Doves' dung is mentioned in the Bible in the context of a severe famine during the siege of Samaria, as recorded in 2 Kings 6:25. The passage states: "So there was a great famine in Samaria, and they besieged it until a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter cab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver" . This reference highlights the extreme conditions and desperation faced by the inhabitants of Samaria, where even items of little to no nutritional value were sold at exorbitant prices.

The term "doves' dung" has been the subject of various interpretations and discussions among scholars and theologians. Some suggest that it refers literally to the excrement of doves, which, in times of dire scarcity, might have been used as a last resort for sustenance or fuel. Others propose that "doves' dung" could be a colloquial term for a type of wild vegetable or seed, possibly a legume or a bulb, that was consumed during the famine. This interpretation is supported by the fact that certain plants in the region have been historically referred to by similar names.

The mention of doves' dung in this context serves to underscore the severity of the famine and the dire straits of the people under siege. It reflects the broader biblical theme of judgment and the consequences of turning away from God, as the siege of Samaria was a result of the nation's disobedience and idolatry. The narrative in 2 Kings 6 is a poignant reminder of the physical and spiritual desolation that can occur when a society strays from divine commandments.

In the broader biblical context, doves are often associated with peace, purity, and the Holy Spirit, as seen in passages like Matthew 3:16, where the Spirit of God descends like a dove upon Jesus during His baptism. However, the reference to doves' dung in 2 Kings 6:25 starkly contrasts with these positive connotations, illustrating the depth of the crisis faced by Samaria.

The historical and cultural backdrop of this passage is significant for understanding the socio-economic conditions of ancient Israel during times of siege. The exorbitant prices for items like a donkey's head and doves' dung reflect the desperation and the breakdown of normal societal structures. This account serves as a historical record of the challenges faced by the Israelites and provides insight into the harsh realities of life in the ancient Near East during periods of conflict and divine judgment.Doves Dung

Various explanations have been given of the passage in (2 Kings 6:25) Bochart has labored to show that it denotes a species of cicer , "chick-pea," which he says the Arabs call usnan , and sometimes improperly "dove's" or "sparrow's dung." Great quantities of these are sold in Cairo to the pilgrims going to Mecca. Later authorities incline to think it the bulbous root of the Star of Bethlehem (ornithogalum , i.e. bird-milk), a common root in Palestine, and sometimes eaten. --ED. It can scarcely be believed that even in the worst horrors of a siege a substance so vile as is implied by the literal rendering should have been used for food.

2755. chare yonim -- doves' dung
... 2754, 2755. chare yonim. 2756 . doves' dung. Transliteration: chare yonim Phonetic
Spelling: (khar-ay'-yo-neem') Short Definition: dung. ... doves' dung ...
/hebrew/2755.htm - 6k

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... Elis??us the son of Saphat. In his reign the people in Samaria ate doves' dung
and their own children. The period of Jehosaphat extends ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

Of Two Other Degrees of Greater Perfection, by which we May Love ...
... that in comparison with others they might take the rank of queens, of only doves,
of perfect ... [452] And he that cried out: I count all things but as dung that I ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter v of two other.htm

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ;
... in those days was sore in the land, there was no bread for the people; and as for
that sustenance that was, which was asses' flesh and doves' dung, that was ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/come and welcome to jesus.htm

Empedocles Increased the Absurdity of Pythagoras by Developing the ...
... and the wild fare of bitter leaves, and beasts of the dung-hill, and ... ones panthers,
good men sheep, talkative ones swallows, and chaste men doves, as if the ...
/.../a treatise on the soul/chapter xxxii empedocles increased the absurdity.htm

Mission Tours.
... listening if inclined to the cawing of the crows, the cooing of the doves, and the ...
water, a little wood for fuel, if not in its stead dried cow-dung, and they ...
/.../life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xiv mission tours.htm

Second visit to Nazareth - the Mission of the Twelve.
... Similarly, the admonition to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves' is reproduced
in the Midrash ... [3082] The primary meaning is: manuring (land) with dung. ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxvii second visit to.htm

The Battle of the Books, 1749-1755.
... that trumpet of Satan; and others declared that the Bible was dung, and only ... themselves
as worms; in the next they rejoiced as alabaster doves; and, glorying ...
/.../hutton/history of the moravian church/chapter xiii the battle of.htm

Carey's Immediate Influence in Great Britain and America
... to be protected from violence, and all cramming with cow-dung prohibited on ... missionaries
He sent forth:""Be wise as serpents, harmless as doves." The story ...
/.../smith/the life of william carey/chapter xiii careys immediate influence.htm

They Shall be Called the Children of God
... They soil and blacken the silver wings of Christ's doves by their aspersive ... God lets
the wicked dung his people with reproaches and calumnies, that their ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/19 they shall be called.htm

Book ii. Jerome Answers the Second, Third, and Fourth Propositions ...
... Hyena's gall restores brightness to the eyes, and its dung and that of dogs cures
gangrenous wounds. ... Peacock's dung allays the inflammation of gout. ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/book ii jerome answers the.htm

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