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89-412: Omemee means pigeon in some Native American languages and may refer to: Omemee, Ontario Omemee, North Dakota [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with the same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
178-404: A "protective genius" (font?) for her in her temple. Though it is accepted that Ashratum's name is cognate to that of Asherah, the two goddesses are not actually identified with one another, given that they occupied different positions within their pantheons, despite sharing their status as consort to the supreme deity. In Akkadian texts , Asherah appears as Aširatu ; though her exact role in
267-547: A bit abstractly) from the pubic triangle. Remarking on the Lachish ewer , Hestrin noted that in a group of other pottery vessels found in situ , the usual depiction of the sacred tree flanked by ibexes or birds is in one goblet replaced by a pubic triangle flanked by ibexes. The interchange between the tree and the pubic triangle prove, according to Hestrin, that the tree symbolizes the fertility goddess Asherah. Hestrin draws parallels between this and representations of Hathor as
356-511: A connection to Asherah in 1941. Subsequent studies tried to find further evidence for equivalence of Qetesh and Asherah, although Wiggins does not. His hesitance did not dissuade subsequent scholars from equating Asherah with Qetesh. As ʾAṯirat ( Qatabanian : 𐩱𐩻𐩧𐩩 ʾṯrt ) she was attested in pre-Islamic south Arabia as the consort of the moon-god ʿAmm . One of the Tema stones (CIS II 113) discovered by Charles Huber in 1883 in
445-473: A dove ( Matthew ), and subsequently the " peace dove " became a common Christian symbol of the Holy Spirit. In Islam , doves and the pigeon family in general are respected and favoured because they are believed to have assisted the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad , in distracting his enemies outside the cave of Thaw'r, in the great Hijra . A pair of pigeons had built a nest and laid eggs at once, and
534-419: A fine point, abruptly. In general, the aftershaft is absent; however, small ones on some tail and wing feathers may be present. Body feathers have very dense, fluffy bases, are attached loosely into the skin, and drop out easily. Possibly serving as a predator avoidance mechanism, large numbers of feathers fall out in the attacker's mouth if the bird is snatched, facilitating the bird's escape. The plumage of
623-456: A king of the Amorites by the 14th-century name of Abdi-Ashirta , "servant of Asherah". Each is on line ii within the letter's opening or greeting sentiment. Some may transcribe Aširatu or Ašratu . In Ugaritic texts , Asherah appears as ʾṯrt ( Ugaritic : 𐎀𐎘𐎗𐎚), anglicised ʾAṯirat or Athirat . She is called ʾElat , "goddess", the feminine form of ʾEl (compare Allāt ); she
712-752: A large and small bovine. This "oral fixation" motif has diverse examples, see figs 413–419 in Winter. In fact, already Flinders Petrie in the 1930s was referring to Davies on the memorable stereotype. It's such a common motif in Syrian and Phoenician ivories that the Arslan Tash horde had at least four; they can be seen in the Louvre. Early scholarship emphasized somewhat mutually-negating possibilities of holy prostitution , hieros gamos , and orgiastic rites. It has been suggested by several scholars that there
801-871: A leg and being shot in the chest, he managed to travel around 25 miles to deliver the message that saved 194 men of the Lost Battalion of the 77th Infantry Division in the Battle of the Argonne , in October 1918. When Cher Ami died, he was mounted and is part of the permanent exhibit at the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution . A grand ceremony was held in Buckingham Palace to commemorate
890-530: A less generous estimation nonetheless supported by D ULAT 's use of the Ugaritian word in an ordinary sense. Binger finds some of these risibly imaginative, and unhappily falls back on the still-problematic interpretation that Ym may also mean day, so "Lady Asherah of the day", or, more simply, "Lady Day". The common Semitic root ywm (for reconstructed Proto-Semitic * yawm- ), from which derives ( Hebrew : יוֹם ), meaning "day", appears in several instances in
979-470: A painted fresco from Mari , Syria , shows a giant dove emerging from a palm tree in the temple of Ishtar, indicating that the goddess herself was sometimes believed to take the form of a dove. In the Epic of Gilgamesh , Utnapishtim releases a dove and a raven to find land; the dove merely circles and returns. Only then does Utnapishtim send forth the raven, which does not return, and Utnapishtim concludes
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#17327658813611068-493: A person or deity betwixt two confronted animals . According to Beaulieu, depictions of a divine " mistress of lions " motif are "almost undoubtedly depictions of the goddess Asherah." The lioness made a ubiquitous symbol for goddesses of the ancient Middle East that was similar to the dove and the tree. Lionesses figure prominently in Asherah's iconography, including the tenth-century BC Ta'anach cult stand , which also includes
