the only Assyrian king of the last period of Assyrian history who conquered Susa was Assur- banipal (cf. WAZ v. (Rassam Cyl.) col. ν. 128- vi. 76). This last great king (B.C. 668-626) wrought frightful destruction upon this strong and rich capital city, and carried large numbers of its popu lation captives to Assyria. Following in the wake
of the policy already established by is predeces- sors, Tiglath-pileser, Sargon (2 K 17%, and Sargon’s Annals, 95-97) and Esarhaddon (Ezr 43), Assur- banipal doubtless distributed many of his captives in the a asad of the empire which were sparsely ulated.
oh ‘he unlikeness of ‘Osnappar’ to ‘ Assurbanipal’ has left room for doubt as to their identification. Now, we must note that the letter in which this name occurs originated about 200 years after the occurrence mentioned; and also that the name now appears in a different language from that in which it was native. Gelzer (‘Die Colonie Osnappars,’ in Zeits. f. d. ne Sprache, 1875, 78-82) supposed that 75:08 is a degeneration from Spy[ajjox. To represent this by a different division we have $=3270x. By a change of the 7 of 7px into 3 (ef. the scribal error Nebuchadnezzar for Nebuchadrezzar), an ellipsis of the middle element of the name, and the change of the final ‘1’ to ‘r’ (cf. ‘Porus’ in the canon of Ptolemy, Smith, Eponym Canon, p. 102f., where the Bab. Chron. reads ‘ Pulu’), we arrive at the name 75:0x. The identification of Osnappar with Assurbanipal is now conceded by most authorities (Schrader, COT li. 65; Delitzsch, Paradies, p. 329; Hommel, Ges. Bab.-Assyr. p. 740; E. Meyer, Ges. d. Alterthums, p. 477, and Fintat, d. Judenth. p. 29f.). Halévy (REJ ix. 12), however, does not agree with the above authorities. Taking into account (1) the period in which Omappet is said to have lived, (2) the particular peoples he transported, (3) the prob- able scien een of the name with eae! of the last great king o syria, we can scarcely escape the conelnsion that Osnappar was the ἊΣ ἘΡῚ of the last period of Assyrian history (so Driver in Hogarth’s Authority and Archeology, p. 112). Tra M. PRICE.
OSPRAY (31y ‘ozniyydh, ἁλιαίετος, haliewetus).— The name of an unclean bird (Lv 11%, Dt 14"). It is pretty certainly Pandion halizetus, L. It is somewhat rare, and found along the coast and in the Hfleh marshes. Its food is fish, which it catches by poising above the water until it fixes an exact perpendicular over its victim, and then dropping suddenly into the water, from which it generally rises with the fish in its claws. Like other fish-eating birds it is seldom used as food for man, and would naturally be counted unclean.
G. E. Post.
OSSIFRAGE (015 peres, γύψ, gyps), RV ‘gier eagle.’—The etymology ‘ breaker’ (075), correspond- ing to ossifrage (‘bone-breaker,’ from the Lat.), strengthens the claim of the tr® of AV. As the bird is mentioned only twice (Lv 114%, Dt 1413), we have no side-light from Scripture to help us. The ossifrage is the Lammergeier, Gypxtus barbatus, L. It is one of the largest of the vultures, being 4 ft. 6 in. long. It is known in Arab. as δία) or nisr. It is not numerous in Pal., but generally diffused. Tristram says that there is a pair in nearly every wady. Its name is derived from its habit of carrying tortoises and bones in its claws to a height, and dropping them on to a rock to break them, in order to get at their contents. It also preys on lambs, kids, hares, and serpents. It often catches its prey by pushing it off from a cliff. It has been known to attack men in this situation. The male has a black beard, pencilled upper and tawny lower plumage, and blood-red
OSTRICH
eyes. Itis diffused throughout the mountains of northern Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. It breeds on inaccessible cliffs. The female lays one egg, which is hatched in February.
G. E. Post.
OSTRICH.—41. γυ γα ὅπ, πρρπτῷ bath-hay ψαἄπαλι. The root jy} y@an signifies in Syr. ‘to be greedy or voracious. From this is derived ya‘én = ‘the voracious one’=‘ostrich.? This word occurs_in the mase. pl. oy: yé'énim (La 45), tr’ AV and RV ‘ostriches.’ It occurs in the sing. in construction with nz and πὸ in eight passages. In all of these RV correctly gives ‘ostrich.’ In Lv 1116, Dt 14'°
her beautiful plumage, and the closing which praises her speed. It is true, however, that when the ostrich is surprised with her brood she runs away from her chicks(v.**). She is unable to defend them, and cannot conceal them in the open desert. The charge of stupidity is, however, borne out in some other ways. For instance, the ostrich runs usually toward the wind, contrary to the practice of most wild animals. In this way it can some- times be approached to within shooting distance. Again, it runs in large circles, and does not swerve from its course, which can thus be calculated, and the bird awaited where it is pretty sure to pass. The old allegation that it hides its head in the sand to escape danger is not true. Although forbidden in the law as food (Lv 1115, Dt 14”), its flesh and ears are much prized by the Arabs.
he feathers of the ostrich, so well known for their beauty, quite justify the eulogy of Job (39%) RV ‘The wing of the ostrich rejoiceth ; (but) are her pistons and feathers kindly?’ The feathers of the male are white and black; of the female and young dusky grey. G. E. Post.