{"id":4497,"date":"2025-03-05T23:10:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T23:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/de\/?p=4497"},"modified":"2026-05-02T12:06:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T11:06:53","slug":"other-mammals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/other-mammals","title":{"rendered":"Non-terrestrial Mammals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The \u00abbeasts of the field\u00bb are mammals \u2013 but not all mammals are \u00abbeasts of the field\u00bb. Since cultivated manatees and whales would surely not like to find themselves in the volume on \u00abFish, Reptiles, and Swarming Creatures\u00bb, and bats would not truly feel at home in the volume \u00abThe Birds of the Heavens\u00bb either, these exotics are given a separate chapter here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-see-frase.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1517\" height=\"939\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-see-frase.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5078\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-see-frase.jpg 1517w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-see-frase-300x186.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-see-frase-1024x634.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-see-frase-768x475.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-see-frase-600x371.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1517px) 100vw, 1517px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Although the dugong shows extremely great anatomical, physiological, and genetic similarities to the \u00abbeasts of the field\u00bb, as an aquatic creature it nevertheless moves in a completely different element. This calls to mind that the Lord Jesus \u00abwas found in bodily form as a man\u00bb (Phil 2:7) and yet was a man \u00abfrom heaven\u00bb (Joh 3:31; 1Cor 15:47).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><strong>Manatees<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the description of the tabernacle and its furnishings, the Hebrew term <em>tachasch<\/em> is used thirteen times to designate a leather from which the uppermost of the four coverings over the two compartments, as well as the coverings of the furnishings during transport, were made. The meaning of this term was long a riddle. In the LXX it was understood as a color and translated with <em>hyakinthinos<\/em> (cf. Rev 9:17) \u2013 hyacinth-colored. This term refers to the mineral hyacinth or jacinth(us), which is also mentioned in the Bible (Rev 21:20). Today, yellow and yellow-red to reddish-brown varieties of zircon crystals are called by this name, but in Greek usage it denoted a dark violet. This can be seen from the fact that various species names such as garden hyacinth, hyacinth macaw, or hyacinth hummingbird were given because of their intense blue coloration. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to trace what moved the Jewish translators at the time to render it this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since <em>tachasch<\/em> occurs in 13 of 14 verses in connection with the word <em>or<\/em> for \u00abhide\/skin\u00bb, and in this combination typically denotes an animal species, and since Tachasch already occurs in Abraham\u2019s time as a male name (Gen 22:24), which likewise points more to an animal name, the idea of looking for a color (or another quality such as \u00abdurable, high-grade, finely tanned \u2026\u00bb) played little role going forward. The question, then, was: Which animal lies behind the word <em>tachasch<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Luther translated \u00abbadger skins\u00bb, and most German Bibles followed him in the past. So one tried to apply properties of the badger to the person of the Lord Jesus: the badger supposedly lived as a solitary creature (which is not true) and thus pointed to the Lord\u2019s loneliness on this earth; it was said to be very watchful, like the Lord \u00abwatched over the right hand of God\u00bb; and its fur had \u00abnothing attractive\u00bb (that is certainly a matter of taste; in any case it has a fine, silvery sheen), just as the Lord was outwardly unimpressive. Yet it has long been known that the European badger (<em>Meles meles<\/em>), which Luther had in mind and to which these interpretations refer, was never native to Israel. The honey badger (<em>Mellivora capensis<\/em>), by contrast, is at home there, and since it is otherwise not mentioned in the Bible and has an exceptionally tough and thick hide, it seemed to be a suitable candidate. It would, however, be a striking exception if all the holy implements as well as the sanctuary and the Most Holy Place of the tabernacle had been covered with the hide of an unclean animal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Various other solutions were discussed. Some scholars proposed \u00abram skins\u00bb \u2013 although rams, i.e., castrated male sheep, did not exist in Israel at all, and the hides of castrated animals would hardly have differed from \u00abrams\u2019 skins\u00bb, which already formed the covering beneath. Others thought of the unicorn (which turned out to be a mythical creature), the desert lynx or caracal (<em>Caracal caracal<\/em>), an unclean predatory cat native to Israel, or the giraffe (<em>Giraffa camelopardalis<\/em>), which is a clean animal and was formerly still found in Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, linguists noticed that the old Arabic word <em>tuchasch<\/em> denotes leather made from