took possession of their prey. The people were quite amused at his complaints, and said that their Bey could not sleep without a couple of hundred of them in his bosom. Mr. Urquhart suggests that these little creatures act as a wholesome irritant to the skin, and says that the last two mouthfuls of every meal are for the benefit of the Fleas.
In order to show the perfect indifference with which the presence of these little pests is regarded, I quote a passage from Mr. Farley's "Druses of the Lebanon." He was in a Turkish bath, and was much amused at a scene which presented itself.
"A man, whose skin resembled old discoloured vellum, was occupying himself with the somewhat undignified pursuit of pursuing with great eagerness something that, from the movement of his hands, seemed continually to elude him, jumping about and taking refuge in the creases and folds of his shirt, that was spread out over his lap as he sat cross-legged on his bedstead like a tailor on his board. This oddity was no less a dignitary than a Pasha."
This extract also serves to illustrate the two passages in Scripture wherein the word "flea" is mentioned, and in both of which it is used as a metaphor to express weakness on the one side and power on the other.
The first occurs in 1 Sam. xxiv. 14:—"After whom is the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea?" The second is in chap. xxvi. of the same book, ver. 20: "Now therefore … the king of Israel is come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains." The reader will see how completely the anecdote of the Pasha in the bath illustrates this passage.
ARACHNIDA.
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.
The Arachnida are represented in Scripture by the Scorpion and Spider.
Scorpions are exceedingly common in Palestine, and to a novice are a constant source of terror until he learns to be accustomed to them. The appearance of the Scorpion is too well known to need description, every one being aware that it is in reality a kind of spider that has the venom claw at the end of its body, and not in its jaw. As to the rendering of the word akrabbim as "Scorpions," there has never been any doubt.
These unpleasant creatures always manage to insinuate themselves in some crevice, and an experienced traveller is cautious where the Scorpions are plentiful, and will never seat himself in the country until he has ascertained that no Scorpions are beneath the stones on or near which he is sitting. Holes in walls are favourite places of refuge for the Scorpion, and are very plentiful, the mud walls always tumbling down in parts, and affording homes for Scorpions, spiders, snakes, and other visitors.
The venom of the Scorpion varies much in potency according to the species and size of the creature, some of the larger Scorpions being able to render a man ill for a considerable time, and even to kill him if he should be a sensitive subject. So much feared were the Scorpions that one of the chief privileges of the Apostles and their immediate followers was their immunity from the stings of Scorpions and the bite of venomous serpents.
It is said, however, that after a person has been stung once by a Scorpion, he suffers comparatively little the second time, and that if he be stung three or four times, the only pain that he suffers arises from the puncture. Sailors also say that after a week at sea the poison of the Scorpion loses its power, and that they care nothing for the Scorpions which are sure to come on board inside the bundles of firewood.
THE SCORPION.
"And they had tails like unto scorpions: and there were stings in their tails."—Rev. ix. 10.
We will now take a few of the Scriptural passages which allude to the Scorpion. As may be expected, most of them refer to the poisonous quality of its sting, though one or two allude to its habit of dwelling in desert places. See, for example, Deut. viii. 15, which forms part of the address that Moses delivered to the Israelites: "Lest … thou forget the Lord thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage;
"Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water."
A similar image of desolation is found in Ezek. ii. 6: "And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briars and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions."
Those passages which mention the venom of the Scorpion are numerous, though most, if not all, of them occur in the New Testament. See Rev. ix. 5: "And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months, and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man." Also ver. 10 of the same chapter: "And they had tails like unto scorpions: and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months."
The venom of the Scorpion is indirectly mentioned in other passages. There is, for example, the well-known saying of our Lord, "If a son shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?" (Luke xi. 12.) And in the preceding chapter of the same Evangelist Scorpions are classed with serpents in their power of injury: "Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you."
There is another reference to the Scorpion in the Old Testament, which requires an explanation. It forms part of the rash counsel given to Rehoboam by his friends: "My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke; my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."
