859. The Bible is full of animal references. About eighty species of mammals are named, about twenty-five kinds of birds, eight types of reptiles and amphibians, and a dozen insects. We now know that many other living things inhabit these lands besides those named in the Bible. Yet this knowledge of approximately 125 kinds of animals reveals how remarkably familiar these ancient people were with the living things around them.
860. Sheep were the most important domestic animals of the Hebrews. Both goats and sheep provided meat, but the sheep was preferred for its wool and the goat furnished milk. Sheep were generally only eaten for sacrifices. The sheep is named more often in the Bible than any other animal-more than four hundred times.
861. The goat may have been the earliest food animal to be domesticated by man, and that probably took place in the vicinity of Jericho about nine thousand years ago. The only animal domesticated earlier was the dog! The goat is mentioned nearly two hundred times. Goats were especially appreciated for their ability to live on rough land and forage in difficult areas.
862. Cattle are actually descended from a wild breed of ox. They were used early on in the Bible for their milk, although the bulls were eventually prized even more for their abilities to carry heavy loads. Cows even carried the Ark of the Covenant back to Israel (1 Sam. 6:7)!
863. Cows are much more difficult to keep than sheep and goats. Cattle require more care, as well as a constant food supply, when they are in permanent settlements. Because Abraham lived much of his life as a nomad, he may have maintained cows, but certainly not as many as his sheep and goats.
