Peacock
Summary
Peacocks were exotic birds imported to Israel by Solomon's fleet, representing the trade connections with distant lands such as India and Ceylon.
☩Solomon's Imports
Every three years Solomon's fleet of ships returned from Tarshish bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. The Hebrew word tukkiyim is derived from the Tamil tokei, the name for peacocks in Ceylon and southern India. This linguistic evidence supports the view that Solomon's ships traded with the coasts of India and Ceylon.
☩Description
The peacock (Pavo cristatus) is native to India, Ceylon, and surrounding regions. The male has a magnificent train of feathers—not the tail but the upper tail coverts—marked with brilliant iridescent 'eyes' of blue, green, gold, and bronze. This glorious plumage, combined with its rarity in the ancient Near East, made the peacock a prized exotic bird worthy of import by King Solomon.
See Also
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Peacock," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.John McClintock and James Strong, "Peacock," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. VII (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).