The general tenor of this passage is evident enough, namely, that he intended to be far more severe than his father had been. But his words assume a new force when we remember that there was a kind of whip called a Scorpion. This terrible instrument was made for the express purpose of punishing slaves, so that the mere mention of it was an insult. It consisted of several thongs, each of which was loaded with knobs of metal, and tipped with a metal hook, so that it resembled the jointed and hooked tail of the Scorpion. This dreadful instrument of torture could kill a man by a few blows, and it was even used in combats in the amphitheatre, a gladiator armed with a Scorpion being matched against one armed with a spear.
The prevalence of the Scorpion in Palestine and its neighbourhood may be inferred from the fact that a wady or pass between the south end of the Dead Sea and Zion was named after it. The southern boundary of Judah is said to be at Maaleh Akrabbim (Josh. xv. 3). Now the literal translation of these words is "The Ascent of Scorpions," or The Scorpion Pass.
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.
Although the word "spider" is mentioned three times in the Authorized Version of the Bible, one of them must be excluded, namely Prov. xxx. 28: "The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces." There is much doubt whether the word semamith, which is here translated a "spider," does not rather allude to the Gecko, a lizard which has already been described. Moreover, the passage is rendered very differently in the Jewish Bible: "A spider thou mayest catch with the hands, and is in kings' palaces."
Buxtorf mentions some curious Talmudical opinions regarding the Semam. For example, there is a kind of proverb—"Dreaded as a Semam by a scorpion," founded on the belief that the Semam, whatever it might be, crept into the ears of the scorpion. Another proverb is, "A Semam against a scorpion," the idea being that if a Semam was crushed on the wound made by a scorpion, it would destroy the effect of the poison.
He further mentions that the word has been translated as araneus or aranea, i.e. Spider, as simia, i.e. an ape, as calamotes, which signifies a kind of fish, or as kalabotes and askalabotes, which is a kind of lizard. The Septuagint employs this rendering, to which Buxtorf himself leans.
The same word 'akkabish occurs twice, and certainly does signify some kind of Spider. The Prophet Isaiah writes of the wicked that they "weave the spider's web" (lix. 5), and there is a similar image in Job viii. 14: "So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish. Whose hope shall be cut off, and whose hope shall be a spider's web" (or house). In both instances reference is made to the fragility of the Spider's web as a metaphor to express the futility of evil devices.
The reader will see that in neither of these passages is there anything that indicates the species of Spider. There are very many species of Spider in Palestine; some which spin webs, like the common Garden Spider, some which dig subterranean cells and make doors in them, like the well-known Trap-door Spider of Southern Europe, and some which have no webs, but chase their prey upon the ground, like the Wolf and Hunting Spiders. Notice is, however, only taken of those which spin webs.
ANNELIDA.
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.
The word "worm" occurs many times in the Authorized Version, and is a rendering of three Hebrew words. One is sâs, which has been already explained under the article Moth; the second is rimmah; and the third tole'ah. There is very great difficulty in ascertaining the real signification of these words, unless we assume that the Hebrews were not aware of the distinction between actual Annelida and the larvæ of various insects.
Even at the present day we commit a similar error. We speak of the wire-worm, which is the larva of one kind of beetle. We say that wood is worm-eaten, signifying that it has been attacked by the larva of another kind of beetle. Then we use the word "palmer-worm" to signify the larva of a moth, "glow-worm" to signify a beetle, "tape-worm" to signify an entozoon, and—strangest of all—"blindworm" to signify a lizard which can see perfectly well. We therefore need not wonder that the Hebrew language produces similar confusion of nomenclature.
The other words are frequently used in connexion with each other. The Rimmah is the "worm" that was bred in the manna when it had been kept beyond the specified time, and it is evident that the larva of some insect, such as the blow-fly, is signified.
