Gier eagles in the Bible
Photo by Koshy Koshy of Faridabad. License CC BY 2.0 generic
Hebrew: raham = “parental affection,” Leviticus 11:18; Deuteronomy 14:17; Revised King James Version, “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 Israel only during summer. Dr. Tristram (ornithologist) thought 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. 1
- Dr. Henry Baker Tristram, The Natural History of the Bible: Being a Review of the Physical Geography, Geology and Meteorology of the Holy Land, with a Description of Every Animal and Plant Mentioned in Holy Scripture, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (London: 1867). (Tristram was a Bible scholar, ornithologist, traveler, and clergyman.)
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Article Version: January 8, 2025