DOVES' DUNG. This expression occurs in 2 Kings vi. 25, as a literal translation of in)nrs airionim or eharei-yonim, which in the margin is written dib-yonim, both meaning the same thing ; and it is curious that in the Arabic there are two words very similar to these, khzereh, and which also signify the same thing, that is, the dung of animals. In the above compounds, khir and dib being prefixed to voninz, the plural form for doves, the literal mean ing is as above translated. By many the expres sion is considered to signify literally the dung of pigeons, as in the passage of 2 Kings vi. 25 : And there was a great famine in Samaria, and behold they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for threescore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of doves' dung for four pieces of silver.' Different opinions, however, have been entertained respecting the meaning of the words which are the subject of this article, namely, whe ther they should be taken literally, or as a figura tive name of some vegetable substance. The strongest point in favour of the former view is that all ancient Jewish writers have understood the term literally. Taking it, however, in this sense, various explanations have been given of the use to which the doves' dung was applied. Some of the rabbins were of opinion that the doves' dung was used for fuel, and Josephus, that it was purchased for its salt. Mr. Harmer has suggested that it might have been a valuable article, as being of great use for quickening the growth of esculent plants, particularly melons ; and he shews, what is well known, that the Persians live much on melons in the summer months, and use pigeons' dung in raising them. All travellers describe the number of pigeon-houses in Persia. Mr. Edwards, as cited by Dr. Harris, remarks that it is not likely they had much ground to cultivate in so populous a city for gardens ; and is disposed, therefore, to understand it as meaning the offals or refuse of all sorts of grain, which was wont to be given to pigeons, etc. Dr. Harris, however, observes that the stress of the famine might have been so great as to have compelled the poor among the besieged in Samaria to devour either the intestines of the doves, after the more wealthy had eaten the bodies, or, as it might perhaps be rendered., the crops ; and reference has been made in the Edinb. Christian Instructor, No. 122, to an abridged Chronicle of the History of England, in which it is said that in the famine which laid Eng land waste in 1316 the poor ate pigeons' dung. But these explanations are not more satisfactory than the older ones.
Bochart, however, has shewn (I/lei-ow/can, ii. 37) that the term pigeons' dung' was applied by the Arabs to different vegetable substances. Ile quotes Avicenna as applying the term sterna co lumbar/ern to two different plants or substances. One of these is described by Avicenna and other Arab authors, under the names kuz-kundem and joug-huna'enz, as a light substance like moss. Se condly, this name was given to the ashnan or usuan, which appears to be a fleshy-leaved plant, that, like the salsolas, salicornias, or mesembryan themzems, when burnt, yields alkali in its ashes. From this Bochart has been led to consider it as identical with another plant, which occurs under the name of kali both in the Hebrew and Arabic languages, and which was one of the pulses used in ancient times, as at the present day, as an article of diet [KALI]. With reference to this grain it
has been observed that large quantities of it are parched and dried, and stored in magazines at Cairo and Damascus. It is much used during journeys, and particularly by the great pilgrim caravan to Mecca ; and if this conjecture be cor rect it may be supposed to have been among the provisions stored up in the besieged city, and sold at the extravagant price mentioned in the text' (Pict. Bible). The late Lady Callcott, in her Scripture Herbal, 1842, adduces the ornithogalum umbellalum, or common Star of Bethlehem, as the doves' dung' of Scripture, and assigns this, as well as ` birds' milk,' as two of its vernacular names, and infers that the dung which has been mentioned above as being eaten in Eng land in the famine of 1316 was the roots of this plant. It is a native of this country, and also of Taurus, Caucasus, and Northern Africa. Dios corides states that its bulbs were sometimes cooked with bread, in the same way as the me/anthium, and also that it was eaten both raw and roasted. The roots were also commonly eaten in Italy and other southern countries at an early period. Sprengel (in Dioscor. ii. 471), with reference to the above passage of Dioscorides on lipvL06-yaX0v, says, Ebraice dicta fuit planta stercus columbinunz (2 Reg. vi. 25), ob fiords albidum cum berbaceo mixtum colorern, sicut in stercore plera rumque avium herbivorarum ea mixtio ohservatur. Est enim ornithogalunt umbellatum, quod per om nem orientein proveniens, bulbos habet edules, licet a pauperibus duntaxat petantur. Time Lin naei expositio biblici loci multi plus valet, quam septem et quod excedit an-yirrets, quas Bochartus enumerat.' Having seen that the name of pigeons' dung has been, and probably still is, applied by the Arabs to different vegetable substances, we are not disposed to adopt the literal meaning of the term, as doves' dung, being devoid of nutriment, was not likely to have served as food, even during the famine, especially as we find that an ass's head was sold for sixty pieces of silver. Now if any asses remained for sale, or ass-loads of corn, as the expression has been interpreted, there is no reason for supposing that other substances may not have remained stored up in secret for those who had money to buy. But it is not easy to say what vegetable substance, serving as an article of diet, is alluded to by the name of doves' dung.' if the besieged had communication with the ex terior, or even if any of their body could have dug in the neighbourhood of the walls for the kind of earth-nit' offered by the bulbs of the ornithoga lulu, or Star of Bethlehem, which is said to be abundant in the neighbourhood of Samaria, there does not appear any good reason why it should not be the substance alluded to. But it does not appear so likely to have been stored up ; and we have been unable to discover any reference in the Arab authors to such a plant, under the name of storzts columbarum. Pulse was as likely to have been stored up in ancient times as at the present day ; and it may, therefore, as shewn by Bochart, have been one of the substances to which the name was applied by the Arabs, and have been known to the Hebrews also by a similar name [KALt].—J. F. R.