1157-733: A platoon of pigeons that braved the battlefields of Normandy to deliver vital plans to Allied forces on the fringes of Germany. Three of the actual birds that received the medals are on show in the London Military Museum so that well-wishers can pay their respects. In Brussels , there is a monument commemorating pigeons that served in World War I, the Monument au Pigeon-Soldat [ fr ] . The rock dove has been domesticated for hundreds of years. It has been bred into several varieties kept by hobbyists, of which
1246-572: A spider had woven cobwebs, which in the darkness of the night made the fugitives believe that Muhammad could not be in that cave. Several species of pigeons and doves are used as food; however, all types are edible. Domesticated or hunted pigeons have been used as a source of food since the times of the Ancient Middle East, Ancient Rome , and Medieval Europe . It is a familiar meat in Jewish , Arab , and French cuisines . According to
1335-690: A wood. From the Vulgate, the King James translation of the Bible uses grove or groves instead of Asherah's name. Non-scholarly English language readers of the Bible would not have read her name for more than 400 years afterward. The association of Asherah with trees in the Hebrew Bible is very strong. For example, she is found under trees (1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 17:10) and is made of wood by human beings (1 Kings 14:15, 2 Kings 16:3–4). The farther from
1424-483: Is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons . It is the only family in the order Columbiformes . These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres . They primarily feed on plants, and can be taxonomically divided amongst granivores , that feed mostly on the ground on seeds, and frugivores , that feed mostly on fruits, from branches. The family occurs worldwide, often in close proximity with humans, but
1513-408: Is a relationship between the position of the gəḇīrā in the royal court and the worship (orthodox or not) of Asherah. The Hebrew Bible frequently and graphically associates goddess worship with prostitution ("whoredom") in material written after the reforms of Josiah . Jeremiah , and Ezekiel blame the goddess religion for making Yahweh "jealous", and cite his jealousy as the reason Yahweh allowed
1602-484: Is also called Qodeš , "holiness". There is reference to a šr. ‘ṯtrt. Gibson says sources from before 1200 BC almost always credit Athirat with her full title rbt ʾṯrt ym (or rbt ʾṯrt ). However, Rahmouni's indexing of Ugaritic epithets states the phrase occurs in only the Baʿal Epic . Apparently of Akkadian origin, rabat means "lady" (literally "female great one"). She appears to champion her son, Yam , god of
1691-638: Is called a "dule", taken from the French word deuil ( ' mourning ' ). Columbiformes is one of the most diverse non- passerine clades of neoavians , and its origins are in the Cretaceous and the result of a rapid diversification at the end of the K-Pg boundary . Whole genome analyses have found the columbiformes form a sister clade of a group conformed by the sandgrouses ( Pterocliformes ) and mesites ( Mesitornithiformes ). The name 'Columbidae' for
1780-522: Is cognate to ḥawwat , an attested epithet of Tanit in the first millennium BCE, though other scholars dispute a connection between Tanit and Asherah, and between Asherah and Eve. A Phoenician deity Ḥawwat is attested in the Punica tabella defixionis . There is further speculation that the Shekhinah as a feminine aspect of Yahweh may be a cultural memory or devolution of Asherah. Another such aspect
1869-599: Is found three times in the Tanakh , with -im "Asherim" making up the great majority. The significance is unclear, as the interaction of gender and number in Hebrew is not robustly understood. Not all scholars find HB references with final t plural. Archaic suffixes like –atu/a/i became Northwest Semitic -at or -ā latter written -ah in transcription. That is, merely terminally alternate spellings like Asherat and Asherah reflect contextual rather than existential variation. Her name
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#17327658813611958-638: Is no genuine Asherah iconography". An Amorite goddess named Ashratum is known to have been worshipped in Sumer. Her Amorite provenance is further supported by her status as the wife of Mardu/Amurrum , the supreme deity of the Amorites. A limestone slab inscribed with a dedication made by Hammurabi to Ashratum is known from Sippar . In it, he complements her as "lord of the mountain" ( bel shadī ), and presages similar use with words like voluptuousness, joy, tender, patient, mercy to commemorate setting up
