From the prehistoric cat to the domestic cat – this is how the nocturnal creature became a constant companion of man, a sacred animal in Egypt, identified with demons and symbols in the Passover Haggadah, and mysterious even in the eyes of the Talmudic sages.
From the prehistoric cat, or as one who belonged to the cat family scientifically called Felidae, meaning carnivorous animals, a cat called the domestic cat appeared many years ago, whose scientific name is Felis Silvestris Catus, and whose origin is the African wild cat scientifically called Felis Silvestris Lybica.
In Aramaic, the written and spoken language in the literature of the Sages such as the Gemara/Talmud, the cat is called "Shunra", meaning "Shuner" without the "a" known in Hebrew and whose scientific name is Lynx and whose archaic scientific origin comes from the Greek from which its name was expressed, which is a little difficult to pronounce and in Latin transcription it was LIGS' or Luygs as someone who was associated with the Roman god of wine, namely Bacchus.
It has already been said, and we will admit the truth, that it will be difficult to be precise and say when we "pull out" from the world of the Talmud, the Land of Israel and the Babylonian, which are not based on a purely scientific basis, the extent of domestication of the ancient, wild, undomesticated cat and in general the processes of its prehistoric and historical life outside and within human society, and in general when we "travel" along the paths of its life from hundreds of thousands of years to the last centuries of the Common Era and from there onwards, let's say until the fifth-sixth century of the Common Era, that we will be able to pinpoint with certainty the points of its fate, the chapters of its life and the behaviors of our current research "cat", i.e. the "Shunra" or the "Shuner" and find ourselves, we will admit the truth, sometimes with personal, research hesitations of course, because we will have difficulty reaching empirical, historical conclusions, in light of the analysis of passages from biblical and especially Talmudic literature. Sometimes we find ourselves almost confused as to which animal we are actually discussing. And in particular, which chapter of her historical life do we actually seek to investigate and reach historical conclusions about?
The Shunra from "Had Gadya"
I will give here an interesting example, straight from the Passover Haggadah, the one whose clear origin is taken from the daily life of the Jews of the Mishnah and the Talmud, both in the Land of Israel and in Babylon. And here it is before us: "Chad Gadya (one kid), Chad Gadya, Dzebin Abba Bateri Zuzi (which Abba bought for two zuzi). Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya. And then a cat came and ate (and devoured) the kid, Abba Bateri Zuzi. Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya. And then a dog came and bit the kid, Abba Bateri Zuzi..." And we will already note at this stage that this parasha will be discussed, and in great detail, in the next chapter. However, we will suffice with the passage in question and the one that follows it, albeit at the tip of the pen, in order to make some important comments and enlightenments on the subject.
Well, beyond the fact that we have before us a macabre, somewhat demonic description, which concludes, no less and no more, the Passover Haggadah and the ranking of predators and slaughterers up to the involvement of Jehovah who slaughters the Angel of Death, here are a number of interesting conclusions related to the subject of our discussion. One – the shonar, the shonar devours a goat, which indicates its strength, power and size, and in the original language: "and ate" meaning ate/prey. The second – the halba, the dog is represented not as a predator but as a biter, which reinforces the above in relation to the relationship between predator and prey. The third – the ones who come after the dog are the hoetra, the ox, water, fire, the human slaughterer, the Angel of Death and Jehovah.
And again, to note and emphasize – this episode will be discussed in detail in the third chapter of our study, this article.
The schooner/shunra therefore appears as large, powerful, and deadly, which perhaps historically indicates an ancient creature with great courage and appetite.
The origin of the name "Shuner" or in Aramaic "Shunra", i.e. "The Shuner", has not yet been clarified. It is also very difficult to trace his name, and/or his nickname (?). There is a likelihood that the origin may be Proto-Semitic or Proto-Iranian/Mesopotamian, but that Proto-Iranian source has not been found, or has not yet been found in our hands, has not yet been revealed to us. Proto-Semitic is the language, the presumed mother tongue of the Semitic languages.
Here too, I will emphasize in a note that in the third chapter of this essay we will deal with the name/term/title of his name – the "schooner".
In any case, we are left with many question marks regarding the clarifications and explanations of the cat's name/nickname in ancient times.
Who is the schooner and what is his appearance? The schooner is characterized by a short tail, tufts of black hair at the tips of the ears, a mustache, a beard, and padded paws for walking, perhaps in the snow. It reminds us of the "caracal." However, the conclusion, whatever it may be, is worthy of serious study. And perhaps, perhaps, we can in any case hint at it while wandering through the sources of the Sages, perhaps in terms of walking in the endless desert. The Sages included the cat in the list of unclean species and in the Pesikta Zotra (Good Lesson), Leviticus, Parashat "Shemini", 27 p. XNUMX) according to the rule mentioned in the Torah: "Everything walks on its paws" (Leviticus XNUMX:XNUMX). On the surface, this source seems to be connected above with the matter of the path of the cat's paws.
