Ossifrage
Summary
The ossifrage was an unclean bird in the Mosaic law, traditionally identified as the bearded vulture or lammergeier, known for dropping bones onto rocks to break them.
☩Biblical Reference
The ossifrage (Hebrew 'peres') is listed among the unclean flying creatures forbidden as food for Israel. The Hebrew name comes from a root meaning "to break," fitting the bird's behavior of breaking bones to consume the marrow. Like other birds of prey and scavengers, it was ceremonially unclean.
☩Identification
The ossifrage is generally identified as the lammergeier or bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), a large bird found in mountainous regions of the Old World. Its Latin name "ossifrage" means "bone-breaker," describing its remarkable habit of carrying bones aloft and dropping them onto rocks to shatter them and expose the marrow. With a wingspan reaching nearly ten feet, the lammergeier was known throughout the ancient Mediterranean world.
