Bird

BIRD, or Fowl. It is a disputed Point, whether Birds come out of the Earth or Water; and whether as to the use of them, they may not be placed in the Category of those Fishes, which are permitted to be eaten on fast days, when the Church forbids the use of Flesh; or whether they are really as much flesh-meat, as the four footed beasts. Opinions are divided on this question. Moses speaking of the Creation Gen. i. 20.of Birds, says, Producant aquæ reptile animæ viventis, & volatile super terram, sub firmamento cœli. Let the Waters produce living Fishes, and Fowls upon the Earth, under the Firmament of Heaven. The literal construction of the Hebrew runs thus, Let the waters produce creeping things that have life, and let the birds fly upon the earth. This Text does not clearly prove, that Fowls proceed from the Waters, as well as Fish. And Chap. ii. v. 19. of Genesis, seems to intimate, that Birds are taken from the Earth; Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air. As to the Consequence which some would draw from it, viz. That the use of Fowl as well as Fish is allowable on Fast-days, it is manifestly wrong, since Fowls are more delicate than the Flesh of four-footed beasts, and are neither less juicy, nor less contrary to the Spirit of fasting, which is Abstinence, and the Mortification of the Senses. Nec ideo te carne vesci non putes, says S. Jerom, si suum agrestium, leporum atque cervorum, & quadrupedum animantium esculentias reprobes; non enim hæc pedum numero, sed suavitate & gustu comprobantur. Hieron. Ep. 9. ad Salvinam.

The opinion of Birds proceeding from Water as well as Fish, seems to be better founded on Scripture and the Fathers. The Text of Moses very much favours it. He relates in the same place, Chap. i. v. 20. the Creation of Fish and of Fowls. He says not a word of Fowls on the sixth day, where he speaks of the Production of terrestrial Creatures, Gen. i. 24, 25. And in the Recapitulation of the Works of the fifth day, Chap. i. v. 21. he says expresly that God created Fishes, and Sea Monsters, and all the winged Fowl, according to their species. Lastly, he says, that God blessed what he had created the fifth day, and said to the Fishes, Multiply and fill the waters in the seas; and to the Fowls, Multiply in the earth. The Fathers, and the generality of Interpreters¹ have understood the Text of Moses in this Sense. They believed Fishes and Fowls to have had the same Original, and to have been created the same day.

Another proof which shews, that the Antients believed Fishes and Fowls to have sprung both from the Waters, is this, viz. They allowed themselves the use of Poultry upon days of Abstinence and Fasting; as appears in Socrates the Historian², and Nicephorus³, who say, that formerly many did eat indifferently of Fish or Fowl, upon this Supposition, that both proceeded from Water. There were several Examples of holy Persons who used Fowls, tho’ they professed Abstinence from Flesh. Epiphanius having served up a Fowl before S. Hilarion, this holy Monk refused to touch it⁴, saying, that he never eat any thing which had had life. S. Epiphanius was not, certainly, unacquainted with the rules of a monastick life, and was far from tempting S. Hilarion that he might violate them. S. Jerom in his Letter to Salvina, supposes Fowls to be sometimes used on fasting days, tho’ he did not approve the abuse which some made of this Permission, in giving a loose to their Sensuality. Bede⁵ relates, that S. Cuthbert one day put a Duck before some Monks, who came to visit him. Altho’ S. Bennet forbids his Monks to eat the Flesh of four-footed Beasts,⁶ he does not expresly prohibit that of Birds; and there are several Examples which prove, that in his Order they did eat it without scruple upon certain days in the year⁷; for example, four or eight days at Christmas, and as many at Whitsuntide; and this at such times, when his Rule was most strictly observed. Concerning this matter, see the Commentators upon Genesis, Chap. i. v. 20, 21, 22. and the Authors, who have explained S. Bennet’s Rule, Chap. xxxix. See in particular F. Haeften in his monastick Disquisitions, and F. Martenne in his Comment on S. Bennet’s Rule.

Some Interpreters⁸ have asserted, that Birds were made of the Earth as well as fourfooted Creatures; and others have maintained,⁹ that they rather proceeded from the Air, because the Air and Water are something related; and it is natural for animals to live in the Element, whence they sprang, as we see that animals produced from the Earth, live upon the Earth, Fishes as they proceeded from Water, live in Water. Thus they say, Birds living in the Air, is a strong presumption that they were made of Air. These things are treated more at length in the Commentators, as may be seen by those who have a mind to consult them.