The characteristics and traits of cats, as this group includes many species, and from this it will be very difficult to extract from their characteristics regarding their appearance and function in the Bible, during the Second Temple period, during the Talmud and Sabor periods, and despite this we will try, we will try, and perhaps we will succeed in doing so.
We will limit ourselves here to a number of prominent characteristics that will help us find some direction in the testimonies emerging from the biblical sources, which characterize the times of the Second Temple, the Mishnah, and the Talmud:
The cat's body structure is suitable for its role as a predator. The cat has a very developed sense of sight. Its eyes are large in relation to its head and face forward. Its night vision is excellent, many times better than that of a human. Its eyes are large in relation to its head and face forward. The pupil is able to dilate and round during the hours of darkness; the cat's sense of hearing is developed. Its ears are large and erect, allowing it to pick up even slight noises and, to emphasize, the cat is a nocturnal predator with excellent orientation and spatial awareness: One of the most prominent characteristics of the cat is the whiskers, which allow the cat to expand its sense of touch, so that it also senses things outside the boundaries of its body; the cat's ability to maneuver is high; they are excellent hunters; their speed and reactions are excellent; their gait is springy and silent; Its flexibility allows it to leap a distance when attacking prey, as well as to flee from a large predator perched on it: the cat's ability to sneak up on prey is excellent; there is no better climber; the cat is a solitary animal, an "anti-family" species; the cat is endowed with an "excessive" sense of hygiene and cleanliness. It often licks its body/fur due to its zeal for cleanliness. When the cat defecates, it covers the hole/dungeon it dug earlier and takes care to cover it, apparently so as not to betray its presence to predators and at the same time to mark its territory.
Cats are known as independent and sometimes aloof animals, but it turns out that they are also social creatures with complex communication patterns. Cats' facial expressions contribute to their social interactions. Rapid imitation of cats' facial movements such as ear flapping or mouth opening indicates what may lead to shared play. Cats quickly imitate the facial expressions of other cats, especially in positive situations. Furthermore, identifying rapid imitation patterns can be used as a tool to diagnose levels of connection between cats. (From "The Facial Language of Cats," "Hidaan" December 20, 2024).
Moreover, the cat has been known and is known as an individual, relative to other animals, but it also has a desire to socialize, to make friends. Which will gradually and in development explain the place and position of the cat among Jewish communities from ancient times onwards. SSS.
It should be noted that in Israel, there are three species of the cat family – the African wildcat, the swamp cat, and the caracal.
The cat's origins in the Neolithic period coincided with the domestication of wheat and barley and occurred in several independent events.
The domestication of the cat is considered unique not only because domestication was extremely rare in the context of other animals, except for the dog of course, but also because it was of great benefit to humans, even in the context of survival. It should be noted that the domestication of the cat, before that of the dog, was considered a kind of common thread between both sides - man and animal throughout history, and not without reason for several reasons. The ability to domesticate it, and later, as a species, to tame it, was considered an extraordinary achievement of man, and hence the fact of coexistence, the amphibia of the two sides since very ancient times. And let us not forget that the dog could be domesticated and tamed more easily than the cat, and in fact to this day. Indeed, with a great difference between the two species - the cat and the dog - it was more difficult to domesticate the dog than the cat, and certainly the almost impossible difficulty of taming the cat compared to the dog, and for various reasons, almost unfathomable and unattainable. For these reasons, perhaps, among other factors, the cat has remained from ancient times to the present day as much more mysterious and has almost incomprehensible aspects. And perhaps that is why a greater and deeper mystery has been associated with the cat than with dogs, and from this, on the one hand, a mysterious aspect towards the cat has been created, and on the other hand, a kind of special attraction towards it. And perhaps, with great caution, some historical connection can be found between the name of the animal, namely "cat", and interesting interpretations in relation to many verbs of the roots of its name.
Over time, humans have benefited from the presence of cats in their vicinity due to their natural ability to destroy mice and rats.
With the arrival of the cat in ancient Egypt, around 2000 BC, it became a sacred animal. It may have been used in various temples as a substitute for the lioness, which was difficult to obtain.
Findings of cat cemeteries from that period, some of which contained large quantities of mummified cats. The penalty for killing a cat was death. The ancient Egyptians even banned the export of cats from their country.
In ancient Egypt, the cat symbolized the god Bast. Cats arrived in ancient Israel through and by the Egyptian garrisons during the second millennium BC.
It should be noted that an ivory statuette of a cat from that period indicates that cats were already a common sight in human habitations.
