The agricultural world of Old Testament Israel swarmed with animals—birds, insects, fish, pack animals, pets, animals for hunting, and domesticated herds of sheep, goats, and cattle. Using information from the Bible, Ancient Near Eastern documents, anthropology, and archaeology, Borowski synthesizes what we know about the use of animals in biblical times for food, clothing, transportation, and even cultic practices. This comprehensive catalog is a convenient desk resource for any reader_whether biblical scholar, archaeology student, or layperson. Essays on pastoral systems, cult, and agricultural economics, makes this also an important tool for researchers.

"A well-written account of the role of animals in ancient Israel provides enough examples of the compexity of human/animal relationships to make it of general interest to all zooarchaeologists." - Society For Archaeological Sciences Bulletin