2047-584: Is nowadays tentatively separated in Arenicolumba , but its distinction from Columbina /Scardafella and related genera needs to be more firmly established (e.g. by cladistic analysis). Apart from that, all other fossils belong to extant genera. Fossil species of uncertain placement: Pigeons and doves exhibit considerable variation in size, ranging in length from 15 to 75 centimetres (5.9 to 29.5 in), and in weight from 30 g (0.066 lb) to above 2,000 g (4.4 lb). The largest species
2136-521: Is otherwise implicated. Park suggested in 2010 that the name Athirat might be derived from a passive participle form, referring to the "one followed by (the gods)", that is, "progenitress or originatress", which would correspond to Asherah's image as the "mother of the gods" in Ugaritic literature. This solution was a response to and variation of B. Margalit's of her following in Yahweh's literal footsteps,
2225-510: Is seen in the feminine (grammatically or otherwise) treatment of the Holy Spirit or Sophia . Goddess "aspect creep" can even lap upon male figures like Jacob or Jesus. A variety of symbols have been associated with Asherah. The most common by far is that of the tree, an equivalence seen as early as Neolithic times. Cultic objects dedicated to Asherah frequently depict trees, and the terms asherim and asheroth , regularly invoked by
2314-437: Is sometimes ’lt "Elat", the feminine equivalent of El . Her titles often include qdš "holy" and baʽlat , or rbt "lady", and qnyt ỉlm , "creator of the gods." Due to certain ambiguities in surviving attestations of Asherah, whether she is to be considered a deity or a symbol is not universally agreed upon. While some consider Asherah to be a defined deity, others call her a "mere cultic object ". de Vaux says Asherah
2403-474: Is the crowned pigeon of New Guinea , which is nearly turkey -sized, at a weight of 2–4 kg (4.4–8.8 lb). The smallest is the common ground dove ( Columbina passerina ) of the genus Columbina , which is the same size as a house sparrow , weighing as little as 22 g (0.049 lb). The dwarf fruit dove , which may measure as little as 13 cm (5.1 in), has a marginally smaller total length than any other species from this family. One of
2492-513: The Baal Cycle . But a homophone's meaning to an Ugaritian doesn't equate an etymon, especially if the name is older than the Ugaritic language. There is no hypothesis for rabat athirat yam without significant issues, and if Asherah were a word from Ugarit it would be pronounced differently. The common NW Semitic meaning of šr is "king, prince, ruler." The NW Semitic root ʾṯr (Arabic أثر ) means "tread". The -ot ending "Asherot"
2581-764: The Caroline Islands , and the Grenada dove , which is only found on the island of Grenada in the Caribbean . Some continental species also have tiny distributions, such as the black-banded fruit dove , which is restricted to a small area of the Arnhem Land of Australia, the Somali pigeon , found only in a tiny area of northern Somalia, and Moreno's ground dove , endemic to the area around Salta and Tucuman in northern Argentina. Seeds and fruit form
2670-568: The Polynesian ground dove is classified as critically endangered , as whether it survives or not on remote islands in the far west of the Pacific Ocean is unknown. Various conservation techniques are employed to prevent these extinctions, including laws and regulations to control hunting pressure, the establishment of protected areas to prevent further habitat loss, the establishment of captive populations for reintroduction back into
2759-582: The Tanakh , doves are kosher , and they are the only birds that may be used for a korban . (Other kosher birds may be eaten, but not brought as a korban .) Pigeon is also used in Asian cuisines such as Chinese , Assamese , and Indonesian cuisines . Asherah Asherah ( / ˈ æ ʃ ər ə / ; Hebrew : אֲשֵׁרָה , romanized : ʾĂšērā ; Ugaritic : 𐎀𐎘𐎗𐎚 , romanized: ʾAṯiratu ; Akkadian : 𒀀𒅆𒋥 , romanized: Aširat ; Qatabanian : 𐩱𐩻𐩧𐩩 ʾṯrt )
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2848-634: The family was introduced by the English zoologist William Elford Leach in a guide to the contents of the British Museum published in 1819. Columbidae is the only living family in the order Columbiformes . The sandgrouse (Pteroclidae) were formerly placed here, but were moved to a separate order, Pterocliformes , based on anatomical differences (such as the inability to drink by "sucking" or "pumping"). The Columbidae are usually divided into five subfamilies, probably inaccurately. For example,
2937-600: The fossil record , with no truly primitive forms having been found to date. The genus Gerandia has been described from Early Miocene deposits in France, but while it was long believed to be a pigeon, it is now considered a sandgrouse . Fragmentary remains of a probably " ptilinopine " Early Miocene pigeon were found in the Bannockburn Formation of New Zealand and described as Rupephaps ; "Columbina" prattae from roughly contemporary deposits of Florida
3026-502: The four humours explained the allegedly sweet disposition of doves. In fact, however, they do have bile (as Aristotle had earlier realized), which is secreted directly into the gut . The wings are large, and have eleven primary feathers ; pigeons have strong wing muscles (wing muscles comprise 31–44% of their body weight ) and are among the strongest fliers of all birds. In a series of experiments in 1975 by Dr. Mark B. Friedman, using doves, their characteristic head bobbing
