Hyaena
Smith's Bible Dictionary [1]
Hyaena. Authorities differ as to whether the Hebrew term tzabu'a in Jeremiah 12:9 means a "hyaena" or a "speckled bird." The only other instance in which it occurs is as a proper name, Zeboim, 1 Samuel 13:18, "The Valley Of Hyaenas," Aquila. Nehemiah 11:34.
The striped hyaen,a (Hyaena striata ), is found in Africa, Asia Minor, Arabia and Persia, and is more common in Palestine than any other carnivorous animals except perhaps the jackal. The hyaena is among the mammals what the vulture is among birds, - the scavenger of the wilderness, the woods and the shore. -
It often attacks animals, and sometimes digs up the dead bodies of men and beasts. From this last habit, the hyaena has been regarded as a horrible and mysterious creature. Its teeth are so powerful that they can crack the bones of an ox with ease. - Appelton's Encyc. The hyaena was common in ancient as in modern Egypt, and is constantly depicted upon monuments; it must, therefore, have been well known to the Jews.
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible [2]
HYÆNA ( zâbuâ‘ , Jeremiah 12:9 [but see art. Speckled Bird]. Zeboim [ 1 Samuel 13:18 ] probably means ‘[Valley of] Hyænas’). The hyæna (Arab. [Note: Arabic.] daba‘ ) is a very common Palestine animal, concerning which the fellahîn have countless tales. It is both hated and dreaded; it consumes dead bodies, and will even dig up corpses in the cemeteries; the writer has known such rifling of graves to occur on the Mount of Olives. It is nocturnal in its habits; in the day-time it hides in solitary caves, to which the fellahîn often follow it and attack it by various curious devices. In the gathering dusk and at night the hungry hyæna frequently becomes very bold, and will follow with relentless persistence a solitary pedestrian, who, if he cannot reach safety, will surely be killed. In spite of its habits it is eaten at times by the Bedouin.
E. W. G. Masterman.
Webster's Dictionary [3]
(n.) Same as Hyena.
