Dove

DOVE, a tame bird, declared by the Law of Moses to be pure: that ordains, that Levit. xii. 8. Numb. vi. 10.when any woman went to the Temple after lying-in, she should offer to the Lord a Lamb, a Dove, or Turtle, or else a young Pigeon, or a young Turtle. The Lamb was offered as a burnt-offering, the Pigeon for a sin-offering. Or if the person could not afford a Lamb, then instead of it, she offered two Pigeons, or two Turtles. It was no matter of what sex, nor perhaps of what age they were; for pullus columbæ may signify either a Pigeon in general, or a young Pigeon. The blessed Virgin, to comply with this Law, though she were not rigorously obliged to it, offered two Pigeons, or two Turtles, because she was poor. And as it was difficult for all those who came from remote places, to bring Doves with them, to offer in the Temple, the Priests gave permission for the selling of these birds in the Courts of that holy Place, which Jesus Christ could not endure; and having one day entred the Temple, he made a scourge with cords, and drove out those who traded Matth. xxi. 12.there in Pigeons.

There were besides, other occasions, upon which birds might be made a burnt-offering to the Lord, or be offered for the expiation of some sin. They who were rich offered four-footed beasts, the poor only Pigeons. The Ceremonies performed on these sacrifices were as follow: The Priest took the Turtle-dove, and wrung its neck and head with violence. Some Expositors are of opinion, that he plucked the head off intirely; Levit. v. 8. 2 Kings vi. 25.intirely; others, that he only wrung the neck; which appears to be most certain. See Levit. v. 8. He made a hole in it with his nails for the blood to run out upon the side of the Altar. The feathers and the crop he threw beside the east part of the Altar, in the place where the ashes were put which were taken from the Altar. After this, he broke the bird’s wings; and without dividing the burnt-offering, he put it on the fire of the Altar, where it was intirely consumed. If it were a sacrifice for sin, the same ceremonies were observed which I have been describing, excepting that the blood of the burnt-offering was poured out not on the sides only, but at the feet likewise of the Altar.

It is said in the second Book of Kings, chap. vi. 25. that during the siege of Samaria, in the reign of Ahab King of Israel, the famine was so great, that a quarter of a Cab of Dove’s dung was sold for five shekels; now a Cab held two pints, and something over. But we believe with Bochart, that this Dove’s dung was nothing else but a sort of chich-peas, which the Arabians called Usnen or Kali. Now the Hebrews call chich-peas parched upon a stove, Kali; of these, great quantities are used in the East, and there are many shops at Cairo and Damascus, where people do nothing else but fry chich-peas, for the provision of Travellers. See above CICER. Other passages of Scripture where there is mention of Doves, are not very difficult: for example, it is said Cant. ii. 14.in the Canticles, That the spouse is like a Dove in the clefts of the rock; because in the East there are many wild and even tame Pigeons, that settle in the hollow parts of the rocks.

Jerem. xxv. 38.Jeremiah, speaking of the ravages which would be committed in Judæa by Nebuchadnezzar, says, The land is desolate because of the fierceness of the Dove¹. And Jerem. xlvi. 16.again, Let us go again to our own people to avoid the sword of the Dove². And in another place, They shall flee every one for fear Jerem. l. 16.of the sword of the Dove. Some³ by the word Dove understand in this place, the Lord, who of a Dove was become a roaring Lion, armed with the sword, and ready to lay waste the country. Others⁴ suppose Nebuchadnezzar, King of the Chaldæans, to be meant here, who, as they say, bore a Dove in his Ensigns, in memory of Semiramis, who was said to have been metamorphosed into a Dove, or who was called Dove in the way of antiphrasis. But it is more natural and simple to translate the Hebrew Jona, an enemy, destroyer, ravager. This is an Epithet that suits admirably well with Nebuchadnezzar. The Land was made desolate by this ravager; fly from the sword of this Prince, who carries fire and terror into all places wheresoever he goes. We have no good proofs that the Chaldæans bore a Dove in their Standards.

