The animals placed under the care of these herdsmen were chiefly sheep and goats ; but besides these there were also neat cattle, asses, camels, and in later times swine. It would seem that the keeping of the animals last named was the lowest grade in the pastoral life (Luke XV, 15) ; and probably the keeping of sheep and goats was held to be the highest, as that of horses is among the Arabs in the present day (Niebuhr, A rahie, i, 22G). The herdsman led his charge into the open pasture-land, where they coidd freely roam and And abundant supply of food ; the neat cattle were conducted to the richer pastures, such as those of Bashan, while the sheep, goats, and camels found sufficient sustenance from the scantier herbage of the more rocky and arid parts of Palestine, provided there was a supply of wa- ter. Wliile in the fields the herdsmen lived ui tents
7 6 ^' ^*-''' 5
Ancient E<j;vptian Herdsmen civiug an Account of the Cattle. (Wilkinson.)
■'nn nfoounttothe%crihe 3 " Anoth..r lU-iiiii obeisance to the ninater of the e»t!ite, or to tlie scribe. 4. Other herdsmen. 5. The - ' ■ "■ ng bis reoort to the scribe, 7, over whom is the usual satchel, and two boxes.
I rope in his baud. 6, Bowing and
; report
HERES
198
HERESY
(nisS^rp, Song of Sol. i, 8 ; Isa. xxxviii, 12 ; Jer. vi, 3), and there were folds (n"i^?j Numb, xxxii, 16; 2 Sara, vii, 8; Zeph. ii, 6), and apparently in some cases tents (nibnx, 2 Chron. xiv, 15) for the cattle. Watch-tow- ers were also erected, whence the shepherd coidd descry any coming danger to his charge ; and vigilance in this respect was one of the shepherd's chief virtnes (Mic. iv, 8; Nah. iii, 18; Luke ii, 8). If any of the cattle wan- dered he was bound to follow them, and leave no means untried to recover them (Ezek. xxxiv, 12 ; Luke xv, 5) ; and harsh masters were apt to require at their servants' hands any loss they might have sustained, either by the wandering of the cattle or the ravages of wild beasts (Gen. xxxi. 38 sq.), a tendency on which a partial check was placed by the law, that if it was torn by beasts, and the pieces could be produced, the person in whose charge it was should not be reqiured to make restitution (Exod. xxii, 13; comp. Amos iii, 12). To assist them in both watcliing and defending the flocks, and in recovering any that had strayed, shepherds had dogs (Job xxx, 1), a3 have the modern Arabs; not, however, "like those in other lands, fine, faithful fellows, the friend and com- panion of their masters . . . but a mean, suiister, iU- conditioned generation, kept at a distance, kicked about, and half starved, with nothing noble or attractive about them" (Thomson, Land and Bool; i, 301), a description which fully suits Job's disparaging comparison. The flocks and herds were regularly counted (Lev. xxvii, 32 ; Jer. xxxiii, 13), as in Egypt (Wilkinson, ii, 177).
The pastures to which the herdsmen conducted their flocks were called riiiJiin, thejilaces without, the country, the desert (Job v, 10 ; xviii, 17 ; Prov. viii, 2G ; compare t?w iv tpi'jfioic, Mark i, 45) ; also niX3 (Jer, xxv, 37; Amos i, 2), "lan^ "3 (Psa. Lxv, 13; Jer.'ix, 9, etc.), niD (1 Sam. vii, sVHos. ix, 13, etc.), la'l'a (Psa. Lxv, Is'; Isa, xlii, 11; Jer. xxiii, 10; Joel ii, 22, etc.). In sum- mer the modern nomades seek the northern and more hilly regions, in winter they betake themselves to the south and to the plain country (D'Arvieux, iii, 315; v, 428) ; and probably the same usage prevailed among the Hebrews. In leading out the flocks the shepherd went before them, and they followed him obedient to his call; a practice from which our Saviour draws a touching illustration of the intimate relation between him and his people (John x, 4). The young and the sickly of the flock the shepherd would take in his arms and carry, and he was careful to adapt the rate of ad- vance to the condition and capacity of the feebler or biu-dened portion of his charge, a practice which again gives occasion for a beautiful illustration of God's care for his people (Isa. xl, 11 ; comp. Gen. xxxiii, 13). These usages still prevail in Palestine, and have often been described by travellers; one of the most graphic de- srciptions is that given by Mr. Thomson {Land and Book, i, 301 sq. ; compare Wilson, Lamb of the Bible, ii, 322). As the Jews advanced in commercial wealth the office of shepherd diminished in importance and dignity. Among the later Jews the shepherd of a small flock was precluded from bearing witness, on the gromid that, as such fed their flocks on the pastures of others, they were infected with fUshonesty (Maimon. in Demai, ii, 3). — ■ Kitto, s. V. See Shepiiekd.
He'res, part of the name of two places, difTerent in the Hebrew. See also Kir-Heues ; Timnath-Heres.
1. Har-Ciieres (D"iri— iri, mountain of the sun; Sept. TO upoQ TO 6(TpaKwOT]c,yu\g. mons Hares, quod in- terpretatur .testateceiis, i. e. of tiles; Auth.Vers. "mount Heres"), a city (in the valley, according to the text, but in a part of Mt. Ephraim, according to the name~) of Dan, near Aijalon, of which the Amorites retained pos- session (Judg. i, 35). It was probably situated on some eminence bordering the present Merj Ibn-Omeir on the east, possibly near the site of Emmaus or Nicopolis. We may even hazard the conjecture that it was iden-