3115-425: The zurito , bred for its speed, may be used in live pigeon shooting . In ancient Mesopotamia , doves were prominent animal symbols of Inanna-Ishtar , the goddess of love, sexuality, and war. Doves are shown on cultic objects associated with Inanna as early as the beginning of the third millennium BC. Lead dove figurines were discovered in the temple of Ishtar at Aššur, dating to the thirteenth century BC, and
3204-578: The 32 pigeons who were awarded the Dickin Medal for "brave service" to their country, in World War II. Pigeon is a French word that derives from the Latin pīpiō , for a ' peeping ' chick, while dove is an ultimately Germanic word, possibly referring to the bird's diving flight. The English dialectal word culver appears to derive from Latin columba . A group of doves
3293-513: The American ground and quail doves ( Geotrygon ), which are usually placed in the Columbinae , seem to be two distinct subfamilies. The order presented here follows Baptista et al. (1997), with some updates. The arrangement of genera and naming of subfamilies is in some cases provisional because analyses of different DNA sequences yield results that differ, often radically, in
3382-625: The East Coast of the U.S. includes two pigeon genetic megacities, in New York and Boston, and observes that the birds do not mix together. Other species of Columbidae have tiny, restricted distributions, usually seen on small islands, such as the whistling dove , which is endemic to the tiny Kadavu Island in Fiji, the Caroline ground dove , restricted to two islands, Truk and Pohnpei in
3471-548: The Hebrew Bible in the context of Asherah worship, are traditionally understood to refer to sacred trees called " Asherah poles ". An especially common Asherah tree in visual art is the date palm, a reliable producer of nutrition through the year. Some expect living trees, but Olyan sees a stylized, non-living palm or pole. The remains of a juniper tree discovered in a 7,500 year old gravesite in Eilat has been considered an Asherah tree by some. Asherah's association with fertility
3560-508: The Hebrew Bible, but it is much reduced in English translations. The word ʾăšērâ is translated in Greek as Greek : ἄλσος ( grove ; plural: ἄλση) in every instance apart from Isaiah 17:8; 27:9 and 2 Chronicles 15:16; 24:18, with Greek : δένδρα (trees) being used for the former, and, peculiarly, Ἀστάρτη ( Astarte ) for the latter. The Vulgate in Latin provided lucus or nemus , a grove or
3649-658: The Israelite court. William Dever's book discusses female pillar figurines , the queen of heaven name, and the cakes. Dever also points to the temple at Tel Arad , the famous archaeological site with cannabanoids and massebot. Dever notes: "The only goddess whose name is well attested in the Hebrew Bible (or in ancient Israel generally) is Asherah." Various partial inscriptions found on destroyed seventh century BCE jars in Ekron contain words like šmn "oil", dbl "fig cake", qdš "holy," l'šrt "to Asherah", and lmqm "for
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3738-521: The Masoretic Texts with the second-root letter ( - w - ) having been dropped, and in a select few cases, replaced with an A-class vowel of the Niqqud , resulting in the word becoming y(a)m . Such occurrences, as well as the fact that the plural, "days", can be read as both yōmîm and yāmîm ( Hebrew : יָמִים ), gives credence to this alternate translation. Another primary epithet of Athirat
3827-531: The Middle East. The largest range of any species is that of the rock dove , also known as the common pigeon. This species had a large natural distribution from Britain and Ireland to northern Africa, across Europe, Arabia , Central Asia , India, the Himalayas and up into China and Mongolia. The range of the species increased dramatically upon domestication, as the species went feral in cities around
3916-553: The Roman goddesses Venus and Fortuna , causing them to become associated with doves as well. In the Hebrew Bible , doves or young pigeons are acceptable burnt offerings for those who cannot afford a more expensive animal. In Genesis, Noah sends a dove out of the ark, but it came back to him because the floodwaters had not receded. Seven days later, he sent it again and it came back with an olive branch in her mouth, indicating
4005-399: The Ugaritic ʾAṯirat or a later borrowing of the Hebrew ʾĂšērāh or similar form. In any event, Watkins says the root of both names is a Proto-Semitic *ʾṯrt . Pritchard excerpts the mention wšnglʔ wʔšyrʔ ʔlhy tymʔ and differs on the root's meaning. The Arabic root ʾṯr (as in أثر ʾaṯar , "trace") is similar in meaning to the Hebrew ʾāšar , indicating "to tread", used as
