LEOPARD, Pardus, a fierce and cruel Animal, the Skin whereof is spotted with a Diversity of Colours; it has small white Eyes, wide Jaws, sharp Teeth, round Ears, a large Tail, with five Claws upon its Fore-feet, and but four upon those behind. It is said to be extremely averse to Man. Its Name Leopard, shews that it has something of the Lion and the Pardus, or Male Panther; of which and a Lioness, or a Lion and a female Panther, it is said to be ingendered. The Word Leopard is not to be met with in Latin Authors till after the fourth Age. The Ancients read Pardus in Latin, and Pardalis or Panther in Greek: The Author of the Vulgate uses always Pardus, and never Leopardus.
Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, in his Epistle to the Romans, mentions the Word Leopard; which was a Reason with Bochart for affirming, that this Epistle was spurious, and not composed till the fourth Century; but Pearson and Vossius acknowledge this Epistle to be genuine, and reject the Remark made by those who maintain, that the Word Leopard was not known before Spartian, who makes Use of it in the Life of Geta.
The Eastern People call the Leopard sometimes Pars; the Arabians, Beber; the Turks, Jos; the Cathaians, Jem; the ancient Greeks, Jos, which the Latins sometimes translated Lynx, or Lupus-Cerviarius. The Persians, Turks, and Indians make Use of Leopards in hunting Antelopes and Hares1. Thamurath, King of the first Dynasty of the Persians, is said to have been the first who tamed this Creature, and had it taught to hunt Antelopes. Togrul-Ben-Arslan, Sultan of the Race of the Selgimides, brought up four Hundred of those Animals for Hunting, having all Gold Chains, and Scarlet Coverings.
Numb. xxxii. 3. 36. Is. xv. 6.It seems by the Scripture, that this Animal could not be rare in Palestine. We find a Town there called Beth-nemrah, or simply Nemrah, or Nemrin, a Leopard’s House, or simply Leopard or Leopards. Isaiah describing the happy Reign of the Messiah says, that Is. xi. 6. Jer. v. 6.the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid, and the Calf, and the young Lion, and the Fatling together. Jeremiah says, that the Leopard lyes in Ambuscade near the Cities of the wicked; that all they who go out thence shall be torn in Pieces by this Animal. And Hosea, that the Hosea xiii. 7.Lord will be unto them as a Lion, and as a Leopard, lurking in the Way of the Assyrians, to devour all those who should pass by.
The Hebrew, Nemor, which signifies a Leopard, denotes, according to the Letter, something speckled with a Variety of Colours. Jeremiah2 speaks of the Leopard’s Spots. Can the Æthiopian change his Colour, or the Leopard his Spots? The Scripture often joins the Leopard and the Lion, as Animals of Hab. i. 8.equal Fierceness. Habakkuk says, that the Chaldean Horses go more swiftly than Leopards. The Spouse in the Canticles speaks of Cant. iv. 8.the Mountains of the Leopards, that is to say, of Mountains stocked with wild Beasts; such as Libanus, Shenir, and Mount Hermon. Brocard says, that the Mountain called by the Name of Leopards is two Leagues from Tripoli Northwards, and one League from Libanus. I can scarce believe that Solomon in the Canticles had this particular Mountain in View. See Bochart concerning the Leopard in his de animalib. Sacr. l. iii. c. 7. p. 785.
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