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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    the. Medes of that time), give a dark, and at the same time majes- tic shade to the eyes,’ TE SoNNiN1, in his travels in upper and lower ain v.1. p- 963, observes, ‘The most remarkable trait of beauty m the east is large black eyes, and it is well known that nature has made this a characteristic of the women of those countries. But, not con- tent with these gifts of nature, those of Egypt employ every _ effort of art to make their eyes appear larger and blacker. For this purpose; females of every description, Mahometan, Jew, Christian, rich and poor, all tinge the eyebrows and eyelashes with black lead [Galena tessalata], known in the commerce of the Levant by the:name of alquifoux or arquifoux. ‘They re- duce it to a subtil powder, to which they give consistency by mixing it with the fuliginous vapour of a lamp. ‘The more opulent employ the fumes of amber, or some other fat and odori- ferous substance, and have the drug always prepared at hand in small phials. With this composition they themselves paint the eyebrows and eyelids, and with a small piece of wood or reed, or a feather, they likewise blacken the lashes with it by passing it with.a light hand between the two eyelids; an operation described with so much exactitude. ‘They besides mark with it the angles of the eye, which makes the fissure appear greater.” Jackson, in his History of Morocco, p. 28, also observes, * 'The eye and figure of the gazel, so well known to.all Arabian poets, are emblematical of beauty ; and the greatest compliment that can be paid to a beautiful woman is to compare her eyes to those of the gazel. Much art is employed by the Arabian females to make their eyes appear like those of this delicate animal. Eyes originally black and lively are made to appear larger and more languishing by tinging the outer corner with | Eilkahol filelly, a preparation of the lead ore procured from 'l'a- filelt, which gives an apparent elongation to the eye. The eye- lashes and eyebrows being also blackened with this composi- tion, appear peculiarly soft and languishing. , It is said also to improve and strengthen the sight. Every one who has accu- rately observed the eye of the African gazel will acquiesce in the aptness of the simile before alluded £o 12, ANUBIS. A symbolical Egyptian deity, represented by a human figure, with the head of a dog. The word ri33 NoBEH £o bark, as a dog, occurs Isai. lvi. 10. Hence, perhaps, the rr2»n HANUBEH, the barker, had his name. Virgil, Amn: viu. v. 689, and Ovid, Metam. |. ix. fab. xii. v. 689, call him, *]atrator anubis.” A ‘Babylonish idol, mentioned Isai. xlvi. 1, 1s called 33 NEBO, and the god of the Hivites, men- tioned 2 Kings, XVII. 3l, named i125 NIBHAZ, 1s supposed to be the same with Anubis. ?? Perhaps our English word coat is derived from 5m, this black substance.