82 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



Contemporary history (says the preface), philology, geography, 

 and ethnology must all be pressed into the service of the true Biblical 

 scholar ; and there is yet another science which is to the full as 

 important as either of the others. This is natural history, in its 

 widest sense. The Oriental character of the Scriptural Books causes 

 them to abound with metaphors and symbols, taken f rom the common 

 life of the time. They embrace the barren, precipitous rocks alter- 

 nating with the green and fertile valleys, the trees, flowers, and 

 herbage, the creeping things of the earth, the fishes of the sea, the 

 birds of the air, and the beasts which abode with man, or dwelt in 

 the deserts and forests. Unless, therefore, we understand these 

 writings as those understood them for whom they were written, it is 

 evident that we shall misinterpret, instead of rightly comprehending 

 them. Even with secular books of equally ancient date, the right 

 understanding of them would be important ; but in the case of 

 the Holy Scriptures it is more than important, and becomes a 

 duty. 



The importance of zoology in elucidating the Scriptures cannot be 

 overrated, and without its aid we shall not only miss the point of 

 innumerable passages of the Old and New Testament, but the words 

 of our Lord Himself will either be totally misinterpreted, or, at 

 least, lose the greater part of their significance. The object of the 

 present work is, therefore, to take in its proper succession every 

 creature whose name is given in the Scriptures, and to supply so 

 much of its history as will enable the reader to understand all the 

 passages in which it is mentioned. A general account of each animal 

 will be first given, followed by special explanations (whenever re- 

 quired) of those texts in which pointed reference is made to it, but of 

 which the full force cannot be gathered without a knowledge of 

 natural history. 



Messrs. W. F. Keyl, T. W. Wood, and E. A. Smith 

 were the artists engaged to illustrate the book, and 

 every one of the hundred designs bears special reference 

 to some passage of Scripture. The work was completed 

 and issued as a whole early in the year 1871, the 