4094-511: The ancient oasis of Tema , northwestern Arabia, and now located at the Louvre , believed to date to the time of Nabonidus 's retirement there in 549 BC, bears an inscription in Aramaic that mentions Ṣelem of Maḥram ( צלם זי מחרמ ), Šingalāʾ ( שנגלא ), and ʾAšîrāʾ ( אשירא ) as the deities of Tema. It is unclear whether the name would be an Aramaic vocalisation of
4183-479: The barren sands and gravels of atolls . Some species have large natural ranges. The eared dove ranges across the entirety of South America from Colombia to Tierra del Fuego , the Eurasian collared dove has a massive (if discontinuous) distribution from Britain across Europe, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and China, and the laughing dove across most of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as India, Pakistan, and
4272-630: The best known is the homing pigeon or racing homer . Other popular breeds are tumbling pigeons such as the Birmingham roller , and fancy varieties that are bred for certain physical characteristics such as large feathers on the feet or fan-shaped tails. Domesticated rock pigeons are also bred as carrier pigeons , used for thousands of years to carry brief written messages, and release doves used in ceremonies. White doves are also used for entertainment and amusement, as they are capable of solving puzzles and performing intricate tricks. A variant called
4361-531: The destruction of Jerusalem. Although their nature remains uncertain, sexual rites typically revolved around women of power and influence, such as Maacah . The Hebrew term qadishtu , formerly translated as " temple prostitutes " or "shrine prostitutes", literally means "priestesses" or "consecrated women", from the Semitic root qdš , meaning "holy". However, there is a shrinking scholarly consensus that sacred prostitution existed, and some argue that sex acts within
4450-460: The distinction is not consistent, and there is no scientific separation between them. Historically, the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation. The bird most commonly referred to as "pigeon" is the domestic pigeon , or rock dove , which is common in many cities as the feral pigeon . Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests, often using sticks and other debris, which may be placed on branches of trees, on ledges, or on
4539-583: The extinct Rodrigues solitaire and the dodo . These species are in all likelihood part of the Indo-Australian radiation that produced the three small subfamilies mentioned above, with the fruit doves and pigeons (including the Nicobar pigeon ). Therefore, they are here included as a subfamily Raphinae , pending better material evidence of their exact relationships. These taxonomic issues are exacerbated by columbids not being well represented in
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#17327658813614628-604: The family is variable. Granivorous species tend to have dull plumage, with a few exceptions, whereas the frugivorous species have brightly coloured plumage. The Ptilinopus (fruit doves) are some of the brightest coloured pigeons, with the three endemic species of Fiji and the Indian Ocean Alectroenas being the brightest. Pigeons and doves may be sexually monochromatic or dichromatic . In addition to bright colours, pigeons may sport crests or other ornamentation. Columbidae are excellent fliers due to
4717-635: The first Dickin medal for rescuing an air force crew during World War II. Thirty-two pigeons have been decorated with the Dickin Medal, citing their "brave service" in war contributions, including Commando , G.I. Joe , Paddy , Royal Blue , and William of Orange . Cher Ami , a homing pigeon in World War I, was awarded the Croix de Guerre Medal, by France, with a palm Oak Leaf Cluster for his service in Verdun . Despite having almost lost
4806-493: The greatest variety is in the Indomalayan and Australasian realms . Columbidae contains 344 species divided into 50 genera . Fifty-nine species are listed as threatened, and thirteen are extinct , including the dodo , an island bird, and the passenger pigeon , whose flocks were once counted in the billions. In colloquial English, the smaller species tend to be called "doves", and the larger ones "pigeons", although
4895-817: The ground doves and quail-doves, eat a large number of prey items such as insects and worms. One species, the atoll fruit dove , is specialised in taking insect and reptile prey. Snails, moths, and other insects are taken by white-crowned pigeons , orange fruit doves , and ruddy ground doves . Urban feral pigeons, descendants of domestic rock doves ( Columbia Livia ), reside in urban environments, disturbing their natural feeding habits. They depend on human activities and interactions to obtain food, causing them to forage for spilled food or food provided by humans. While many species of pigeons and doves have benefited from human activities and have increased their ranges, many other species have declined in numbers and some have become threatened or even succumbed to extinction. Among
