Hare

Animal mentioned in Lev. xi. 6 and Deut. xiv. 7 among the unclean animals, "because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof." The idea that the hare chews the cud probably arose from the constant moving of its jaws and lips. With the Arabs the flesh of the hare is considered a delicacy. There are at present five species of hare in Palestine, of which the Lepus syriacus and the Lepus œgyptiacus are the most common. The rabbit (Lepus cuniculus) is not found in Syria. The Talmud speaks of the hare as a ruminant (Ḥul.59a). The fur of the hare, termed "wool" ("ẓemer"), was used in weaving (Men. 39b).

Bibliography:

  * Tristram, Natural History of the Bible, p. 98;
  * Lewysohn, Zoologie des Talmuds, p. 109.



J. I. M. C.