From
the earliest
records, archaeological or documentary, the dove is
found to have been closely allied with man. Few of God's creatures have
won the interest, affection, and veneration of mankind as has this
little bird.
In the religions of early man, doves
were revered as
the sacred companions of the gods. Many early cultures used
white
doves as a sacrificial animal, believing that the smoke
rising from
these burnt offerings would please the gods.
Nowhere was
this
veneration more prevalent than in the Middle East, where the Arcadian,
Canaanitish, Aramean, and Arabic peoples all incorporated the dove into
their mythology, culture, and history.
Before the rise of the Hebrew clans, and
before the
dawn of Christianity, the people of this region had a reverence for the
dove. This adoration extended from the Sumerians, the Accadians, etc.,
to the Assyrians, the Phoenicians, the Egyptians, the Persians, the
Hindus, and later to the Mohammedans.
The
first archaeological evidence
depicting doves as
a spiritual animal dates back to 5000 BC, with the Sumerian goddess,
Astarte. Her worship as a god of war was widespread throughout the
Middle East and Egypt. Numerous artifacts show her accompanied by white
doves, which were believed to help guide her on her journeys. Images of
the dove adorned the roof and walls of Astarte's temple located in
Beth-Shan region of Israel, a region that became the cradle of
the
Jewish and Christian religions. This particular temple is mentioned in
the Old Testament as the place where the Philistines deposited the
armor of
Saul after he was slain. Recent excavation of this site have produced
many small shrines bearing the symbol of the dove. (Levi, p.4)
The
Greek writers, Xenophon, Ctesias, and
Lucian, all assert that the the Assyrians worshiped doves and abstained
from harming them as being of a sacred nature. Xenophon (455-366 BCE)
in his book, Anabasis, refers to the Syrian's regard for them
as
holy. Latin writers also discussed this veneration. In his Eighth
Elegy, Tibullus wrote:
"Why
need I tell how the sacred white pigeon flutters unmolested about
the numerous cities of Syrian Palestine?"
Doves
In the Hebrew Religion
The
early Hebrews, having been in close contact
with, and possibly related to , the adjoining polytheistic cultures,
assumed many of the thoughts, reactions, and doctrines of
their
neighbors.
We find that the sacrifice of doves and pigeons in the early Hebrew
rituals of expiation was a remnant of the ancient rites of the god,
Astarte. Doves, turtledoves, and pigeons were the only birds or fowls,
specifically mentioned in the Old Testament, which were allowed under
the law of Moses to be sacrificed in early Hebrew rituals of
purification. (Langdon, 1931, p.59)
Leviticus
1 :14:
"And if the
burnt sacrifice for his offering to the Lord be of fowls,
then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves, or
of young pigeons."
For the purification of a woman after the birth of a child, pigeons and
doves were prescribed as an offering.
Leviticus 12:6:
"And when
the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a
daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt
offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering."
The turtledove is said to be distinguished from the dove and pigeon in
that it is a migrant, and, though it was allowed as a sacrifice, it
could not be obtained at all seasons as could the pigeon, so the law
was laid down in the alternative, that either could be used. The poorer
classes were allowed to have their dovecotes or obtain young pigeons at
a small price. (Starr, 1886, p.107)
Leviticus 14:21-22:
"And if he
be poor, and cannot get so much; then he shall take..." "
And two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get;
and the one shall be a sin offering, and the other a burnt offering."
In the rites and sacrifices for cleansing of the leper, pigeons and
doves were designated as suitable. We also find in the law of the
Nazarite, in his separation, that pigeons were delineated for sin and
burnt offerings.
Numbers 6:10-11:
"And on the
eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves, or two young
pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation:
"And the
priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other
for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned
by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day."
Even before the time of the Mosaic laws, doves were well-recognized and
favored sacrificial objects. In the early days of the Hebrews (1913
BCE), Abraham was ordered to use them.
Genesis 15:9:
"And he said unto him,
'Take me a heifer of three years old, and a she
goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a
turtledove, and a young pigeon'."
Not
only did the dove hold
a high place for sacrificial purposes, but
it was the dove that was given the honor of bearing the glad tidings of
land to Noah. Noah sent out a raven, but the raven failed him and did
not return; he sent out a dove which returned when it could not find
land; again the dove was sent out and this time it found land but,
instead of
staying, it returned to Noah with the olive leaf; a demonstration of
trustworthiness which remains one of the most endearing qualifies of
the dove to this day.