marine mammals (dolphins, sirenians), a term already in use in Ancient Egypt. There is little historical evidence for hunting the fast and shy dolphins, but sea cows are sluggish and can be harpooned from swift boats when they surface every few minutes to breathe. The dugong (<em>Dugong dugon<\/em>), formerly also called the fork-tailed sea cow or sea pig, could be a suitable supplier. To this day it occurs along the coasts of the Red Sea, and its hide can be made into a high-quality, thick, durable leather. How difficult linguistic reconstruction is becomes apparent when one considers that even in modern Arabic different names are used for this species: <em>bugarah-al-bahr<\/em> (\u00absea cow\u00bb in Bahrain, Qatar, UAE), <em>arus-al-bahr<\/em> (\u00absea bride\u00bb in Saudi Arabia), <em>nagat-al-bahr<\/em> (\u00absea camel\u00bb in the northern regions of the Red Sea, Egypt, Jordan), and <em>taweelah<\/em> \/ <em>al-jild<\/em> (southern Arabia, Yemen).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-ish-han-dugong.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"973\" height=\"926\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-ish-han-dugong.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-ish-han-dugong.jpg 973w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-ish-han-dugong-300x286.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-ish-han-dugong-768x731.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-ish-han-dugong-600x571.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 973px) 100vw, 973px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nothing is impossible: in Southeast Asia the Toyota Vios is available as a special model with an interior made of fine dugong leather. This high-quality material is otherwise used mainly for fashion accessories (handbags, wallets, belts, etc.).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is yet another indication supporting this identification: while in the six verses that speak of the covering over the tabernacle (Ex 25:5; 26:14; 35:7, 23; 36:19; 39:34) the plural <em>orot tachaschim<\/em> is used, for the coverings of the implements each time only a single hide \u2013 <em>or tachasch<\/em> (Num 4:6, 8, 10\u201312, 14, 25) \u2013 is mentioned. Since we know some dimensions of the furnishings, we can calculate that a large hide is needed to cover them completely. The flayed skin of the dugong meets this requirement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As for the classification as \u00abclean\u00bb or \u00abunclean\u00bb, the rabbis disagree. Since, in the majority view, creatures that must surface because they need air to breathe do not count among the creatures that \u00abare in the water\u00bb (Lev 11:9; Deut 14:9) and require \u00abfins and scales\u00bb in order to be clean, the dugong does not fall under the ban: \u00abEverything in the water that does not have fins and scales shall be an abomination to you\u00bb (Lev 11:12; cf. Deut 14:10). As a plant-eater, it is therefore to be regarded as clean. All in all, the argument for the dugong is today considered so compelling that newer revisions follow it and translate <em>tachasch<\/em> as \u00absea cow\u00bb, or at least explain it that way in a note.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since most details of the tabernacle, its implements, and its regulations can be understood as symbolic pointers to God\u2019s then still future work of redemption and to the person of the Lord Jesus, it is very natural to look for them everywhere. In view of the difficulties described in assigning all details precisely, one should not become too fixated on one interpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let us assume, then, that it really was the hide of the dugong, which at that time was tanned into fine leather and used as the outer, weather-protecting covering. This mammal lives in the sea, which in the Bible is used repeatedly as a symbol of turbulent humanity and its peoples in rebellion against God (e.g., Ps 65:8; Isa 17:12; 57:20; Rev 17:15) \u2013 the world dominated and churned up by Satan. Into the midst of this turmoil came the Lord Jesus: He was born in an occupied land under foreign rule and, as a child, had to flee to another country. He stood amid the tensions of the expectations of various political and religious groups yet took no side; rather, He repeatedly emphasized that He and His kingdom were not \u00abof this world\u00bb (Joh 17:14, 16; 18:36). That the dugong surfaces every few minutes to breathe reminds us that the Lord Jesus stood in constant communion with His Father in heaven (Joh 14:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1873\" height=\"852\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5080\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung.jpg 1873w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung-300x136.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung-1024x466.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung-768x349.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung-1536x699.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-zelt-anschauung-600x273.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1873px) 100vw, 1873px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In the Bible Center Breckerfeld, this full-size model of the tabernacle was built in 1985. Since 1995 it has stood in Israel\u2019s Negev Desert (Timna Park), where the author took this photo in 2019. The outer covering has already faded considerably, but in this way, it resembles undyed dugong leather.