4984-512: The ground, depending on species. They lay one or (usually) two white eggs at a time, and both parents care for the young. Unlike most birds, both sexes of doves and pigeons produce " crop milk " to feed to their young, secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop . Unfledged baby doves and pigeons are called squabs and are generally able to fly by 5 weeks of age. These fledglings , with their immature squeaking voices, are called squeakers once they are weaned , and leave
5073-869: The high Arctic . They have colonized most of the world's oceanic islands, reaching eastern Polynesia and the Chatham Islands in the Pacific , Mauritius, the Seychelles and Réunion in the Indian Ocean, and the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean. The family has adapted to most of the habitats available on the planet. These species may be arboreal, terrestrial , or semi-terrestrial. Various species also inhabit savanna , grassland , desert , temperate woodland and forest, mangrove forest , and even
5162-426: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Omemee&oldid=933028085 " Category : Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Pigeon See text Columbidae ( / k ə ˈ l ʌ m b ɪ d iː / kə- LUM -bih-dee )
5251-518: The largest arboreal species, the Marquesan imperial pigeon , currently battles extinction. Overall, the anatomy of Columbidae is characterized by short legs, short bills with a fleshy cere , and small heads on large, compact bodies. Like some other birds, the Columbidae have no gall bladders . Some medieval naturalists concluded they have no bile (gall), which in the medieval theory of
5340-417: The latter, a jar shows bovid-anthropomorphic figures and several inscriptions that refer to "Yahweh of Samaria and his Asherah" and "Yahweh of Teman and his Asherah." However, a number of scholars hold that the "asherah" mentioned in the inscriptions refers to some kind of cultic object or symbol, rather than a goddess. For instance, some scholars have argued that since cognate forms of "asherah" are used with
5429-498: The lift provided by their large wings, which results in low wing loading ; They are highly maneuverable in flight and have a low aspect ratio due to the width of their wings, allowing for quick flight launches and ability to escape from predators, but at a high energy cost. Pigeons and doves are distributed everywhere on Earth, except for the driest areas of the Sahara Desert , Antarctica and its surrounding islands, and
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#17327658813615518-446: The major component of the diets of pigeons and doves, and the family can be divided between the seed-eating, or granivorous , species (subfamily Columbinae) and the fruit-and-mast-eating, or frugivorous , species, which make up the other four subfamilies. The granivorous species typically feed on seed found on the ground, whereas the frugivorous species tend to feed in trees. The morphological adaptations used to distinguish between
5607-511: The meaning of "sanctuary" in Phoenician and Aramaic inscriptions from the same period, this may also be the meaning of the term in the two Hebrew inscriptions. Others argue that the term "asherah" may refer to a sacred tree or grove used for the worship of Yahweh as this is the meaning that the Hebrew term has in the Hebrew Bible and in the Mishnah . In one potsherd there appear
5696-422: The nest after 25–32 days. Since ancient times, many Columbidae species have developed intricate cultural and practical relations with humans. Doves were important symbols of the goddesses Innana , Asherah , and Aphrodite , and revered by the early Christian , Islamic and Jewish religions. Domestication of pigeons led to significant use of homing pigeons for communication, including war pigeons , such as
5785-519: The pantheon is unclear; as a separate goddess, Antu , was considered the wife of Anu , the god of Heaven . In contrast, ʿAshtart is believed to be linked to the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar who is sometimes portrayed as the daughter of Anu. Points of reference in Akkadian epigraphy are collocated and heterographic Amarna Letters 60 and 61's Asheratic personal name. Within them is found
5874-410: The partner of Yahweh has stirred a lot of debate. Many have written about it, and most scholars have argued that Yahweh and Asherah were indeed a consort pair among the ancient Israelites. Possible evidence for her worship includes an iconography and inscriptions at two locations in use circa the 9th century. The first was in a cave at Khirbet el-Qom . The second was at Kuntillet Ajrud . In
5963-480: The placement of certain (mainly Indo-Australian) genera. This ambiguity, probably caused by long branch attraction , seems to confirm the first pigeons evolved in the Australasian region , and that the " Treronidae " and allied forms (crowned and pheasant pigeons , for example) represent the earliest radiation of the group. The family Columbidae previously also contained the family Raphidae , consisting of