This is the Hebraic version of the Great Flood, a
flood which
archaeologists believe depicts the historical flooding of the Black Sea
basin. Other
cultures in the region had their own versions of the deluge, and, in
the vast majority, the dove plays an honorable part. The Hebrew version
is said to be patterned after the Arcadian. According to the early
Arcadian version, Utnapishtim (Noah) first released a dove, which
returned; then a swallow, which returned; then a raven, which did not
return, so that Utnapishtim knew the flood had abated and released the
animals.
(Drury, 1902, p.109)
The foregoing references to the dove are not the only ones in
the
Old Testament. There are numerous others, each one of which is
deferential, referring to the dove as an emblem of peace, of purity, of
tenderness, and of affection. The Song of Solomon and the Psalms have a
number of such references:
Psalms 68:13: A song of David- (A prayer at the removing of the ark)
"Though ye
have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a
dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold."
This passage has been construed by some as referring to the custom
existing in a number of eastern countries of making dove nests out of
earthenware vessels from which the neck had accidentally been broken.
(Starr, 1886, p.109)
Song of Solomon 2:14:
"O my dove,
that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of
the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for
sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely."
The last verse demonstrates that a form of rock pigeon inhabited the
Holy Land in the tenth century BCE. In an account in Isaiah (about 698
BCE), we find:
Isaiah 60:8:
"Who are
these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?"
This clearly shows that at this period the Hebrews raised pigeons and
doves in a state of domestication. The meaning of the term, 'windows'
is lost in translation, but it is likely referring to the small
openings people made in their roofs, which allow the birds access to
the loft space.
It has been said that there are references in the Talmud as saying
"fliers of pigeons are liars." Dr. Jacob Lauterbach or the Hebrew Union
College disagrees, and gives this excerpt:
"the Mishnah, Sanhedrin III:3 mentions among those disqualified to act
as witnesses 'fliers of pigeons'. The Gemara gives two explanations of
this term. According to the one, fliers of pigeons are people who bet
on races of of pigeons. They are disqualified as witnesses because they
are gamblers, and gamblers are not fit to act as witnesses. According
to the other explanation, fliers of pigeons are people who lay snares
to catch other peoples' pigeons. They are disqualified because they are
poachers or thieves. There is no special statement that explicitly says
that 'fliers of pigeons are liars.' (Levi, 1941, p.5)
Doves and
Christianity
The
early Christian
religion, being the offspring of the Hebraic,
naturally adopted the sentiments of its parent religion about the dove
and pigeon. They brought this reverence to a higher degree, for when
reference is made to the
dove in the New Testament, we find that the dove is emblematic of the
Holy Spirit.
Matthew
3:16: "And
Jesus, when he
was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:
and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"
Mark
1:10 "And
straightway
coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit
like a dove descending upon him:"
In the
New
Testament, we find Luke recording the sacrificial offering
of pigeons and doves as a purification for Mary after the birth of
Jesus:
Luke
2:24 "And
to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the
Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
In
early Christian churches, the Pyx, a vessel of precious metal,
hanging over the altar, was ofttimes fashioned into the shape of a
dove. In this vessel the Holy Eucharist or Sacrament was
placed.
In
Christian art, as early as the sixth century, the dove was
employed as an emblem of the Holy Ghost, most likely because of the
passage from Luke above. In stained glass church windows the dove is
portrayed with seven rays leading form it to seven stars, symbolic of
the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In paintings, the dove, issuing form the
lips of dying saints and martyrs, represents the human soul purified by
suffering. (Levi,
1941, p.5)
Pope John
Paul II had a well
documented fondness for white doves. He blessed humanity for
many
years and is sorely missed.
References:
Drury, B. P. (1902) "The
Bird of Peace".
Birds and
Nature, vol. 12. p. 109. Chicago: A. W. Mumford.
Levi, W. M. (1941). The Pigeon. Sumpter: Levi Publishing Co.
Langdon, S. H. (1931). The Mythology of All Races. Boston: Marshall
Jones Inc.
Starr, E. S. (1886)."The Breeding of Fancy
Pigeons".
Century Magazine. 32: 94-107.