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the outside, the roof of brown-gray hides must in any case have stood in striking contrast to the gleaming elements of gold, silver, and bronze and to the artistically woven, colorful curtains surrounding it. That would indeed be a pointer to the outward inconspicuousness of the Lord Jesus, as Isaiah prophetically describes it: \u00abHe had no form and no majesty; and when we saw him, he had no appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and like one from whom men hide their faces; he was despised, and we esteemed him not\u00bb (Isa 53:2\u20133).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Whale<\/strong>s<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The order of whales (<em>Cetacea<\/em>) includes about 90 species, which are divided into the suborders of baleen whales (Mysticeti) and toothed whales (<em>Odontoceti<\/em>). The toothed whales also include the family of dolphins, which in English usage are not referred to as whales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-extra-01.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1145\" height=\"944\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-extra-01.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5088\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-extra-01.jpg 1145w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-extra-01-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-extra-01-1024x844.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-extra-01-768x633.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-extra-01-600x495.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1145px) 100vw, 1145px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether whales are mentioned in the Bible cannot be said with certainty. In the creation account, among the water creatures created on the fifth day, <em>ha-tannim ha-gedolim<\/em> \u2013 \u00abthe long ones, the great ones\u00bb \u2013 are mentioned (Gen 1:21), which is translated as \u00absea monsters, great sea or marine animals\u00bb, whereas \u00abthe long ones\u00bb is a nonspecific expression also used for snakes (Ex 7:9, 10, 12; Ps 91:13), jackals (12x), and monsters such as Leviathan (Isa 27:1) and \u00abRahab\u00bb (Isa 51:9). The latter evoke dinosaurs or marine reptiles more readily. Only in the Menge translation does the whale appear: \u00abThere go the ships, and Leviathan [Heb. <em>livyatan<\/em>], which you formed to play in it\u00bb (Ps 104:26).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-w-aal.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"941\" height=\"919\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-w-aal.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-w-aal.jpg 941w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-w-aal-300x293.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-w-aal-768x750.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-w-aal-600x586.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 941px) 100vw, 941px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Well, if that is not \u00ablong\u00bb! The longest blue whale (<em>Balaenoptera musculus<\/em>) ever measured was 33.6 meters from the \u00abtip of the nose\u00bb to the base of the tail. As far as is currently known, there is no living or extinct animal that would surpass it in weight and size. As to their diet, these giants are peaceful plankton-eaters that filter enormous quantities of tiny crustaceans from seawater with their specialized baleen. Although it is so huge, its throat is so narrow that anatomically it would probably not be capable of swallowing a human being. The same is true of the other species of baleen whales.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If then, large sea creatures in general are meant here, whales are certainly their most prominent representatives. No living or extinct animal exceeds the dimensions of the blue whale (<em>Balaenoptera musculus<\/em>), which at 33 meters in length from head to fluke is truly \u00ablong\u00bb, and whose maximum weight of up to 200 tons is not even approximately reached \u2013 nor has ever been reached \u2013 by any other animal (possibly with the exception of the extinct whale <em>Perucetus colossus<\/em>, discovered only in 2023). Since this blue-whale giant, in its basic body plan, essentially corresponds to the \u00abanimals of the field\u00bb, it is worth looking closely and gaining insights into the divine craft of creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When they hear the word \u00abwhale\u00bb, many think first of the story of the prophet Jonah, who was swallowed by a \u00abgreat fish\u00bb (Hebrew: <em>dag gadol<\/em>; Jon 2:1). In the New Testament, this animal is designated by the Greek word <em>ketos<\/em> (Mt 12:40), which likewise denotes large aquatic creatures in a general way. In the taxonomic name of whales, Cetacea, one can hear both the Greek <em>ketos<\/em> and the Latin <em>cetus<\/em>. But that does not necessarily mean that the Jonah story involved a representative of the whales, whose scientific order name was coined only in 1762.