Hippopotamus AmphihitiS.
It has been said that some parts of the description in Job camiot apply to the hippopotamus: (1.) The 20th
verse, for instance, where it is said "the mountains bring him forth food." This passage, many writers say, suits the elephant well, but cannot be apjilied to < hr- hip- popotamus, which is never seen on mountains. In an- swer to this objection, it has been stated, Avith great reason, that the word hdrim (D'^'ntl) is not necessarily to be restricted to what we understand commonly by the expression "mountains." In the Prsenestine pave- ment alluded to above, there are to be seen here and there, as Mr. Harmer has observed, "hillocks rising above the water." In I'^zek. xliii, 15 (margin), the altar of (iod, only ten cubits high and fourteen square, is call- ed "the mountain of (iod." "Tlie eminences of Egypt, which appear as the inundation of the Nile decreases, may undoubtedly be called mniintains in the poetical language of Job." But we think there is no occasion for so restricted an explanation. The hippopotamus, as is well known, frequently leaves the water and the riv- er's bank as night approaches, and makes inland excur- sions for the sake of the fiasturage, when he commits sad work among the growing cro|is (Ilasselquist, Tinv. p. 188). No doubt he might often be observed on the liifl-sides near the spots frequented by him. Again, it must be remembered that the " mountains" are mention- ed by way of contrast with the natural habits of aquatic animals generally, which never go far from the water and the banks of the river; but the behemoth, though passing much of his time in the water and in " the cov- ert of the reed and fens," eateth grass like cattle, and feedeth on the hill-sides in company with the beasts of the field. According to a recent traveller in Egypt, the Kev. J. L. Errington, " the valley of the Nile in Up- per Egypt and Nubia is in parts so very narrow, that the mountains apiiroach within a few hundred yards, and even less, to the river's bank; the hippopotamus, therefore, might well be .said to get its food from the mountains, on the sides of which it would grow." There is much beauty in the passages which contrast the hab- its of the hippopotamus, an amphibious animal, with those of herbivorous land-quadrupeds; but if the ele- phant is to be understood, the whole description is, com- paratively speaking, tame.
(2.) Again, the 24tli verse — "his nose pierceth through snares" — seems to be spoken of the trunk of the elephant, " with its extraordinary delicacy of scent and touch, rath- er than to the obtuse perceptions of the river-horse." With respect to this objection, there is little doubt that the marginal reading is nearer the Hebrew than that of the text. " Will any take him in his sight, or bore his nose with a gin ?" Perhaps this refers to leading him about alive with a ring in his nose, as, sa\-s Kosen- miiller. "the Arabs are accustomed to lead camels," and we may add the English to lead bidls, "with a ring passed through the nostrils."
(3.) The expression in verse 17, "he bendeth his tail like a cedar," has given occasion to much discusj^ion ; some of the advocates for the elephant maintaining that the word zuncib (SIT) may denote either extremity, and that here the elephant's trunk is intended. The paral- lelism, however, clearly requires the posterior appendage to be signified by the term. The expression seems to aflude to the stiff, unbending nature of the animal's tail, which in this respect is compared to the trunk of a strong cedar which the wind scarcely moves.
(1.) The description of the animal's lying under " the shady trees," amongst the " reeds" and wiUows, is pecul- iarly applicable to the hippopotamus. It has been ar- gued that such a description is equally applicable to the elephant ; but this is hardly the case; for, though the el- epliant is fond of frequent ablutions, and is frcguenfh/ seen near water, yet the constant habit of the hippopot- amus, as implied in verses 21, 22, seems to be especially made the subject to ivhich the attention is directed. " At every turn there occurred deep, still pools, and oc- casional sandy islands densely clad with lofty reeds. Above and beyond these reeds stood trees of immense
HIPPOS
272
HIPvAM
th which grew a rank kind of grass on which I w delights to pasture" (G. Ciimming, p. 297). i
aife, oeneath the sea-cow — Smith, s. V. See BtciiEMOTii.
Hippos ( 'Ittttoc, a kotse ; but Reland suggests, Pal- mst. p. S30, that it may be one of the towns called XS*^ri in the Talmud), a city of Palestine, 30 stadia from Ti- berias (Josephus, /-//e, 65), one of the Decapolis (Ke- land, Palcest. p. 215), frequently mentioned by Josephus (.4j?^xv,7,3; xvii,ll,4; ]l"«V.ii, 18, 1 ; 18,*5; iii, 3, 1 ; Life, 31); later, an episcopal city (Reland, p. 440, 821), identified by Burckhardt with the ruin es-Sunuah, at the south-east end of Lake Tiberias. — Van de Yelde, Memoir, p. 822.
Hi'rah (Ileb. Chirah', n^in, nobility ; Sept. Elpac), an Adullamite and friend of Judah (Gen. xxxviii, 1, 12; comp. ver. 20). B.C. cir. 1893-1870.