A pair of swallows can clock up as many as a thousand flights in search of little mud-balls until their nest is complete.

The Hebrew term shajaph, translated as “seagull” in the Old Testament, literally means “thinness”.

The Hebrew word anaphah, which appears in the list of impure animals (Lv. 11:19; Dt 14:18), refers to herons, which are large, elegant, long-necked aquatic birds.

Archaeological excavations have shown very old representations of roosters have been found in the Holy Land, specifically in Tell el Nasbeh and Gibeon.

Originating in Persia, this plant can still also be found growing in the region between Syria and India. It is a large herbaceous perennial bush.

The term “gazelle” appears on numerous occasions in the Bible, especially in relation to the Jewish peoples nutritional prescriptions. But it also appears as a symbol of lightness of foot and speed.

Many commentators believe this to be the flower that Solomon referred to as “the lily of the valley” in the Song of Songs.

Resins are organic secretions produced by many plants with the aim of providing a natural protection against insects, fungi and other pests.

Honesty, nobility and dependence on the Almighty are always the characteristic features of those who are being shaped and used as vehicles of His divine will.

Spelt (Triticum spelta) is much older than wheat (Triticum aestivum) and was therefore the variety that was best known and most widely used in Bible times.

The Bible only mentions ebony once, in the book of Ezekiel.

The psalmist alludes to the tall cypress trees that supported the heavy nests of the storks to highlight the way God cares for his creation.

Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) are the smallest Artiodactyl mammals of the Cervidae family that exist in Eurasia. Adult males can reach a height of 65 cm and a weight of 30 kg.

There are three mentions of corals in the Bible and in all three what is stressed is the fact that the value of precious stones was ascribed to them in ancient times.

A crocodile can weigh up to 900 kg, however, its brain is no bigger than a human thumb.

Jesus, nailed to the cross, shed his crimson blood in order to give abundant life to all his children.

There are many who believe that nature created itself. However, since the days of Job until the present day, millions have believed this to be impossible.

The allusion in the book of Job (39:26) provides surprising information about the habit of the Falco tinnuculus of hovering in the air and remaining stationary in order to be able to observe possible prey.

In Moses’s own language, the singular word for “onion” is bétsel, while the plural form is betsalim, which comes from the root batsal, meaning “to peel”.

The oriental plane tree is a tree with a smooth bark which easily peels away in strips, giving the trunk the appearance of a multi-coloured puzzle, or an artist’s palette of different shades of green and brown.

Sometimes the ram’s tail grew so much and was so heavy that it actually trailed along the ground, inflicting painful injuries on the animal. When the Bible refers to the “entire fat tail” (Lev. 3:9), this is what the writer has in mind.

They were ruminating mammals, capable of running more than a hundred kilometres without either eating or drinking. Their large feet are perfectly designed for walking across the desert sands.

It has a wing-span of 70 cm, and mainly preys on small forest birds.

The lack of food would remind the Israelites of the fact that when they were in the desert, and were hungry, they were fed by God. However, now, having turned their backs on God, they would suffer hunger again.

Although “virus” means “poison”, and we associate the term with diseases such as Ebola, AIDS or flu, among others, certain viruses are instrumental in the growth of our nervous system.