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is conceivable both that God created a suitable sea creature specifically for this special purpose, and that He preserved Jonah in a miraculous way inside a living creature known to us \u2013 whether recent or already extinct. In that case, the sperm whale (<em>Physeter macrocephalus<\/em>) would be a suitable candidate. It is certainly capable of swallowing a human being and taking him into its large throat pouch or stomach. Although sperm whales have become rare in the Mediterranean (and unfortunately worldwide), they have always occurred there and can still be observed from time to time. Only in May 2022, a bull weighing almost 50 tons was sighted directly off the Israeli coast at Haifa. With such a weight and about 20 meters in length, sperm whales (like the extinct giant shark Megalodon) belong to the largest predators of all time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1675\" height=\"854\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5082\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen.jpg 1675w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen-300x153.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen-1024x522.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen-768x392.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen-1536x783.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-might-happen-600x306.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1675px) 100vw, 1675px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The sperm whale (<em>Physeter macrocephalus<\/em>) is predatory and belongs to the toothed whales. It would easily be capable of swallowing an adult human being \u00abskin and hair\u00bb.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1912\" height=\"621\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5086\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225.jpg 1912w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225-300x97.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225-1024x333.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225-768x249.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225-1536x499.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-Andere-S225-600x195.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1912px) 100vw, 1912px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another sea creature that could be considered is the whale shark (<em>Rhincodon typus<\/em>), which, however, belongs to the sharks and thus to the fish (and not to the mammals) and is mentioned here only for completeness. It is indeed a plankton-eater like the gigantic baleen whales, but as \u00abbycatch\u00bb it also ingests larger pieces. Unlike the baleen whales, it has a wide throat through which a human being might well slide down unharmed, if God were to \u00abappoint\u00bb the animal for this purpose. However, it has never been sighted in the Mediterranean and prefers tropical waters. Whether it was a whale, a whale shark, or another animal, in any case it had no \u00abfreedom of choice\u00bb, but did exactly what the Creator wanted \u2013 just as before it did the storm wind and the lot, and afterward the plant, the worm, and the \u00abscorching east wind\u00bb (Jon 1:4, 7, 11; 4:6\u20138). The only work of creation in this story that refuses the Creator\u2019s commission is a human being who knows his God and Creator (Jon 1:3, 9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although there are several reports of people who survived a stay inside a sea creature, these are not decisive for understanding Jonah\u2019s story. The Bible calls the event a \u00absign\u00bb (Mt 12:40; 16:4; Lk 11:29, 30), thereby expressing that it was a miracle, that is, a supernatural event with deeper spiritual meaning (Acts 2:22). It is not helpful to look for natural explanations where the Bible clearly identifies events as supernatural or extraordinary (Lk 5:26: <em>paradoxos<\/em>). What happened to Jonah is a pointer to the miracle of Jesus\u2019 resurrection from the dead: \u00abFor just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth\u00bb (Mt 12:40).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Again and again it becomes an object of mockery that the bat, with the Hebrew designation <em>atallef<\/em> (Lev 11:19; Deut 14:18; Isa 2:20), is allegedly listed in the Bible as a \u00abbird\u00bb. Note that in the enumeration of the <em>of<\/em>, which means nothing other than \u00abflyers\u00bb, it is listed at the very end: \u00aband the bat\u00bb (Lev 11:19). In the context of the dietary laws, this arrangement makes sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1586\" height=\"754\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1.jpg 1586w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1-300x143.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1-1024x487.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1-768x365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1-1536x730.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-vogel-ahnlich-1-600x285.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1586px) 100vw, 1586px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A bat is no more a bird than a whale is a fish. In a simplified grouping, both often end up in a category other than the one the biologist would expect. The greater mouse-eared bat (<em>Myotis myotis<\/em>) is among the species native to Israel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shortsighted, on the other hand, is anyone who expects today\u2019s taxonomy (which, incidentally, is not set in stone either) in the Bible and therefore concludes that people in antiquity would not have noticed the differences. It was certainly known that bats have neither feathers nor a beak, build no nests, and lay no eggs. But since they share with the flyers the air as their sphere of action as the central trait, they are no more alien to them in a natural classification than ostriches, which share all other traits but live on the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-bat-man.