6052-520: The raven has found land. In the ancient Levant , doves were used as symbols for the Canaanite mother goddess Asherah . The ancient Greek word for "dove" was peristerá , which may be derived from the Semitic phrase peraḥ Ištar , meaning "bird of Ishtar". In classical antiquity, doves were sacred to the Greek goddess Aphrodite , who absorbed this association with doves from Inanna-Ishtar. Aphrodite frequently appears with doves in ancient Greek pottery . The temple of Aphrodite Pandemos on
6141-403: The sea, in his struggle against Baʾal. (Yam's ascription as god of the sea may mislead; Yam is the deified sea itself rather than a deity who holds dominion over it.) So some say Athirat's title can be translated as "Lady ʾAṯirat of the Sea", alternatively, "she who walks on the sea", or even "the Great Lady-who-tramples-Yam." This invites relation to a Chaoskampf in which neither she nor Yam
6230-484: The shrine". This has been taken as evidence that Asherah was worshipped in Philistia . Attempts to identify Asherah within the pantheon of ancient Egypt have been met with both limited acceptance and controversy. Beginning during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt , a Semitic goddess named Qetesh ("holiness", sometimes reconstructed as Qudshu ) appears prominently. That dynasty follows expulsion of occupying foreigners from an intermediary period . René Dussard suggested
6319-462: The so-called Revadim Asherah is rife with potent, striking sexual imagery, depicting Asherah suckling two smaller figures and using both of her hands to fully expose her vagina. Many times, Asherah's pubis area was marked by a concentration of dots, indicating pubic hair, though this figure is sometimes polysemically understood as a grape cluster . The womb was also sometimes used as a nutrix symbol, as animals are often shown feeding directly (if
6408-534: The southwest slope of the Athenian Acropolis was decorated with relief sculptures of doves with knotted fillets in their beaks and votive offerings of small, white, marble doves were discovered in the temple of Aphrodite at Daphni . During Aphrodite's main festival, the Aphrodisia , her altars would be purified with the blood of a sacrificed dove . Aphrodite's associations with doves influenced
6497-590: The species are threatened by introduced predators, habitat loss, hunting, or a combination of these factors. In some cases, they may be extinct in the wild , as is the Socorro dove of Socorro Island , Mexico, last seen in the wild in 1972, driven to extinction by habitat loss and introduced feral cats . In some areas, a lack of knowledge means the true status of a species is unknown; the Negros fruit dove has not been seen since 1953, and may or may not be extinct, and
6586-476: The species was abrupt; in 1871, a breeding colony was estimated to contain over a hundred million birds, yet the last individual in the species was dead by 1914. Although habitat loss was a contributing factor, the species is thought to have been massively over-hunted, being used as food for slaves and, later, the poor, in the United States throughout the 19th century. The dodo, and its extinction,
6675-620: The sycamore tree goddess in Egypt, and suggests that during the period of Egyptian rule in Palestine the Hathor cult penetrated the region so extensively that Hathor became identified with Asherah. Other motifs in the ewer such as a lion, fallow deer and ibexes seem to have a close relationship with the iconography associated with her. Asherah may also have been associated with the ancient pan- Near Eastern " Master of animals " motif, which depicted
6764-516: The temple were limited to yearly sacred fertility rites aimed at assuring an abundant harvest. There are references to the worship of numerous deities throughout the Books of Kings: Solomon builds temples to many deities and Josiah is reported as cutting down the statues of Asherah in the temple Solomon built for Yahweh (2 Kings 23:14). Josiah's grandfather Manasseh had erected one such statue (2 Kings 21:7). The name Asherah appears forty times in
6853-597: The ten species to have become extinct since 1600 (the conventional date for estimating modern extinctions) are two of the most famous extinct species, the dodo and the passenger pigeon. The passenger pigeon was exceptional for a number of reasons. In modern times, it is the only pigeon species that was not an island species to have become extinct even though it was once the most numerous species of bird on Earth. Its former numbers are difficult to estimate, but one ornithologist , Alexander Wilson , estimated one flock he observed contained over two billion birds. The decline of
6942-518: The time of Josiah's reforms, the broader the perception of an Asherah became. Trees described in later Jewish texts as being an asherah or part of an asherah include grapevines , pomegranates , walnuts , myrtles , and willows . Eventually, monotheistic leaders would suppress the tree due to its association with Asherah. Deuteronomy 12 has Yahweh commanding the destruction of her shrines so as to maintain purity of his worship. Jezebel brought hundreds of prophets for Baal and Asherah with her into
