10 The "Book of the Goat. 



tayish, from a root signifying " to push with the horns " ; 

 this Hebrew name is preserved in the modern Arabic tays, 

 the ordinary name of the he- goat. From the strength and 

 boldness of the he-goat the Hebrews sometimes spoke of 

 this animal figuratively to denote a " prince " or " chief " 

 " Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and 



I punished the goats " (Zech. x. 3). 



A traveller writes: ''The stately march of the he- 

 goat before the herd, and his haughty bearing, as well 

 as the dauntless stare with which he scrutinises a stranger, 

 are well known by all familiar with the East ; and the 

 he-goat is still commonly applied by the Arabs as a simile 

 for dignity of manner and bearing." The Jews sacrificed 

 goats as offerings to Jehovah ; their milk was an important 

 item of food ; goats' hair was used for weaving into cloth ; 

 the inflated skins for bottles and swimming-bladders. The 

 flesh of the kid was held in high esteem, and it was much 

 more frequently used as food than that of lambs, large 

 numbers of which were reared for the sake of the wool ; 

 calves were generally regarded as too expensive a luxury, 

 except on some festive occasion. Hence one can see the 

 full force of the prodigal's complaint in Christ's parable 



II Thou never gavest me [even] a kid, that I might make 

 merry with my friends : But as soon as this thy son was 

 come .... thou hast killed for him the fatted calf" 

 (Luke xv. 29, 30). 



The goat of Palestine (Capra mambrica, Linn.) is a 

 well-marked variety of the common C. cegagrus; it 

 has thick pendent ears, often a foot long. The prophet 

 Amos probably alludes to this long-eared goat when ht 

 speaks of a shepherd taking " out of the mouth of the 

 lion two legs or a piece of an ear." The Syrian goat, 

 which is larger than our English goat, has long black hair 

 and thick recurved horns. It should be mentioned that 

 in the North of Palestine the variety known as the Mohair 