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"903\" height=\"538\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-bat-man.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-bat-man.jpg 903w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-bat-man-300x179.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-bat-man-768x458.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-bat-man-600x357.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 903px) 100vw, 903px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Brazilian free-tailed bat (<em>Tadarida brasiliensis<\/em>) occurs only in the New World, but when it comes to the subject of the art of flight it absolutely must be mentioned. Its performance shows that bats are the equal of birds. While the peregrine falcon and the common swift claim the absolute speed records in a dive, this unfeathered hunter scores with the highest sustained speed in level flight: 160 kilometers per hour. Thus \u00abthe fastest mouse in Mexico\u00bb is also the fastest mammal!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even in our biologically enlightened age, people do not always think only in taxonomic categories. The best proof of this is that the New Zealand long-tailed bat (<em>Chalinolobus tuberculatus<\/em>) was chosen by Kiwis as \u00abBird of the Year 2021\u00bb, and this was neither an error nor a misunderstanding. It is assumed that the biblical name of the bat derives from the verb <em>ataf<\/em> \u2013 \u00abto wrap, to cloak\u00bb (cf. Ps 73:6) \u2013 and comes from the fact that the animals hang from the ceiling wrapped in their flight membranes. Today, 31 bat species occur in Israel, 30 of which are strict insect-eaters. They make an important contribution to pest control and are protected by conservation law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1553\" height=\"934\" src=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5085\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg.jpg 1553w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg-1024x616.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg-768x462.jpg 768w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg-1536x924.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/HP-frucht-zwerg-600x361.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1553px) 100vw, 1553px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Egyptian fruit bat (<em>Rousettus aegyptiacus<\/em>) is a fruit-eater that enjoys virtually all cultivated kinds of fruit. The young animal in the picture is still small, but adults reach a wingspan of up to 60 centimeters and have a hearty appetite. For farmers, these winged \u00abharvest helpers\u00bb are therefore not very popular.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Egyptian fruit bat (<em>Rousettus aegyptiacus<\/em>), which is indeed a bat-like mammal but not a \u00abbat\u00bb in the narrower sense \u2013 rather, a fruit bat \u2013 has the largest population and feeds on fruits such as bananas, oranges, grapes, mangoes, apricots, peaches, and apples. For that reason, it is not especially welcome among farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-small-font-size is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"line-height:1\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sources (Manatees):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hofman, I: <em>Welches Tier lieferte die biblischen Tachasch-Felle?<\/em> Anthropos 1978; 73(1\/2):49-68; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/40459224\">https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/40459224<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kiene, PF: <em>Das Heiligtum Gottes in der W\u00fcste Sinai <\/em>(6th ed., p. 64: The covering of badger skins). Asslar (Schulte &#038; Gerth) 1992<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Neufeld, E: <em>Fabrication of objects from fish and sea animals in ancient Israel<\/em>. Journal of the Ancient Near Eastern Society 1973; 5(1)309-324; <a href=\"https:\/\/janes.scholasticahq.com\/article\/2162.pdf\">https:\/\/janes.scholasticahq.com\/article\/2162.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noonan, BJ: <em>Hide or Hue? Defining Hebrew <\/em><em>\u05e9\u05c1\u05d7\u05b7\u05ea\u05b7\u05bc<\/em>. Biblica 2012; 93(4):580-589; &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/42617309\">https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/42617309<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pollock, AJ: <em>The Tabernacle\u2018s Typical Teaching<\/em> (p. 42). Crewe, GB (Scripture Truth Publications) 2009<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Preen, A; Das, H; Al-Rumaidh, M: <em>Dugongs in Arabia<\/em> (aus: Sirenian conservation: Issues and strategies in developing countries, S. 91-98). University Press of Florida 2012; doi: 10.2307\/j.ctvx079z0.16<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Solomon, R: <em>What was the Tachash Covering in the Tabernacle?