Bird References

[awitch]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to know if your religion makes any references to birds. Do they appear in scripture, mythology, songs, symbology, or anything like that?

 

[devin553344]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to know if your religion makes any references to birds. Do they appear in scripture, mythology, songs, symbology, or anything like that?

There's a reference in the bible that comes to mind. It's in Matthew 6:26

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

 

[public hermit]

The Holy Spirit is referred to as a dove.

 

[bekkilyn]

Hello everyone,

I'd like to know if your religion makes any references to birds. Do they appear in scripture, mythology, songs, symbology, or anything like that?

In 1 Kings 17:1-6 concerning the prophet Elijah:

Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” The word of the Lord came to him, saying, “Go from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. You shall drink from the wadi, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.” So he went and did according to the word of the Lord; he went and lived by the Wadi Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the wadi.

And Genesis 8:6-12 after the flood:

At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.

MANY references such as in Jeremiah 8:12:

Even the stork in the heavens
knows its times;
and the turtledove, swallow, and crane
observe the time of their coming;
but my people do not know
the ordinance of the Lord.

God himself is often referenced as per Psalm 91:4:

he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

And of course we have this very popular verse Isaiah 40:31:

but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

There is so much of nature and creation all throughout Hebrew and Christian scriptures that it often amazes me how little care people give to the earth and all the wonderful and unique creatures, such as the birds, living in it.

 

[awitch]

There's a reference in the bible that comes to mind. It's in Matthew 6:26

26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

An interesting verse since there are many species of birds such as chickadees, nuthatches and corvids (crows, jays, and magpies) that do cache food year round.; a single bird may cache food in thousands of locations and will remember where they are when food becomes scarce. Barn swallows often live in barns (They are beautiful and very aerobatic fliers).

But I do like the idea that a god feeds the birds.

 

[awitch]

The Holy Spirit is referred to as a dove.

Doves and pigeons are in the same family, Columbidae and can be found almost everyone on the planet except maybe Antarctica and the Sahara. The social birds are excellent fliers and navigators.

 

[Scann]

1 Kings 17:1-7 Elijah is fed by the ravens. This story was what I heard through a cassette tape. The pastor mentioned that the raven was an unclean bird(according to the Torah) but helped Elijah anyway. He compared the situation to when Schindler an "unclean sinful" man helped out the Jews during the Holocaust. I dunno what to make of it though.

 

[awitch]

There is so much of nature and creation all throughout Hebrew and Christian scriptures that it often amazes me how little care people give to the earth and all the wonderful and unique creatures, such as the birds, living in it.

So true, and especially the ravens.
I had the pleasure of meeting one close up last year around this time for a Halloween theme bird show. They are massive birds and highly intelligent.

 

[bekkilyn]

So true, and especially the ravens.
I had the pleasure of meeting one close up last year around this time for a Halloween theme bird show. They are massive birds and highly intelligent.

I have more regular interactions with crows, but very similar in intellect, and wonderful personalities!

 

[awitch]

1 Kings 17:1-7 Elijah is fed by the ravens. This story was what I heard through a cassette tape. The pastor mentioned that the raven was an unclean bird(according to the Torah) but helped Elijah anyway. He compared the situation to when Schindler an "unclean sinful" man helped out the Jews during the Holocaust. I dunno what to make of it though.

There is a lot of stigma associated with ravens.
They often appeared in Pagan mythology and are still popular symbols today (I have a pendant of a raven holding a pentacle).

They use tools, have the puzzle solving ability of a 2 year old human, they mimic human speech and mechanical sounds, and can remember human faces for at least 5 years. They will mob humans they see as threats across generations; and have been known to bring shiny rewards to those feed them. There are accounts of ravens holding funerals for their dead, but while they are capable of empathy, it's not conclusive that they are real funerals. Ravens even play games.

 

[awitch]

I have more regular interactions with crows, but very similar in intellect, and wonderful personalities!

Are they the same birds each time?
Have any returned gifts?

There's a wonderful story about a man who fed a flock of crows at a public park in England about the same time each day. The crows learned his face and would wait for him. Then they were able to identify his car and would escort him to the park by flying at window level next to him as he drove.

I still love crows but they can be brutal. I witnessed two Baltimore Orioles mobbing a crow that grabbed a robin out of nest, smashed the poor bird on the ground and started eating him alive. Still upsets me thinking about it.

 

[bekkilyn]

Are they the same birds each time?
Have any returned gifts?

There's a wonderful story about a man who fed a flock of crows at a public park in England about the same time each day. The crows learned his face and would wait for him. Then they were able to identify his car and would escort him to the park by flying at window level next to him as he drove.

I still love crows but they can be brutal. I witnessed two Baltimore Orioles mobbing a crow that grabbed a robin out of nest, smashed the poor bird on the ground and started eating him alive. Still upsets me thinking about it.

Crows can definitely be temperamental, but I still love them!

I regularly volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation and so many crows are temporary residents while they are either in recovery or they are still too young to be off on their own, but we do have a crow who resides there permanently and he often mentors and teaches the young crows when they come in. He also likes to catcall people, and was taught it by a blue jay who used to live there.

 

[miggles]

a dove flew out of the ark and flew back with a twig to let noah know dry land was near.

 

[awitch]

Crows can definitely be temperamental, but I still love them!

I regularly volunteer in wildlife rehabilitation and so many crows are temporary residents while they are either in recovery or they are still too young to be off on their own, but we do have a crow who resides there permanently and he often mentors and teaches the young crows when they come in. He also likes to catcall people, and was taught it by a blue jay who used to live there.

That's fantastic!
Do you identify the different species of crows that come in?

 

[Scann]

Here's one but you may not like it. Revelation 18:2. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

 

[bekkilyn]

That's fantastic!
Do you identify the different species of crows that come in?

Yes, we do, as well as the other birds and animals that come in. Recently, we've had American Crows and a Fish Crow. All of the patients have their own case numbers and admission forms their data is updated daily concerning diets, treatments, vet checks, etc.

 

[awitch]

Here's one but you may not like it. Revelation 18:2. And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!

Are unclean birds the equivalent of non-kosher?

I see a list of 11 unclean birds:
Eagle
Vulture
Kite
Raven
Owl
Gull
Hawk
Cormorant
Osprey
Stork
Heron
Hoopoe

I had to look up the last one and I find it strange that it's currently Israel's national bird. Unfortunately, they are the last surviving species in it's family, Upupidae.

 

[Scann]

Are unclean birds the equivalent of non-kosher?

I see a list of 11 unclean birds:
Eagle
Vulture
Kite
Raven
Owl......

Maybe. Jews certainly don't eat eagles and owls.

 

[JackRT]

The four Evangelists each have their symbol — a winged man for Matthew, a winged lion for Mark, a winged bull for Luke and an eagle for John. Only one bird but the other three all have wings. There is a whole lot of symbolism both in the Bible and in Christianity as a whole.

 

[JackRT]

Are unclean birds the equivalent of non-kosher?

I see a list of 11 unclean birds:
Eagle
Vulture
Kite
Raven
Owl
Gull
Hawk
Cormorant
Osprey
Stork
Heron
Hoopoe

I had to look up the last one and I find it strange that it's currently Israel's national bird. Unfortunately, they are the last surviving species in it's family, Upupidae.

All are carnivorous and several are scavengers. None are kosher.