As a serious birdwatcher, I was amazed by a recent analysis of a nearly 2,000-year-old extremely rare account of Jesus at 5 years old on a papyrus fragment. Jesus is chastised by Joseph for molding clay into sparrows near a stream on the Sabbath. Birds have triggered such human infatuation for tens of thousands of years, especially for their flying skills and many for their beauty.
Let’s dig deeper into this fascination in major religions. Judaism holds that birds guided the Jewish people from Egyptian captivity through the parting of the Red Sea in 1250 BC. In the Old Testament, God provided quails for the hungry Israelites along with manna as sustenance during their 40 years wandering in the desert led by Moses.
Moses’ wife’s name was Zipporah, which means bird in Hebrew. In Job, birds are used as an example to show that animals can perceive God’s actions, while humans cannot. A passage in the Talmud states that no birds are more persecuted than turtle doves and young pigeons.
The Torah mentions birds as being of spiritual significance and as moral examples. One of the most famous birds in the Torah is the nesher, the king of birds. Nesher has often been translated as eagle, but it really refers to the Eurasian griffon vulture.
This spectacular bird has a wingspan of eight feet. A touching verse occurs where God tells the Jewish people: “I carried you on the wings of nesher and brought you to me.” As the Torah concludes at the end of Moses’ life, God tells him.