<\/em> accessed 27\/06\/04.2023; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetorah.com\/article\/what-was-the-tachash-covering-the-tabernacle\">https:\/\/www.thetorah.com\/article\/what-was-the-tachash-covering-the-tabernacle<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-small-font-size is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"line-height:1\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sources (Whales):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bianucci, G; Lambert, O; Urbina, M<em>: A heavyweight early whale pushes the boundaries of vertebrate morphology<\/em>. Nature 2023; 620:824\u2013829; doi: 10.1038\/s41586-023-06381-1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fokus Jerusalem: <em>Israels erster riesiger Pottwal \u201eKim\u201c vor Haifa gesichtet<\/em>; report dated 15.05.2022; accessed 28\/06\/04.2023; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fokus-jerusalem.tv\/2022\/05\/15\/israels-erster-riesiger-pottwal-kim-vor-haifa-gesichtet\">https:\/\/www.fokus-jerusalem.tv\/2022\/05\/15\/israels-erster-riesiger-pottwal-kim-vor-haifa-gesichtet<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grigg, R: <em>Jona und der gro\u00dfe Fisch<\/em>. accessed 27\/06\/04.2023; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sch\u00f6pfung.info\/index.php\/artikel-fische\/89\">https:\/\/www.sch\u00f6pfung.info\/index.php\/artikel-fische\/89<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hobson, M: <em>K\u00f6nnen Wale Menschen verschlucken?<\/em> National Geographic, 10.08.2021; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.de\/tiere\/2021\/08\/koennen-wale-menschen-verschlucken\">https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.de\/tiere\/2021\/08\/koennen-wale-menschen-verschlucken<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Podbregar, N: <em>Urzeit-Wal k\u00f6nnte schwerstes Tier aller Zeiten gewesen sein<\/em>. Bild der Wissenschaft, 02.08.2023; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wissenschaft.de\/erde-umwelt\/urzeit-wal-koennte-schwerstes-tier-aller-zeiten-gewesen-sein\">https:\/\/www.wissenschaft.de\/erde-umwelt\/urzeit-wal-koennte-schwerstes-tier-aller-zeiten-gewesen-sein<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-small-font-size is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"line-height:1\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Sources (Bats):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avivi, E: <em>The Bats of Israel Yesterday and Today<\/em>: 1989-90. BATS Magazine 2012<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barkhausen, B: <em>Spott im Internet: Neuseeland w\u00e4hlt Fledermaus zum \u201eVogel des Jahres\u201c<\/em>. Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland (RND) 02.11.2021; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnd.de\/panorama\/spott-im-internet-neuseeland-waehlt-fledermaus-zum-vogel-des-jahres-GW2J55A3DVBAFNQW6PF5O7EASI.html\">https:\/\/www.rnd.de\/panorama\/spott-im-internet-neuseeland-waehlt-fledermaus-zum-vogel-des-jahres-GW2J55A3DVBAFNQW6PF5O7EASI.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">F\u00e4hnders, T: <em>Neuseeland w\u00e4hlt Fledermaus zum \u201eVogel des Jahres\u201c<\/em>. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 01.11.2021; https:\/\/ <a href=\"http:\/\/www.faz.net\/aktuell\/gesellschaft\/tiere\/vogel-des-jahres-neuseeland-waehlt-fledermaus-17612874.html\">www.faz.net\/aktuell\/gesellschaft\/tiere\/vogel-des-jahres-neuseeland-waehlt-fledermaus-17612874.html<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Korine, C; Izhaki, I; Arad, Z: <em>Is the Egyptian fruit-bat Rousettus aegyptiacus a pest in Israel? An analysis of the bat&#8217;s diet and implications for its conservation<\/em>. Biological Conservation 1999; 88(3):301-306; doi: 10.1016\/S0006-3207(98)00126-8<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Max-Planck-Gesellschaft: <em>Fledermaus ist schneller als jeder Vogel &#8211; Brasilianische Freischwanz-Fledermaus erreicht 160 Stundenkilometer<\/em>. Scinexx 11.11.2016; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scinexx.de\/news\/biowissen\/fledermaus-ist-schneller-als-jeder-vogel\">https:\/\/www.scinexx.de\/news\/biowissen\/fledermaus-ist-schneller-als-jeder-vogel<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McCracken, GF; Safi, K; Kunz, TH: <em>Airplane tracking documents the fastest flight speeds recorded for bats<\/em>. Royal Society open science 2016; 3(11):160398-160398; doi: 10.1098\/rsos.160398<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-small-font-size is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"line-height:1\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:100%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wikipedia: Dugong plowing the seafloor \/ Julien Willem \/\/ Whale &#038; dolphin collage \/ LittleJerry \/\/ Blue whale with length indication \/ NOAA Fisheries \/\/ Size comparison sperm whale\u2013diver \/ Kurzon \/\/ Egyptian fruit bat baby \/ Mickey Samuni-Blank<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">other licenses: Title \u2013 Dugong swimming freely \/ Shutterstock ID_2076189904 \/ vkilikov \/\/ Sperm whale with open mouth \/ Shutterstock ID_2192775063 \/ Martin Prochazkacz \/\/ Greater mouse-eared bat \/ Shutterstock ID_1239228343 \/ FJAH \/\/ Brazilian free-tailed bat \/ Shutterstock ID_2379579587 \/ Poetra.RH<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The \u00abbeasts of the field\u00bb are mammals \u2013 but not all mammals are \u00abbeasts of the field\u00bb.<br \/> Since cultivated manatees and whales would surely not[\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4498,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"remove_blocks_before_content":false,"remove_blocks_after_content":false,"disable_reading_progress_bar":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-animals-of-the-field"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4497"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5504,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4497\/revisions\/5504"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parquediscovery.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}