58 SCRIPTURE NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE ASS. 



OF this animal there are two varieties described by naturalists 

 the wild and the domestic. The former we pass by for the pres- 

 ent, and direct our attention to the latter. The usual appellation 

 by which this beast is distinguished in scripture, is CHEMOR, from 

 a word which signifies to disturb or disorder, and it is so called, 

 probably, from its extraordinary turbulence when excited. The 

 domestic ass being an animal so well known, renders it unnecessa- 

 ry that we should describe its form and appearance. But it must 

 be noticed, that in eastern countries it is larger and much finer in 

 every respect, and so highly is it valued, as to be preferred to the 

 horse for many domestic purposes. Asses are enumerated as con- 

 stituting part of the riches of Abraham, Jacob, and Job, (Gen. xii. 

 16; xxx. 43; Job xlii. 12.); and Anah, a Horite prince, did not 

 consider it beneath the dignity of his character to feed the asses be- 

 longing to his father Zibeon, Gen. xxxvi. 24. In the reign of Da- 

 vid, they were of so much importance that Jedheiah the Merono- 

 thite, a prince of Israel, was appointed to superintend the breed, 1 

 Chron. xxvii. 30. To ride upon an ass was, in the days of the 

 Judges, a mark of distinction, to which it is probable, the vulgar 

 might not presume to aspire. This is evident from the brief no- 

 tices which the inspired historian gives of the greatness and riches 

 of Jair, the Gileadite, one of the Judges; 'He had thirty sons who 

 rode on thirty ass colts ; and they had thirty cities, which are called 

 Havoth-Jair unto this day,' Judges x. 3, 4. Abdon, the Pirathonite, 

 another of the Judges, 'had forty sons and thirty nephews, who 

 rode on threescore and ten ass colts,' ch. xii. 13, 14. In several of 

 these passages, it should be observed, a particular kind of the do- 

 mestic ass is spoken of the ATON whose value, if we may judge 

 from the circumstances in which we generally find it placed, by far 

 exceeded that of the ordinary description. 



