7). Harmer (iv. 357) says, 'there are various sorts of creatures in the Holy Land proper for hunting ; wild boars, antelopes, hares, etc., are in consider able numbers there, and one of the Christian kings of Jerusalem lost his life (Gesta Dei, p. 887) in pursuing a hare.' That the lion and other rave nous beasts of prey were not wanting in Palestine, many passages of the Bible make obvious (t Sam. xvii. 34 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 20 ; I Kings xiii. 24 ; Harris, Natural History af the Bible ; Kitto's Pic torial Palestine). The lion was even made use of to catch other animals (Ezek. xix. 3), and Harmer long ago remarked that as in the vicinity of Gaza, so also in Judma, leopards were trained and used for the same purpose (Harmer, iv. 358 ; Hab.
8). That lions were taken by pitfalls as well as by nets appears from Ezek. xix. 4, 8 (Shaw, p. 172). In the latter verse the words of the prophet, and spread their net over him,' allude to the custom of enclosing a wide extent of country with nets, into which the animals were driven by hunters (Wilkin son, Anc. Egypt., iii. 4). The spots thus enclosed
were usually in a hilly country and in the vicinity of water brooks ; whence the propriety and force of the language of Ps. xlii. As the (hunted) hart panteth after the water brooks.' These places were selected because they were those to which the animals were in the habit of repairing in the morning and evening. Scenes like the one now supposed are found portrayed in the Egyptian paintings (Wilkinson). Hounds were used for hunting in Egypt, and, if the passage in Josephus (Antiq. iv. 8. 9) may be considered decisive, in Palestine as well. From Gen. xxvii. 3, Now take thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow,' we leant what arms were employed at least in captur ing game. Bulls, after being taken, were kept at least for a time in a net (Is. li. 2o). Various mis siles, pitfalls, snares, and gins were made use of in hunting (Ps. xci. 3 ; Amos iii. 5 ; 2 Sam. xxiii. 20). That hunting continued to be followed till towards the end of the Jewish state appears from Josephus (De Bell. yucl. i. 21. /3) [FOWLING ; FISHING1-j. R. B.