Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Toto · 06-16-2011, 10:26 PM

There seem to be two popular explanations for the lack of domestic cats in the Bible.

One is that cats were associated with Egypt, and the Israelites hated everything Egyptian.

The other (from the book Why Are There No Cats In The Bible? And Other Fascinating Facts to Expand Your Knowledge of the Bible (or via: amazon.co.uk) at p. 43, is that domestic cats were not known in Palestine until the Roman times, which does not make a lot of sense.

Cats are mentioned in the apocryphal Baruch 6, but this probably refers to wild cats.

Quote:

: “Bats and swallows alight on their bodies and on their heads; and cats as well as birds.” (Baruch 6:21) The entire Chapter 6 of Baruch is known as “The Letter of Jeremiah Against Idolatry”. The reference to “their bodies and on their heads” is the idols (statues) of the gods of the Babylonians.”

(from Why are there no cats in the Bible?)

Cats in bible encyclopedia

Quote:

(αἴλουρος, aílouros):

The only mention of this animal is in Baruch 6:22. It is not mentioned in the canonical Scriptures, though Bochart (Hieroz., 862) gives “wild cats” as the equivalent of cīyīm in Isaiah 13:21; Isaiah 34:14; Jeremiah 50:39; Psalm 74:19, where English Versions of the Bible gives “wild beasts of the desert.” Mention is, however, made of cats, cathod, in the Welsh Bible (Isaiah 34:14). The only mention of the catta in classical Latin writers is in Martial xiii.69.

Newadvent has a list of animals in the bible.

Quote:

CAT. — Mention of this animal occurs only once in the Bible, namely Bar., vi, 21. The original text of Baruch being lost, we possess no indication as to what the Hebrew name of the cat may have been. Possibly there was not any; for although the cat was very familiar to the Egyptians, it seems to have been altogether unknown to the Jews, as well as to the Assyrians and Babylonians, even to the Greeks and Romans before the conquest of Egypt. These and other reasons have led some commentators to believe that the word cat, in the above cited place of Baruch, might not unlikely stand for another name now impossible to restore.

ApostateAbe · 06-17-2011, 06:50 AM

If there is ancient silence among Jews about cats, I wouldn't say that it follows that cats were either hated or unknown--just that cats were not relevant or interesting in relation to their myths and scriptures. They were foreign animals, and they didn't keep pets. Dogs were like rats, not companions. Why should it be expected that they mention cats?

Juststeve · 06-17-2011, 09:46 AM

Lions are mention in the 22nd Psalm if you read it in Hebrew.

Steve

ApostateAbe · 06-17-2011, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juststeve

Lions are mention in the 22nd Psalm if you read it in Hebrew.

Steve

Lions are mentioned a handful of times in the Bible--let's not forget Daniel in the lion's den--but I presume the topic is focused on small domesticated cat breeds, not wild cats.

Sarai · 06-17-2011, 11:13 AM

I've wondered the same thing about cats. I found this article from the Smithsonian about the history of domestic cats which places their origin in the ancient Near East. My guess is they were there but the bible writers just didn't consider them noteworthy.

Regards,
Sarai

Guest46854 · 06-17-2011, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ApostateAbe

If there is ancient silence among Jews about cats, I wouldn't say that it follows that cats were either hated or unknown--just that cats were not relevant or interesting in relation to their myths and scriptures. They were foreign animals, and they didn't keep pets. Dogs were like rats, not companions. Why should it be expected that they mention cats?

Hmm...I always thought it was because cats couldn't be HERDED>

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PhilosopherJay · 06-17-2011, 12:27 PM

Hi Toto,

It probably indicates that no Jews were ever in Egypt.

From Wikipedia:

Quote:

The Egyptians viewed their gods not as spirits but as intelligences that could be personified in a body. The earliest evidence of cats as deities comes from a 3100BC crystal cup decorated with an image of the lion-headed goddess Mafdet. The goddess Bast was originally depicted as a fiercely protective and warlike lion, like Sekhmet, but as Bast's image "softened" over time she became more strongly associated with domestic cats.

As cats were sacred to Bast, the practice of mummification was extended to them, and the respect that cats received after death mirrored the respect they were treated with in everyday life. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote that in the event of a fire, men would guard the fire to make certain that no cats ran into the flame. Herodotus also wrote that when a cat died, the household would go into mourning as if for a human relative, and would often shave their eyebrows to signify their loss.

Such was the strength of feeling towards cats that killing one, even accidentally, incurred the death penalty. Another Greek historian, Diodorus Siculus, describes an interesting example of swift justice imposed upon the killer of a cat: about 60BC, he witnessed the chariot of a Roman soldier accidentally run over an Egyptian cat. An outraged mob gathered and, despite pleas from pharaoh Ptolemy XII, killed the soldier.

There is nothing in the Hebrew Scriptures that indicates any real knowledge of Egypt. Even the Pharaoh is not named.

It reminds me of Kafka's "Amerika," which I'm now reading. Its a novel he wrote without having ever been to America. He describes the lead character in New Jersey looking at New York City and then looking in the opposite direction and seeing mountains. That is not my experience.

Warmly,

Philosopher Jay

Bullmoose Too · 06-17-2011, 02:51 PM

I have read that when the Americas were being colonized, Europeans were suprised to learn that their were people living on the continent. They argued that these people were from the devil because the Bible did not mention them and had to be removed.

Cats are from the devil because they are not in the Bible.

dockeen · 06-17-2011, 07:02 PM

One word:

Dogma

aeebee50 · 06-17-2011, 08:10 PM

I have only been concerned with people, not animals. I never thought about domestics cat, only lions. Interesting.

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06-17-2011, 06:50 AM	#2
ApostateAbe Contributor Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: MT Posts: 10,656	If there is ancient silence among Jews about cats, I wouldn't say that it follows that cats were either hated or unknown--just that cats were not relevant or interesting in relation to their myths and scriptures. They were foreign animals, and they didn't keep pets. Dogs were like rats, not companions. Why should it be expected that they mention cats?

06-17-2011, 09:46 AM	#3
Juststeve Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Dallas Texas Posts: 758	Lions are mention in the 22nd Psalm if you read it in Hebrew. Steve

06-17-2011, 11:13 AM	#5
Sarai Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chicago Metro Posts: 1,259	I've wondered the same thing about cats. I found this article from the Smithsonian about the history of domestic cats which places their origin in the ancient Near East. My guess is they were there but the bible writers just didn't consider them noteworthy. Regards, Sarai

06-17-2011, 02:51 PM	#8
Bullmoose Too Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Toledo, Oh Posts: 9,928	I have read that when the Americas were being colonized, Europeans were suprised to learn that their were people living on the continent. They argued that these people were from the devil because the Bible did not mention them and had to be removed. Cats are from the devil because they are not in the Bible.

06-17-2011, 07:02 PM	#9
dockeen Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Florida Panhandle Posts: 9,176	One word: Dogma

06-17-2011, 08:10 PM	#10
aeebee50 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 5,810	I have only been concerned with people, not animals. I never thought about domestics cat, only lions. Interesting.

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