7031-463: The tree motif. A Hebrew arrowhead from the eleventh century BC bears the inscription "Servant of the Lion Lady". The symbols around Asherah are so many (8+ pointed star, caprids and the like, along with lunisolar, arboreal, florid, serpentine) that a listing would approach meaninglessness as it neared exhaustiveness. Frevel's 1000-page dissertation ends enigmatically with the pronouncement "There
7120-467: The two groups include granivores tending to having thick walls in their gizzards, intestines , and esophagi , with the frugivores evolved with thin walls, and the fruit-eating species have short intestines, as opposed to the seed eaters having longer intestines. Frugivores are capable of clinging to branches and even hang upside down to reach fruit. In addition to fruit and seeds, a number of other food items are taken by many species. Some, particularly
7209-511: The waters had receded enough for an olive tree to grow. "Dove" is also a term of endearment in the Song of Songs and elsewhere. In Hebrew, Jonah (יוֹנָה) means dove. The "sign of Jonas" in Matthew 16 is related to the "sign of the dove". Jesus 's parents sacrificed doves on his behalf after his circumcision ( Luke 2 :24). Later, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism like
7298-557: The wild ( ex situ conservation), and the translocation of individuals to suitable habitats to create additional populations. The pigeon was used in both World War I and World War II , notably by the Australian, French, German, American , and UK forces. They were also awarded for their service with various laurels throughout. On 2 December 1943, three pigeons – Winkie , Tyke , and White Vision, – serving with Britain's Royal Air Force , were awarded
7387-558: The world. The common pigeon is currently resident across most of North America, and has established itself in cities and urban areas in South America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia , Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. As well as the rock dove, several other species of pigeon have become established outside of their natural range after escaping captivity, and other species have increased their natural ranges due to habitat changes caused by human activity. A 2020 study found that
7476-536: Was qnyt ʾilm , which may be translated as "the creator of the deities ". In those texts, Athirat is the consort of the god ʾEl ; there is one reference to the 70 sons of Athirat, presumably the same as the 70 sons of ʾEl. Among the Hittites this goddess appears as Ašerdu(s) or Ašertu(s) , the consort of Elkunirsa ("El, the Creator of Earth ") and mother of either 77 or 88 sons. The conception of Asherah as
7565-588: Was "both," and Winter says the goddess and her symbol should not be distinguished altogether. Beside the obvious connections between goddesses who sometimes cannot be distinguished, some scholars have found an early link between Asherah and Eve , based upon the coincidence of their common title as "the mother of all living" in Genesis 3:20 through the identification with the Hurrian mother goddess , Hebat . Olyan notes that Eve's original Hebrew name, ḥawwā ,
7654-570: Was a goddess in ancient Semitic religions . She also appears in Hittite writings as Ašerdu(s) or Ašertu(s) ( Hittite : 𒀀𒊺𒅕𒌈 , romanized: a-še-ir-tu 4 ), and as Athirat in Ugarit . Some scholars hold that Yahweh and Asherah were a consort pair in ancient Israel and Judah , while others disagree. Some have sought a common-noun meaning of her name, especially in Ugaritic appellation rabat athirat yam , only found in
7743-570: Was more typical of the extinctions of pigeons in the past. Like many species that colonise remote islands with few predators, it lost much of its predator avoidance behaviour , along with its ability to fly. The arrival of people, along with a suite of other introduced species such as rats, pigs, and cats, quickly spelled the end for this species and all the other island forms that have become extinct. Around 59 species of pigeons and doves are threatened with extinction today, about 19% of all species. Most of these are tropical and live on islands. All of
7832-456: Was not limited to her association with trees; she was often depicted with pronounced sexual features. Idols of Asherah, often called ’Astarte figurines’, are representative of Asherah as a tree in that they have bodies which resemble tree trunks, while also further extenuating the goddess' connection to fertility in line with her status as a "mother goddess". The " Judean pillar figures " universally depict Asherah with protruding breasts. Likewise,
7921-400: Was shown to be due to their natural desire to keep their vision constant. It was shown yet again in a 1978 experiment by Dr. Barrie J. Frost, in which pigeons were placed on treadmills ; it was observed that they did not bob their heads, as their surroundings were constant. Columbidae have unique body feathers , with the shaft being generally broad, strong, and flattened, tapering to
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