Syrian Ox.
There are now fine cattle in Egypt; but the Palestine cattle appear to have deteriorated, in size at least, since Biblical times. "Herds of cattle," says Schubert (Oriental Christian Spectator, April, 1853), "are seldom to be seen ; the bullock of the neighborhood of Jeru- salem is small and insignificant ; beef and veal are but rare dainties. Yet the buUock thrives better, and is more frequently seen, in the upper valley of the Jordan, also on Jlount Tabor and near Nazareth, but particular- ly east of the Jordan on the road from Jacob's-bridge to Damascus." See also Thomson {Land and Book, i, 518), who observes that danger from being gored has not ceased "among the half-wild droves that range over the luxuriant pastures in certain parts of the country." In Palestine the Mosaic law provided with care for the kind treatment of cattle ; for in treading out corn — the Oriental mode of separating the grain from the straw — it was enjoined that the ox should not be muzzled (Deut. xxv, 4), and old cattle that had long served in tillage were often suffered to wander at large till their death — a practice still in vogue, though from a different motive, in India. But the Hebrews iind other nations of Syria grazed their domestic stock, particularly those tribes which, residing to the east of the Jordan, had fertile districts for tliat purpose. Here, of course, tlie droves became shy and wild; and though we are inclined to apply the passage in Psa. xxii, 12 to wild species, yet old ludls, roaming at large in a land where the lion still abounded, no doubt becaine fierce;
ox
501
OXENSTIERN
afld as they would obtain cows from the pastures, there must liave been wild breeds in the woods, as fierce and resolute as real wild Uri — which ancient name may be a mere modification of Keem. See Unicorx
There was no animal in the rural economy of the Israelites, or indeed in that of the ancient Orientals generally, that was held in higher esteem than the ox ; and deservedly so, for the ox was the animal upon whose patient labors depended all the ordinary opera- tions of farming. Ploughing with horses was a thing never thought of in those days. Asses, indeed, were used for this purpose [see Ass] ; but it was the ox upon whom devolved for the most part this important ser- vice. The pre-eminent value of the ox to '' a nation of husbandmen like the Israelites," to use an expression of Michaelis in his article on this subject, will be at once evident from the scriptural account of the various uses to which it is applied. Animals of the ox family were used for ploughing (Deut. xxii, 10; 1 Sam. xiv, 14; 1 Kings xix, 19 ; Job i, 14 ; Amos vi, 12, etc.) ; for tread- ing out corn (Deut. xxv, 4: Hos. x, 11; Mic. iv, 13; 1 Cor. ix, 9; 1 Tim. v, 18) [see Agriculture]; for draught purposes, when they were generally yoked in pairs (Numb, vii, 3 ; 1 Sam. vi, 7 ; 2 Sam. vi, 6) ; as beasts of burden (1 Chron. xii, 40) ; their flesh was eaten (Deut. xiv, 4; 1 Kings i, 9; iv, 23; xix, 21; Isa. xxii, 13; Prov. XV, 17 ; Neh. v, 18) ; thej- were used in the sacri- fices [see Sacrifice]; they supplied milk, butter, etc. (Deut. xxxii, 14; Isa. vii, 22; 2 Sam. xvii, 29). See Butter; Milk.
The law which prohibited the slaughter of any clean animal, excepting as "an offering unto the Lord before the tabernacle," during the time that the Israelites abode in the wilderness (Lev. xvii, 1-6), although ex- pressly designed to keep the people from idolatry, no doubt contributed to the preservation of their oxen and sheep, which they were not allowed to kill except- ing in public. There can be little doubt that during the forty years' wanderings oxen and sheep were rarely used as food, whence it wasjiesh that they so often lust- ed after. (See Michaelis, Laws of Moses, art. 169.) See Flesh.
OX. The ox and the ass are often represented round the cradle of the Nativity, in allusion to Isa. i, 3. Beleth says that the lion and ox in front of doors, and a cock or eagle upon the church, were common representa- tions. See Walcott, Sacred A rchceology, p. 418.
OX-GOAD ("ij^Sil 'T^^P; Sept. aporpoTrof rwr (3owv ; Vulg. vomer, Judg. iii, 31). See Goad.
OX, WILD (IXn, Nin, tea or to; Sept. opv^, aevrXi- ov; Aq., Symm., and Theod., lipv^; Vulg. oryx), is men- tioned among the beasts that were to be eaten (Deut. xiv, 5) ; again, in Isaiah, " they lie at the head of all the streets like a wild bull in the nets." The most impor- tant ancient versions point to the oryx (Oryx leucoryx) as the animal denoted by the Hebrew words. Were it not for the fact that another Hebrew name (yachmur) seems to stand for this animal, we should have no hesi- tation in referring the teo to the antelope above named. Col. II. Smith suggests that the antelope he calls the Nubian Oryx {Oryx Tao) may be the animal intend- ed; this, however, is probably only a variety of the other. Oedmann {Verm. Summl. p. iv, 23) thinks the Bubule (Alcephalus huhalis') may be the to; this is the Bekke7--el-tcash of North Africa mentioned by Shaw (Trav. i, 310, 8vo ed.). See Antelope ; Fallow Deer.