889. The earliest statements about bird migrations came from Jeremiah. No one in the ancient world, however, seemed to know for sure where migrating birds came from, why they left, or where they flew next. "Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons; and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration" (Jer. 8:7). The white stork is unmistakable in flight because of its sharply pointed head and extended neck, long dangling legs, and slowly flapping wings. Flocks of several thousand of them pass over the Holy Land at a time.
890. Sparrows were eaten as food. They were carefully hunted and sold in the marketplace. Jesus spoke of two sparrows being sold for a farthing.
891. Jonah was swallowed by "a great fish." There has been considerable dispute, however, about what sea creature is large enough to swallow anything the size of a human. A likely creature that swallowed Jonah is a true fish-the man-eating white shark, often found in the Mediterranean. This shark is extremely large, occasionally up to sixty feet in length, and it is quite capable of swallowing a human. It can also store food in its belly for many days without digesting it.
892. Snakes, or serpents, are part of the reptile family and receive some mention in the Bible. Satan appeared as a serpent to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Moses held up a brass serpent figure to cure the bites of snakes on the people. Later it became a worshiped object. Interestingly most of the references found in the New Testament are metaphorical rather than literal.
893. Lizards are the most common reptile in the Bible region. They were an unclean creeping animal as described in Leviticus 11:29-39, and though common, they were not appreciated as a food source.