The word is evidently used in the same sense by Job. The "worm shall feed sweetly on him" (xxiv. 20). "They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them" (xxi. 26). The same word is employed in his lamentation over his evil case: "My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and become loathsome" (vii. 5). In xxv. 6 he uses both words: "Man that is a worm, and the son of man that is a worm." This passage is more correctly rendered in the Hebrew Bible: "Man that is a worm (rimmah), and the son of man which is a maggot" (tole'ah). Both words are also used in connexion with each other by Isaiah: "The worm (rimmah) is spread under thee, and the worms (tola'im) cover thee" (xiv. 11).
The well-known passage in Job xix. 26 is altogether wrongly rendered in the text, the marginal translation being much more correct. The Worm is not mentioned at all in that passage, which the Jewish Bible renders as follows: "Even after my skin shall have been stripped off this [body] and flesh, I shall see God."
The Worm which destroyed the gourd of Jonah was a Tolaeth (another form of tole'ah). See Jonah iv. 7.
The passage in Micah probably refers to the earthworm: "They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth" (vii. 17). In this case, however, the expression is a general one, and, as may be seen by reference to the marginal translation, is more correctly rendered not as "worms," but as "creeping things."
THE HORSE LEECH
Signification of the word Alukah—The Arabic word—Leeches in Palestine—The horse and the Leech—Leeches in England.
In Prov. xxx. 15 there is a word which only occurs once in the Scriptures. This is alukah, which is translated as horse-leech. "The horseleech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give."
The Hebrew Bible does not translate the word at all. There is, however, no doubt that the translation is a correct one. Buxtorf renders the word as sanguisuga hirudo, and it is worthy of remark that the Arabic name for the Leech, Aluk, is identical with the Hebrew Alukah.
The Leeches are very common in Palestine, and infest the rivers to such an extent that they enter the nostrils of animals who come to drink, and cause great annoyance and even danger. The following anecdote, related by Mr. H. Dixon in his "Holy Land," gives us a good idea of the prevalence of the Leeches, and the tenacity with which they retain their hold:—
"At Beit-Dejan, on a slight twist in the road, we find the wheel and well, and hear a delicious plash and rustle in the troughs. To slip from my seat to dip Sabeah's nose into the fluid is the work of a second; but no sooner has she lapped up a mouthful of water, than one sees that the refuse falling back from her lips into the tank is dabbled and red. Opening her mouth, I find a gorged leech dangling from her gum. But the reptile being swept off, and the mare's nose dipt into the cooling stream, the blood still flows from between her teeth, and, forcing them open, I find two other leeches lodged in the roof of her mouth.
"Poor little beast! how grateful and relieved she seems, how gay, how gentle, when I have torn these suckers from her flesh, and soused the water about her wounds; and how my hunting-whip yearns to descend upon the shoulders of that laughing and careless Nubian slave!"
Persons passing through the river are also attacked by them, and, if they have a delicate skin, suffer greatly. Even in England this will happen. While bathing in a Kentish stream, I have found, when coming out of the water, that numbers of Leeches were adhering to me, and have had considerable trouble in removing them.
PROTOZOA AND RADIATA.
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.
There is little to be said on either of these subjects.
Sponge is only mentioned with reference to the events of the Crucifixion, where it is related that a soldier placed a sponge upon hyssop, dipped it in vinegar (i.e. the acid wine issued to the Roman soldiers), and held it to the Lord's lips. There is little doubt that the ancient Hebrews were fully aware of the value of the Sponge, which they could obtain from the Mediterranean which skirted all their western coasts.
The Coral is mentioned in two passages of Scripture: "No mention shall be made of coral, or of pearls" (Job xxviii. 18). The second occurrence of the word is in Ezek. xxvii. 16: "They occupied in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate."
This Coral, which is described as being brought from Syria, was probably that of the Red Sea, where the Coral abounds, and where it attains the greatest perfection. The Hebrew word, ramoth, is expressive of the peculiar growth of the Coral, and signifies high, or lofty.
CORAL.
"No mention shall be made of coral."—Rev. xviii. 18.