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Home » Bible Encyclopedias » Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature » Letter A

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Ass

Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature

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Common Ass

[image]

Fig. 63—Domestic Ass of Western Asia

The common working ass of Western Asia (called in the Hebrew Chamor), is an animal of small stature, frequently represented on Egyptian monuments with panniers on the back, usually of a reddish color. It appears to be a domesticated race of the wild ass of Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Southern Persia.

In its natural state it never seeks woody, but upland pasture, mountainous and rocky retreats; and it is habituated to stand on the brink of precipices (a practice not entirely obliterated in our own domestic races), whence, with protruded ears, it surveys the scene below, blowing and at length braying in extreme excitement. This habit is beautifully depicted by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 17:6; Jeremiah 48:6).

The Authorized Version translates the Hebrew words Oir, Oirim, 'young ass,' 'colt;' but this rendering does not appear on all occasions to be correct, the word being sometimes used where the Oirim or Ourim carry loads and till the ground, which seems to afford evidence of, at least, full growth (Isaiah 30:6; Isaiah 30:24). The word Aton, Atunuth, is unsatisfactorily rendered 'she-ass,' unless we suppose it to refer to a breed of greater beauty and importance than the common, namely, the silver grey of Africa; which being large and indocile, the females were anciently selected in preference for riding, and on that account formed a valuable kind of property. It is now the fashion, as it was during the Parthian empire, and probably in the time of the Judges, to dapple this breed with spots of orange or crimson, or of both colors together; and although the taste may be puerile, we conceive that it is the record of remote conquest achieved by a nation of Central Asia mounted on spotted or clouded horses, and revived by the Parthians, who were similarly equipped.

As this animal was most serviceable to man, its name was held in respect rather than contempt. It is alleged, indeed, that the ass was held in contempt in Egypt; but among the Arabs and Jews we have 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness,' a solemn allusion derived from the wild ass, almost the only voice in the desert; and in the distinguishing epithet of Mirvan II, last Ommiad caliph, who was called the wild ass of Mesopotamia—proofs that no idea of contempt was associated with the prophet's metaphor, and that, by such a designation, no insult was intended to the person or dignity of the prince.

Wild Ass

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Bibliography Information
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Ass'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​kbe/​a/ass.html.
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