Abstract
Animals and humanbeings are closely connected,whether this be in harmony or conflict. Animals may be our friends and helpers, but also may become our food. The history of religions, shows us that animal can become a centre of religious worship (zoolatry) or/and a sacrificial offering.The latter becomes themeans of mediation between the human and the divine realm. In biblical discourse, the relationship between people and animalsis depictedeither in terms of human superiority over the animal world,“so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Gen 1:26-30) or as a relationship of mutual fear, “The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands”. (Gen 9:2). Finally, in biblical discourse, animals are food for humans, “Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything”. (Gen 9:3).Examining biblical bestiary, we shall particularly be interested in relation to the position of dogs in the Bible.
Highlights
Animals and humanbeings are closely connected,whether this be in harmony or conflict
Sheep and goats prevail among domestic animals in biblical animal husbandry
All other creatures are categorised as wild animals
Summary
Dogs in the biblical text are neither domestic animals nor pets. They are stuckhalfway between wild animals and those useful to man. Despite the fact that sheep farming was well developed in ancient Israel, mainly for religious reasons, sheepdogs are only mentioned once. Dogs were a real and present danger, which is why Paul decided to use them as a metaphor (see Peterlin 1995:96-97) This kind of warning, and the role of dogs in the biblical context, have a specific, metaphoric meaning. He mentions dogs here in the plural, in a pack, which ishow they are usually encountered in the literary context of the Old Testament
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