Bat

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BAT

BAT (Heb. ????????; atallef). About 20 species of insect-eating bats are found in Israel and one, the Rousettus aegyptiacus, which feeds on fruit. The bat is actually a mammal, but because of its wings which enable it to fly, the ancients were in doubt whether it was to be classified with birds or mammals. In the Bible it is last in the list of the unclean birds (Lev. 11:19) but the Talmud declares that "although it lays eggs, it suckles" (Bek. 7b). Apparently the rabbis attributed to the bat the eggs laid by other birds in their caves. The bat is long-lived (up to 30 years) and many legends were woven about its development (bk 16a). The bat causes extensive damage to fruit trees, particularly the date palm, as is indicated in the Jerusalem Talmud (tj, Pe'ah 8:1, 20d).

bibliography:

Lewysohn, Zool, 102–5; F.S. Bodenheimer, Ha-?ai be-Ar?ot ha-Mikra, 2 (1956), index; J. Feliks, Animal World of the Bible (1962), 47; S. Lieberman, in: Leshonenu, 29 (1965), 132–5.

[Jehuda Feliks]

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