Hawk
Archimandrite Nikifor’s Biblical Encyclopedia
(Lev. 11:16)—a swift bird of prey, included among birds not to be eaten under the law of Moses (Deut. 14:15). “Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars and spreads its wings toward the south?” God asks Job (Job 39:26). The question directs attention to divine providence in the instincts of migratory birds, many of which pass through Palestine. The source’s report that killing a hawk was a criminal offense among Greeks and Egyptians reflects particular ancient cultic customs and should not be generalized to every place or period.