From the prehistoric cat, or as one who belonged to the cat family scientifically called Felidae, meaning carnivorous animals, a cat called the domestic cat appeared many years ago, whose scientific name is Felis Silvestris Catus, and whose origin is the African wild cat scientifically called Felis Silvestris Lybica.
In Aramaic, the written and spoken language in the literature of the Sages such as the Gemara/Talmud, the cat is called "Shunra", meaning "Shuner" without the "a" known in Hebrew and whose scientific name is Lynx and whose archaic scientific origin comes from the Greek from which its name was expressed, which is a little difficult to pronounce and in Latin transcription it was LIGS' or Luygs as someone who was associated with the Roman god of wine, namely Bacchus.
It has already been said, and we will admit the truth, that it will be difficult to be precise and say when we "pull out" from the world of the Talmud, the Land of Israel and the Babylonian, which are not based on a purely scientific basis, the extent of domestication of the ancient, wild, undomesticated cat and in general the processes of its prehistoric and historical life outside and within human society, and in general when we "travel" along the paths of its life from hundreds of thousands of years to the last centuries of the Common Era and from there onwards, let's say until the fifth-sixth century of the Common Era, that we will be able to pinpoint with certainty the points of its fate, the chapters of its life and the behaviors of our current research "cat", i.e. the "Shunra" or the "Shuner" and find ourselves, we will admit the truth, sometimes with personal, research hesitations of course, because we will have difficulty reaching empirical, historical conclusions, in light of the analysis of passages from biblical and especially Talmudic literature. Sometimes we find ourselves almost confused as to which animal we are actually discussing. And in particular, which chapter of her historical life do we actually seek to investigate and reach historical conclusions about?
I will give here an interesting example, straight from the Passover Haggadah, the one whose clear origin is taken from the daily life of the Jews of the Mishnah and the Talmud, both in the Land of Israel and in Babylon. And here it is before us: "Chad Gadya (one kid), Chad Gadya, Dzebin Abba Bateri Zuzi (which Abba bought for two zuzi). Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya. And then a cat came and ate (and devoured) the kid, Abba Bateri Zuzi. Chad Gadya, Chad Gadya. And then a dog came and bit the kid, Abba Bateri Zuzi..." And we will already note at this stage that this parasha will be discussed, and in great detail, in the next chapter. However, we will suffice with the passage in question and the one that follows it, albeit at the tip of the pen, in order to make some important comments and enlightenments on the subject.
Well, beyond the fact that we have before us a macabre, somewhat demonic description, which concludes, no less and no more, the Passover Haggadah and the ranking of predators and slaughterers up to the involvement of Jehovah who slaughters the Angel of Death, here are a number of interesting conclusions related to the subject of our discussion. One – the shonar, the shonar devours a goat, which indicates its strength, power and size, and in the original language: "and ate" meaning ate/prey. The second – the halba, the dog is represented not as a predator but as a biter, which reinforces the above in relation to the relationship between predator and prey. The third – the ones who come after the dog are the hoetra, the ox, water, fire, the human slaughterer, the Angel of Death and Jehovah.
And again, to note and emphasize – this episode will be discussed in detail in the third chapter of our study, this article.
The schooner/shunra therefore appears as large, powerful, and deadly, which perhaps historically indicates an ancient creature with great courage and appetite.
The origin of the name "Shuner" or in Aramaic "Shunra", i.e. "The Shuner", has not yet been clarified. It is also very difficult to trace his name, and/or his nickname (?). There is a likelihood that the origin may be Proto-Semitic or Proto-Iranian/Mesopotamian, but that Proto-Iranian source has not been found, or has not yet been found in our hands, has not yet been revealed to us. Proto-Semitic is the language, the presumed mother tongue of the Semitic languages.
Here too, I will emphasize in a note that in the third chapter of this essay we will deal with the name/term/title of his name – the "schooner".
In any case, we are left with many question marks regarding the clarifications and explanations of the cat's name/nickname in ancient times.
Who is the schooner and what is his appearance? The schooner is characterized by a short tail, tufts of black hair at the tips of the ears, a mustache, a beard, and padded paws for walking, perhaps in the snow. It reminds us of the "caracal." However, the conclusion, whatever it may be, is worthy of serious study. And perhaps, perhaps, we can in any case hint at it while wandering through the sources of the Sages, perhaps in terms of walking in the endless desert. The Sages included the cat in the list of unclean species and in the Pesikta Zotra (Good Lesson), Leviticus, Parashat "Shemini", 27 p. XNUMX) according to the rule mentioned in the Torah: "Everything walks on its paws" (Leviticus XNUMX:XNUMX). On the surface, this source seems to be connected above with the matter of the path of the cat's paws.
The characteristics and traits of cats, as this group includes many species, and from this it will be very difficult to extract from their characteristics regarding their appearance and function in the Bible, during the Second Temple period, during the Talmud and Sabor periods, and despite this we will try, we will try, and perhaps we will succeed in doing so.
