362 



especially when taken in conjunction with the preceding words, "His watchmen 

 are blind." This was certainly the case later on, in the time of our Saviour, the 

 words, " Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their master's table " 

 (Matt. XV., 27), showing unquestionably that dogs were then allowed not only in 

 the house, but at the best table, i.e., the master's, the article (roij /cwapiois) 

 implying the presence of dogs, or rather little dogs or iiuppies. 



It is to be regretted that there is no Hebrew version of the Book of Tobit, or 

 possibly the breed of dog there referred to may have been mentioned. As it is, 

 the word in both texts (Tobit v., 16; xi., 4) is simply kvojv. Assuming the 

 genuineness of the book, and up to the present time no valid reason has been 

 shown to the contrary, the infonnation contained in these texts ia valuable, as 

 showing that tlie dog was at that time known as the friend and companion of man. 



It would seem, also, that although the dog was unclean to the Jews, yet it 

 had a certain value in their eyes, and that it was placed before other unclean 

 animals, for the Talmud says "Dogs maybe fed on the Sabbath day, but not 

 swine"; and we learn from Josephus that Herod kept a regular hunting establish- 

 ment as well as a huntsman, following up the sport in a country abounding with 

 stags and other wild animals. 



The words of the text (2 Kings viii., 13), "Is thy servant a dog (or more 

 correctly, the dog), that he should do this great thing? " is commonly quoted, with 

 the omission of the word "great," to show the very low estimation in which dogs 

 were held by the Jews, whereas it may very possibly allude to the power of the 

 dog in Hazael doing this " great" and terrible thing, or has reference only to the 

 pariah. 



Although the Hebrews were not, as a rule, much given to field sports, lions 

 being taken in pitfalls (2 Sam. xxiii., 20), as at the present day by the Arabs, and 

 birds in traps or snares (Amos iii., 5 ; Ecc. ix., 12), which may possibly account 

 for the few occasions on which dogs are mentioned in the Scriptures, yet I think 

 it may be inferred, from the various texts I have quoted, that several breeds of 

 dogs were known to the Israelites, differing from the miserable pariah, the 

 scavenger of the East ; such, for example, as shepherd dogs, watch dogs, house 

 dogs, companionable dogs, and dogs used for the chase ; and certainly dogs of far 

 higher grade than the dog of sacred history is popularly supposed to have 

 occupied. 



