Gier Eagle
GIER-EAGLE
Probably an Egyptian vulture, horrid and filthy, but very useful as a carrion-bird, Lev 11:18 . See VULTURE.
Fuente: American Tract Society Bible Dictionary
Gier Eagle
See Vulture
Fuente: Plants Animals Of Bible
Gier-eagle
[i.e., vulture-eagle] ( , racham’, Lev 11:18, and [with paragogic] racha’anah, 3, Deu 14:17, prob. so called from its tenderness to its young; Sept. , and , Vulg. porphyrio), probably a smaller species of vulture, the Vultur percnopterus of Siam (Bochart, Hieroz. 3:56). It is about the size of a raven, has an almost triangular bald and wrinkled head, a strong pointed beak, black at the tip, large eyes and ears, the latter entirely on the outside, and long feet. The”male is white, with black wings; the female has a brown body. It lives entirely upon carrion. It is called in Arabic zoology racham, the exact equivalent of the Heb. name (Freytag’s Selecta ex Hist. Halelei, Paris, 1819, page 87), and is found in Arabia and Syria (Burkhardt, 2:681, 864; Russel’s Aleppo, 2:195), and likewise in Egypt, the streets of Cairo being infested With this disgusting but useful bird (Hassenquist, Trav. page 195). SEE EAGLE.
As to the identity of the bird in question, Gesner had already figured (De Aquila quem Percnopterum vocant, page 199) the Barbary variety, and pointed out the racham of Scripture as the identical species; but Bruce first clearly established the fact of its agreement with the Egiyptiasn variety, popularly called “Pharaoh’s chicken.” The rachama of the former writer is apparently the Ak-Bobha (“white father”) of the Turks, and forms one of a small group of vulturidse, subgenerically distinguished by the name of Percnopterus and Neophron, differing from the other vultures in the bill being longer, straight, more attenuated, and then urinated, and in the back of the head and neck being furnished with longish, narrow, sub-erectile feathers, beet, like true vulture’s, having the pouch on the breast exposed and the sides of the head and throat bars and livid. The great wing-coverts are partly, and the quill-feathers entirely of a black and blackish asb-color; those of the head, nape, smaller wing-coverts, body, and tail, in general white, with tinges of buff and rufous; the legs are flesh- color, and rather bong; and the toes are armed with sharp claws. The females are brownish. In aside the species is little bulkier than a raven, but it stands high on the legs. Always soiled with blood and garbage, offensive to the eye and nose, it yet is protected in Egrypt both by law and public opinion, for the services it renders in clearing the soil of dead carcasses putrefying in the sun, and the cultivated fields of innumerable rats, mice, and other vermin. Pious Moslems at Cairo and other places bestow a daily portion of food upon them, and upon their associates the kites, who are seen hovering conjointly in great numbers about the city. The racham extends to Palestine in the summer season, but becomes scarce towards the north, where it is not specially protected; and it accompanies caravans, feasting on their leavings and on dead camels, etc. Mr. Tristram says it breeds in great numbers in the valley of the Kedron (Ibis, 1:23).
Naturalists have referred this vulture to the , or of Aristotle (Hist. An. 9:22, 2, ed. Schneid.). The species indicated in the Scriptures is now generally admitted to be the white carrion vulture of Egypt, Percnoptersus Neophron AEgyptiacus which differs but slightly from the above description. With respect to the original imposition of the name Racham, as connected with any unusual affection for its young, there is no modern ornithologist who assigns such a quality to percnopteri more than to other birds, although it is likely that as the pelican empties its bag of fish, so this bird may void the crop to feed her brood. For the Arabian fables of the birds racham, see Bochart, Hieroz. 3:56. The Peresopterus is somewhat singularly classed, both in Leviticus and Deut., along with aquatic birds; and it may be questioned whether any animal will eat it, since, in the parallel case of Vultur aura, the turkey-buzzard or carrion- crow of America, and even the ants, have been found abstaining from its carcass, and leading it to dry up in the sun, though swarming etround and greedy of every other animal substance. SEE VULTURE. The Reverend G. E. Post, M.D., of Tripoli, Syria, suggests (Am. ed. of Smith’s Dictionary of the Bible, s.v.) that the racham of Moses may rather be a kind of pelican (Pelecana onocratalas), founds in great numbers in Egypt and about lake Hubehe, and which he says is likewise called by the Arabs racham; but this needs confirmation. SEE PELICAN.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Gier eagle
Heb. raham = “parental affection,” Lev. 11:18; Deut. 14:17; R.V., “vulture”), a species of vulture living entirely on carrion. “It is about the size of a raven; has an almost triangular, bald, and wrinkled head, a strong pointed beak, black at the tip, large eyes and ears, the latter entirely on the outside, and long feet.” It is common in Egypt, where it is popularly called “Pharaoh’s chicken” (the Neophron percnopterus), and is found in Palestine only during summer. Tristram thinks that the Hebrew name, which is derived from a root meaning “to love,” is given to it from the fact that the male and female bird never part company.
