Raven (Corvus corax)

Raven (Corvus corax).

Aristotle wrote that ravens drovo their young from their location and forced them to care for themselves from the time they left the nest. This is doubtful. Bird habits and characteristics change only with slow ages of evolution. Our ravens of today are, to all intents, the same birds as those of Pal in the time of Moses, and ours follow the young a field for several days and feed them until the cawing, flapping youngsters appear larger than the parents. In Pliny’s day, ravens had been taught to speak, and as an instance of their cunning, he records that in the time of drought a raven found a bucket containing a little water beside a sepulcher and raised it to a drinking level by dropping in stones.

Pal has at least 8 different species of ravens. This bird was the first sent out by Noah in an effort to discover if the flood were abating (Gen 8:6–8). Because it partially fed on carrion it was included among the abominations (see Lev 11:15; Dt 14:14). On 1 K 17:4–6, Among the marvels of creation and providence in Job 38:41, we have this mention of the raven,

         “Who provideth for the raven his prey,

         When his young ones cry unto God,

         And wander for lack of food?”

The answer to this question is in Ps 147:9:

         “He giveth to the beast his food,

         And to the young ravens which cry.”

Both these quotations point out the fact that the young are peculiarly noisy. In Prov 30:17 it is indicated that the ravens, as well as eagles, vultures, and hawks, found the eye of prey the vulnerable point, and so attacked it first. The Heb ‛ōrēbh means “black,” and for this reason was applied to the raven, so the reference to the locks of the bridegroom in the Song of Solomon becomes clear (Cant 5:11). The raven is one of the birds indicated to prey upon the ruins of Edom (Isa 34:11). The last reference is found in Lk 12:24: “Consider the ravens, that they sow not, neither reap; which have no store-chamber nor barn; and God feedeth them.” This could have been said of any wild bird with equal truth.

GENE STRATTON-PORTER

Stratton-Porter, Gene. “Raven.” Ed. James Orr et al. The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia 1915 : 2533. Print.