If any one would know what Birds were clean or unclean, according to the Law, he may have recourse to Leviticus xi. 13---24, and Deut. xiv. 11, 12. and we have said something of each of them in particular under their proper titles in this Dictionary.

Birds were offered in Sacrifice upon many Occasions; for example, in the Sacrifices ordained for sin, he who had not a Lamb or a Kid, might offer two turtles or Lev. v. 7, 8. Lev. i. 14 15, 16.two young pigeons, one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, these he presented to the Priest, who offered that first which was for the sin-offering, and wrung off his head from his neck, but did not divide it asunder: the other he was to offer for a burnt-offering, according to the manner: In another place Moses relates more at length Lev. i. 15the manner wherein the Sacrifice of Fowls was performed. The Priest took that which was appointed for the Burnt-offering, brought it unto the altar, wrung off his head, and burnt it on the altar: and the blood thereof he wrung out at the side of the altar: and he pluckt away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east-part, by the place of the ashes: and he clave it with the wings thereof, but did not divide it asunder; and he burnt it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire.

Some Interpreters¹⁰ will have it, that the head of the Bird was pulled off, but others maintain, that there was only a hole opened with the nails between the head and the throat, without separating intirely the head from the body. The Text of Moses does not intimate what was done with the Head thus separated; and it is observed, that when Abraham offered Birds for a Burnt-offering, he did not cut them asunder, but placed them intire upon the other Victims which he sacrificed, Aves autem non divisit. In the Gen. xv. 10.other places where Moses speaks of the Sacrifices of Birds, he does not command the Heads to be pluckt off. See Levit. v. 7, 8. When a Man who had been smitten with a Leprosy, was healed, he came to the entrance into the Camp of Lev. xiv. 5, 6.Israel, and the Priest went out in order to discover whether he were well cured. After this the leprous person came to the door of the Tabernacle, and offered two Sparrows or two Birds alive, and pure, whereof it was lawful to eat; he made a Wisp with the Branches of Cedar and Hyssop tied together with a Thread, or Scarlet Ribbon; he filled an earthen Pot with running Water, so that the Blood of the Bird was mingled with it; then the Priest dipping the bunch of Hyssop and Cedar into the Water, sprinkled the Leper with it who was healed, after which he let the living Sparrow loose, that it might fly where it would.

As to what relates to the distinction of clean and unclean Birds: See the distinction of them above in the Article Animal.

Dead Bodies were sometimes left in Palestine, exposed to Birds of prey, as appears from several passages of Scripture. But Deut. xxxii. 24. and 2 Sam. xxi. 10. 1 Kings xiv. 11. Jerem. vii. 13. Deut. xxi. 23. xxii. 6, 7.generally they were buried in the evening; and the very Bodies of Criminals were taken down from the Gallows. There were only some extraordinary Cases wherein dead Bodies were thrown into the common Sewers.

Moses, in order to inspire the Israelites with Humanity, requires them, if they find a Bird’s Nest, not to take the Dam with the Young, but to suffer the old one to fly away, and take the Young only; that, says he, it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

It appears from Scripture, that the Baruch iii. 17.Antients hunted Birds; Baruch speaking of the Kings of Babylon, says, That they had their pastime with the fowls of the air. Dan. iii. 38.Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar, that God had made the Fowls of the Air subject to him.

The Prophets speak often of Birds of passage, of the Swallow and the Stork that Prov. xxvii. 8; xxvi. 2. Jer. viii. 7. Hos. ix. 12. xi. 12. Jer. xii. 9. 10.return to the place of their first Habitation, whereas Man does not acknowledge the Lord his God. God says, that he will recall his captive People like a Bird that cometh from a far Country.

The Lord speaking of his People, says in Jeremiah¹¹, Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird: come ye, assemble all ye beasts of the field, come to devour. As if he said, Judah was like a Bird of charming beauty, yet have I spared him whenever he offended me: have I not given him up to Birds of prey, to be devoured by them? The Hebrew may be literally translated thus, Is not mine heritage as a speckled bird, is it not with respect to me a bird shut up? one of the most beautiful birds for a cage; nevertheless have I not given given it to the beasts of prey? Some translate the Hebrew i, is not mine heritage become like an Hyena against me? is not all mine heritage filled with wild beast? &c.

The Hebrew word Zippor, translated generally Sparrow, is taken likewise in general for a small bird, and sometimes for a Pullet. The Preacher speaking of old men, Eccl. xii. 4.says, that they rise up at the voice of the bird, that is to say at the crowing of the Cock. The Greek, Ornis, signifies a Bird, a Hen ; and the Translator of Origen¹² has used pullet for bird.

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