Fuente: Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Gier Eagle
racham “unclean” (Lev 11:18; Deu 14:17). The Egyptian vulture (Bruce), Neophron perenopterus; “Pharaoh’s chicken,” sacred to Isis, and noted for parental affection, which the Hebrew name, still applied commonly, ra chamah, means. Its usefulness as the scavenger of cities has secured for it legal protection, so that it is penal to kill it. It feeds on carrion, lizards, etc. Unprepossessing in look; disgusting in habits.
Fuente: Fausset’s Bible Dictionary
Gier Eagle
GIER EAGLE (gier is the same as the German Geier, vulture, hawk,) is tr. [Note: translate or translation.] in AV [Note: Authorized Version.] of rchm in Lev 11:16 and Deu 14:17, in both of which passages RV [Note: Revised Version.] has vulture. RV [Note: Revised Version.] gives gier eagle also as tr. [Note: translate or translation.] of peres in Deu 14:12, where AV [Note: Authorized Version.] has ossifrage (lit. bone-breaker). The peres is the bearded vulture or Lmmergeier, the largest and most magnificent of the vulture tribe. The adult rchm has the front of the head and the upper part of the throat and cere naked, and of a bright lemon-yellow. The plumage is of a dirty white, except the quill feathers, which are of a greyish black. Its appearance when soaring is very striking and beautiful. It is the universal scavenger of Egyptian cities. It is found in great abundance also in Palestine and Syria.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Gier-Eagle
jere-g’l (, raham; , kuknos, in Leviticus, , porphuron, in Deuteronomy): The name applied to one of the commonest of the vultures, and not an eagle at all. The word is derived from a Hebrew root, meaning to love, and was applied to the birds because mated pairs seldom separated. These were smaller birds and inferior to the largest members of the family. They nested on a solid base, lived in pairs, and not only flocked over carrion as larger species permitted, but also ate the vilest offal of all sorts, for which reason they were protected by a death penalty by one of the Pharaohs. Because of this the birds became so frequent and daring around camps, among tent-dwellers, and in cities, that they were commonly called Pharaoh’s chickens. They are mentioned in the Bible in the lists of abominations found in Lev 11:13 and Deu 14:12 (the King James Version ossifrage); Deu 14:17 the King James Version (the Revised Version (British and American) vulture).
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Gier Eagle
racham, rachamah. The name occurs only in the list of birds not to be eaten. Being classed with the swan and the pelican, it has been thought to be some water-fowl; but it is more generally considered to be the Egyptian Vulture. It visits Palestine only in the summer. It eats any carrion, and is highly respected in the East. Lev 11:18; Deu 14:17.
Fuente: Concise Bible Dictionary
Gier-eagle
Gier-eagle. An unclean bird mentioned in Lev 11:18, and Deu 14:17. Identical, in reality, as in name with the racham, of the Arabs, namely, the Egyptian vulture.
Fuente: Smith’s Bible Dictionary
Gier Eagle
, Lev 11:18; Deu 14:17. As the root of this word signifies tenderness and affection, it is supposed to refer to some bird remarkable for its attachment to its young; hence some have thought that the pelican is to be understood; and Bochart endeavours to prove that the golden vulture is meant; but there can be no doubt that it is the perenopterus of the ancients, the ach-bobba of the Arabians, particularly described by Bruce under the name of rachamah. He says, We know from Horus Apollo, that the rachma, or she vulture, was sacred to Isis, and adorned the statue of the goddess; that it was the emblem of parental affection; and that it was the hieroglyphic for an affectionate mother. He farther says, that this female vulture, having hatched her young ones, continues with them one hundred and twenty days, providing them with all necessaries; and, when the stock of food fails them, she tears off the fleshy part of her thigh, and feeds them with that and the blood which flows from the wound.
Hasselquist thus describes the Egyptian vulture: The appearance of the bird is as horrid as can well be imagined. The face is naked and wrinkled, the eyes are large and black, the beak black and crooked, the talons large, and extended ready for prey, and the whole body polluted with filth. These are qualities enough to make the beholder shudder with horror. Notwithstanding this, the inhabitants of Egypt cannot be enough thankful to Providence for this bird. All the places round Cairo are filled with the dead bodies of asses and camels; and thousands of these birds fly about and devour the carcasses, before they putrify and fill the air with noxious exhalations. No wonder that such an animal should be deemed unclean.