To do this Jewish writers tell us that the shepherd allowed the animals to come by him as they would under the rod at a narrow entrance. 'And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord' (Lev. The law of Moses speaks of tithing the flock for a specific purpose at such a time. 'I will cause you to pass under the rod' (Ezek. The prophet Ezekiel refers to the custom of the sheep passing under the shepherd's rod for the purpose of counting or inspecting them. He mentions both the rod and the staff in his Shepherd Psalm (Psa.

It was no doubt the rod that David used in protecting his sheep from wild animals (1Sam. It is very useful for protection, and no shepherd would be without it. Into this knob nails are sometimes driven so as to make a better weapon.

It is often made of oak wood and has a knob on the end of it. It was into this bag that David placed the five smooth stones when he went to battle with the giant Goliath (1Sam. When he leaves home to go and tend the sheep, his mother will put into it some bread, cheese, dried fruit, and probably some olives. The aba keeps the boy warm, is able to shed the rain, and at night is used as a blanket in which to wrap himself. The dress of an Arab shepherd lad is a simple tunic of cotton that is girded around his body by a leathern girdle, and his outer garment, called aba, is often of camel's hair, like that of John the Baptist (Matt. His Shepherd Psalm has become the classic of the ages. His experiences as a shepherd lad were often used to illustrate his beautiful psalms. David, being the youngest of eight sons, became the family shepherd. 'And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep' (1Sam. Such must have been the custom when Jesse raised his family of eight sons. And so the job is passed from older to younger until the youngest of all becomes the family shepherd. As the older son grows up he transfers his energies from sheep raising to helping the father with sowing, plowing, and harvesting the crops, and passes on the shepherd's task to the next younger boy. The youngest boy in the family becomes shepherd of the sheep, especially when the Arab peasant is a shepherd as well as being a farmer of grain. 'The fat tail entire, he shall take away hard by the backbone' (Lev. 'Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat that covereth the inwards' (Exod. That this variety of sheep was in use in ancient times is seen by references in the Pentateuch to the fat tail of the sheep. People will buy the tail, or part of it, and use it for frying. When the sheep is butchered, this fatty tail is quite valuable. The fat tail provides reserve strength for the sheep, much like the hump does on a camel. 42:12), and that King Solomon at the Temple's dedication, sacrificed one hundred and twenty thousand sheep (1Kings 8:63).įat-tailed sheep the variety mostly in use The large number of sheep in the land can be understood when it is realized that Job had fourteen thousand sheep (Job. The Jews of Bible times were first shepherds and then farmers, but they never abandoned entirely their shepherd life. The Arabs of Bible lands have largely been dependent through the centuries upon sheep for their living. From the days of Abraham down to modern times, sheep have abounded in the Holy Land. Shepherd life the care of sheep and goats Excerpts from Manners and Customs of Bible Lands

Outline of running sheep