Matth. iii. 16. Matth. x. 16. Hosea vii. 11.The Dove is the symbol of simplicity and innocency. The Holy Spirit appeared at the baptism of our Saviour in the form of a Dove. Jesus Christ recommends to his disciples the wisdom of the Serpent, and the harmlessness of the Dove. The prophet Hosea compares the Israelites to a silly Dove which hath no heart, or understanding. The Dove is a defenceless creature, without gall or cunning, exposed to the pursuit of men and beasts, which is able neither to protect itself nor its young, nor to take precaution against those who have designs upon its life and liberty. Thus the Israelites, notwithstanding the chastisements with which God afflicted them, and the captivities to which he had reduced them, still relapsed continually into their irregularities, and exposed themselves again to the same calamities.

Isaiah xxxviii. 14. and lix. 11. Nahum ii. 7. Cant. i. 15. ii. 10, 14. &c. Gen. viii. 8, 10.The Scripture in some places seems to attribute reflection and meditation to the Dove: Meditabor ut columba. And, Et quasi columbæ meditantes, &c. But this is generally understood of its cooing; Gementes ut columbæ. The Turtle and the Dove coo alike. The Spouse in the Canticles is compared often to a Dove by reason of her innocence, gentleness, candor, and fidelity. Noah sent the Dove out of the Ark, in order to get intelligence whether the waters of the Deluge were gone off. He chose the Dove, as a tame bird, an enemy to carrion and ordure; it immediately returned to him, upon its not finding where to set its foot, because the waters were not as yet retired. He sent it out a second time, and it returned with a young shoot of a green olive-tree in its beak, which had sprung out already since the Deluge. At last he sent it out a third time, and it returned no more, because the Deluge was intirely ceased.

In the East, particularly in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt, Pigeons are taught to carry letters under their wings, and bring back an answer to those who send them. The Mogul in several places appoints Pigeons to be kept for the carrying letters on particular occasions, which require very great dispatch, and they carry them from one end of his dominions to the other. The Consul of Alexandretta sends news every day to Aleppo in five hours time, tho’ these places be at the distance of three days journey for⁵ Tavernier. a horse from one another. In Holland this invention has sometimes been made use of upon the occasions of a siege. The Caravans which travel in Arabia, give notice of their march to the Arabian Princes, with whom they are in alliance, by Pigeons, under whose wings they put letters. These birds Relation des Caravannes, p. 114, 115.go with an extraordinary swiftness and rapidity, and return with still more haste, in order to be at the place where they were bred, and have their nests. Some of these Pigeons have been seen frequently lying upon the sand with their bellies in the air, and their beaks open, waiting for the dew to refresh them, and recover breath.

There are particular people in the cities of Egypt, who make a trade of teaching Pigeons this art; and others, whose principal business it is to steal Pigeons, and entice them from the Pigeon-houses of others to their own. The Hebrews exclude those from admission into their Sanhedrin, who employ themselves in matters of this kind.

DOVE’s DUNG. It is said in the second book of Kings, chap. vi. 25. that during the siege of Samaria, the fourth part of a cab of Dove’s dung sold for five pieces of silver, or shekels. The fourth part of a cab is half a pint and a little more. Five shekels make about twelve shillings sterling. It is very well known, that Dove’s Dung is not a proper nourishment for man, even in the most extreme famine. Josephus and Joseph. Antiq. l. 9. c. 2. & Theodoret. qu. 21. in Reg.Theodoret were of opinion, that this Dove’s Dung was bought instead of salt. The Rabbins affirm that it was not the Dung of Pigeons, but the corn in their crops, which they brought back well filled out of the fields, whither, during the siege, they went to feed. Junius and Fuller suppose the Dove’s belly to be meant here. But Bochart is of opinion, that under the name of Dove’s Bochart. de Animal. Sacr. t. 2. l. 1. art. 7.Dung in this place, we are to understand a sort of moss growing upon trees, or a kind of gravelly earth, which was of use to refresh people, and with which and honey mixed together, they made a sort of wine. The Arabians call it Chich-peas.

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