The natural history of the Bible ; or, A description of all the quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles, and insects, trees, plants, flowers, gums, and precious stones, mentioned in the sacred scriptures: Collected from the best authorities, and alphabetically arranged / by Thaddeus Mason Harris.

  • Thaddeus Mason Harris
Date:
1824
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The natural history of the Bible ; or, A description of all the quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles, and insects, trees, plants, flowers, gums, and precious stones, mentioned in the sacred scriptures: Collected from the best authorities, and alphabetically arranged / by Thaddeus Mason Harris. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    shark,” because it often adheres very strongly to this fish; and Hasselquist mentions it at Alexandria. ' Weems: In addition to what has been said in explanation of Luke xi. 12, under the article Ecc, may be added that the Greeks have an adage, ayri meouye cxoomiov, “ instead of a perch [fish] a scor- - ion 9.” Ne FITCHES, or vetcues; a kind of tare. | There are two words in the Hebrew, which our translators have rendered “ fitches ;” FI» KETSACH, and D> CUSMET. The first occurs only in Isai. xxviii. 25, 27, and must be the name of some kind of seed ; but the interpreters differ much 1n explaining it. Jerom, Maimonides, R. David Kimchi, and the Rabbins understand it of the git; and Rabbi Obdias de Bar- tenora expressly says that its barbarous or vulgar name is »j NIELLE, [nigella 1°] | bis The gith was called by the Greeks MeAzybiov, and by the Latins, nigella! ; and is thus described by Ballester !?: **It 1s a plant commonly met with in gardens, and grows to a cubit in height, and sometimes more, according to the richness of the soil. The leaves are small like those of fennel, the flower blue, which disappearing, the ovary shows itself on the top, like that of a poppy, furnished with little horns, oblong, divided by membranes into several partitions, or cells, in which are enclosed seeds of a very black colour, not unlike those of the leek, but of a very fragrant smell. And Ausonius, lib. xix. c. 8, observes, that its pungency is equal to that of pepper. 1 * Est inter fruges morsu piper zequiparens git.” Pliny N. H. l. xx. c. 17, says it is of use in bakehouses [pistrinis], and that it affords a grateful seasoning to bread; ** semen gratissime panes etiam condiet—* inferiorem crustam [panis] apium gitque cereali sapore condiunt.” So also Diosco- rides, lib. xix. c. 8. Dmegua perav, Opiupzu, evwdes, naTamrAucooevoy &c aprouc. And the Jewish Rabbins mention the seeds among condiments, and mixed with bread. For this purpose it was probably used in the time of Isaiah; since the inhabitants of those countries, to this day, have a variety of rusks and biscuits, most of which are strewed on the top with the seeds of sesamum, coriander, and wild garden saffron?. As in the Talmud and various Rabbinical tracts, the gith, cummin, and sesamum are mentioned in connexion !*, this may render probable the conjec- ? Erasm. chiliad. Beza in loc. ? In tract. Edajoth, c. v. $ 3. Tract. Tibbul. Jom. c. 1. § 5. 11 Salmasius in Solin. 126. 1? Hierogl. l. iii. c. 5. p. 934. .? Rauwolf, Ray's Trav. p. 95. See also Harmer's Obs. v. iii. p. 265, * On different kinds of Seeds eaten with Bread. 4 Tract Oketz. c. iii. § 3. Edajoth. c. v. § 3. Tibbul. Jom. c. i. $ 5. Bux- torf, Lexic. Talmudic. p. 2101.
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