These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth; the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,
These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth. The list comprises small quadrupeds as well as reptiles proper.
The weasel, х hacholed (H2467)]. This term includes the species of Genetta, Herpestes, and other small carnivora, specimens of which have been recently brought from Palestine by Mr. Tristram, and have been deposited in the British Museum. [Septuagint, hee galee, or galeee, which signifies a weasel or a cat.] Several species of Mustelidoe, known to reside in and near Palestine, are supposed to be collectively designated by this term. They appear, both anciently and among ourselves, collected into a kind of group, under an impression that they belong to the feline family. Hence, we, like the ancients, still use the words tree-cat, pole-cat, etc.; and in reality, numbers of the species have retractile claws, the pupils of their eyes being contractile, and they even bear the same streaked liveries as cats (Ainsworth, 'Biblical Institute,' 1859).
The mouse, х haa`akbaar (H5909)]. This may refer to the species of Arvicola (field-mouse), or Gerbillus, or Acomys, as well as Mustelidoe (Professor Owen's 'Report of the British Museum to the Government,'
1865).
The tortoise after his kind, х hatsaab (H6632); Septuagint, hokrokodeilos ho chersaios, the land tortoise]. The forms to which reference is made by this term are exemplified by the specimens of Testudo Groeca, and of Emys Caspica, which Mr. Tristram has shown to range to the Holy Land (Professor Owen's 'Report of the British Museum to the Government,' 1865). Dr. Shaw considers the tzab identical with a lizard called by the Arabs dhab, corresponding in form and in the hard-pointed scales of the tail with the caudiverbera or shake-tail, (Bochart, 'Hieroz.,' lib. 4:, ch. 1:). This lizard Isaiah 18 inches long, and 3 or 4 inches broad across the back. It is poisonous; and if hunted, hides itself deep in the ground, which it penetrates with its nose (Jackson's 'Account of Morocco,' quoted by Dr. Harris, 'Natural History of the Bible').