We will limit ourselves here to a number of prominent characteristics that will help us find some direction in the testimonies emerging from the biblical sources, which characterize the times of the Second Temple, the Mishnah, and the Talmud:
The cat's body structure is suitable for its role as a predator. The cat has a very developed sense of sight. Its eyes are large in relation to its head and face forward. Its night vision is excellent, many times better than that of a human. Its eyes are large in relation to its head and face forward. The pupil is able to dilate and round during the hours of darkness; the cat's sense of hearing is developed. Its ears are large and erect, allowing it to pick up even slight noises and, to emphasize, the cat is a nocturnal predator with excellent orientation and spatial awareness: One of the most prominent characteristics of the cat is the whiskers, which allow the cat to expand its sense of touch, so that it also senses things outside the boundaries of its body; the cat's ability to maneuver is high; they are excellent hunters; their speed and reactions are excellent; their gait is springy and silent; Its flexibility allows it to leap a distance when attacking prey, as well as to flee from a large predator perched on it: the cat's ability to sneak up on prey is excellent; there is no better climber; the cat is a solitary animal, an "anti-family" species; the cat is endowed with an "excessive" sense of hygiene and cleanliness. It often licks its body/fur due to its zeal for cleanliness. When the cat defecates, it covers the hole/dungeon it dug earlier and takes care to cover it, apparently so as not to betray its presence to predators and at the same time to mark its territory.
Cats are known as independent and sometimes aloof animals, but it turns out that they are also social creatures with complex communication patterns. The facial expressions of cats contribute to their social interactions. Rapid imitation of cats' facial movements such as ear flapping or mouth opening indicates what may lead to shared play. Cats quickly imitate the facial expressions of other cats, especially in positive situations. Furthermore, identifying rapid imitation patterns can be used as a tool to diagnose levels of connection between cats. (From "Cats' facial language","The News" December 20, 2024).
Moreover, the cat has been known and is known as an individual, relative to other animals, but it also has a desire to socialize, to make friends. Which will gradually and in development explain the place and position of the cat among Jewish communities from ancient times onwards.
It should be noted that in Israel, there are three species of the cat family – the African wildcat, the swamp cat, and the caracal.
The cat was domesticated at the same time as the domestication of wheat and barley.
The cat's origins in the Neolithic period coincided with the domestication of wheat and barley and occurred in several independent events.
The domestication of the cat is considered unique not only because domestication was extremely rare in the context of other animals, except for the dog of course, but also because it was of great benefit to humans, even in the context of survival. It should be noted that the domestication of the cat, before that of the dog, was considered a kind of common thread between both sides - man and animal throughout history, and not without reason for several reasons. The ability to domesticate it, and later, as a species, to tame it, was considered an extraordinary achievement of man, and hence the fact of coexistence, the amphibia of the two sides since very ancient times. And let us not forget that the dog could be domesticated and tamed more easily than the cat, and in fact to this day. Indeed, with a great difference between the two species - the cat and the dog - it was more difficult to domesticate the dog than the cat, and certainly the almost impossible difficulty of taming the cat compared to the dog, and for various reasons, almost unfathomable and unattainable. For these reasons, perhaps, among other factors, the cat has remained from ancient times to the present day as much more mysterious and has almost incomprehensible aspects. And perhaps that is why a greater and deeper mystery has been associated with the cat than with dogs, and from this, on the one hand, a mysterious aspect towards the cat has been created, and on the other hand, a kind of special attraction towards it. And perhaps, with great caution, some historical connection can be found between the name of the animal, namely "cat", and interesting interpretations in relation to many verbs of the roots of its name.
Over time, humans have benefited from the presence of cats in their vicinity due to their natural ability to destroy mice and rats.
With the arrival of the cat in ancient Egypt, around 2000 BC, it became a sacred animal. It may have been used in various temples as a substitute for the lioness, which was difficult to obtain.
Findings of cat cemeteries from that period, some of which contained large quantities of mummified cats. The penalty for killing a cat was death. The ancient Egyptians even banned the export of cats from their country.
In ancient Egypt, the cat symbolized the god Bast. Cats arrived in ancient Israel through and by the Egyptian garrisons during the second millennium BC.
It should be noted that an ivory statuette of a cat from that period indicates that cats were already a common sight in human habitations.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
2 תגובות
Avi Shalom Rav. Thank you for your comment. The subject will be discussed in more detail in the second chapter, and especially in the third, and will also be supported by references from the writings of the Sages.
To avoid confusion, it is worth noting that
is the Hebrew name given to Felis Lynx
which is a medium-sized cat
which is located in Europe and America,
In the country, it is "replaced" by the Caracal.