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IL— On the Saphan of the Hebrew Scriptures. 
By the Rev. David Scot, M. D. 
Minister of Corstorphine. 
{kead 2lth Januarg 1827.) 
The Saphan is the name of an animal which occurs in 
four places of the Hebrew Scriptures, Levit. xi. 5, Deut. 
5civ. 7, Psalm civ. 18, and Prov, xxx. 26 ; but what ani- 
mal is meant, is not agreed among interpreters. 
In attempting to discover what kind of animal this is, 
I shall unavoidably be led into some philological details ; 
but as such are necessary, in order to come to the result 
which I wish, I hope they will be excused. 
The following are the marks which the Hebrew Scrip- 
tures give of this animal : " It chews the cud, but does 
not divide the hoof ; " — r" it is gregarious, and builds its 
house among the rocks ; and in the choice of its dwelling 
evinces a wisdom which counterbalances its weakness." 
The derivation of the word ' saphan ' is not very ob- 
vious. It seems to refer to two verbs in the Hebrew 
tongue ; one of which signifies ' to cover,' and the other 
^ to hide.' All the knowledge of the animal, then, which 
