On a day in March 2004 I was watching the sunset on
a boat in the Nile going to backto our hotel in Aswan. We saw many fleets of
those small birds flying
north. We were watching their flying patterns and how a
leader was
always appointed to lead the entire group. They all kept the
same
distance from one another in that long line.
At that time we thought of ducks, doves and quails,
as those
intelligent birds that recognize the earth magnetic
fields to
determine direction, as if using a compass.
I was told that the phenomena was until now not
quite understood
(although I remember something like a metal particle
being embedded
inside skulls of migrating birds). Any feedback!?
But then I was also told that migrating birds
sometimes follow basins
of rivers as their guide and source of their pray of
fish along the
way.
Watching those -to me- tiny birds fluttering their
wings, all at the
same time, with the same rhythm, I thought to
myself….."those strokes
must make the birds LOSE SO MUCH ENERGY until they
reach their
destination.."
A week later I was having dinner with South African
friends when one
of them saw QUAIL on the menu, and showed extreme
interest.
I knew that in some European cultures pigeons /
quails are not eaten
at all, and if you happen to find a place that
serves them, then you
would be ordering yourself the ultimate delicacy.
So, the idea of trying out a quail seemed extremely
exotic to him and
he asked me if they tasted good. He said he was
interested in tasting
the quail since it had been MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE.
He talked about a
MIRACLE caused by God for the Jews as they were
hungry.
The story and miracle is about the Israelites having
craved eating
flesh for a long time roaming the deserts, when God
sent quails
FALLING on them from the sky. They were happy and
ate a lot of quail.
But then God's anger caused many of them to die. It
was an EPIDEMIC
DEATH, where they dropped dead with the flesh still
in their mouths.
The story and miracle is about the Israelites having craved
eating
flesh for a long time roaming the deserts, when God sent
quails
FALLING on them from the sky. They were happy and ate a lot
of quail.
But then God's anger caused many of them to die. It
was an EPIDEMIC
DEATH, where they dropped dead with the flesh still
in their mouths.
So, why was the (scientific / historic)
investigation of this miracle
mentioned in the Bible so important? It was
important for some people
since this incident if dated properly would help in
determining when
the Exodus took place.
Well, investigating quails they found out that
quails:
- migrate southwards from Europe in the fall and
northwards in
spring time.
- stuff themselves with food before migration as a
preparation
for their journey, which makes them put on up to 50%
more of their
initial weight, they get plump.
- The body structure of quails (especially after
getting plump)
is not aerodynamic, this is why they rely a lot on
winds to push them
in their way to their destination.
- By the time the birds pass by El Arish they would
be
extremely tired and let them selves pushed down to
the ground by the
east wind. There and then many of them are usually
caught in nests /
or shot down at El Massaeed village. (An explanation
for God having
quails FALLING down from the sky on the Israelites)
- Reading in the internet some people say (or want
to prove)
that this miracle and epidemic had happened near
Mount Sinai, Sheikh
Awad and Baqb El Hawa. The assume that the people
who died there
were buried in the area on the spot.
- Some quails when eaten have proven to be
poisonous. Reason
has been unclear for some tine but one theory suggests
that in the
spring time when the birds make their way from
Central Africa back to
Europe they would have eaten a certain grain in
Central Africa, that
is not poisonous to the bird itself but to some
people who eat the
bird itself according to the person's physiology.
(An explanation for
the epidemic death of Israelites).
That day after having read those things on the net I
went back home
to find out of all days of the year mum had grilled
some quail for
usJ So, I immediatly asked her where she had gotten
them from. She
said there are some quail farms (so I knew at least
they did not eat
that grain from Central AfricaJ.
But then I thought about those domesticated quails,
whose breasts I
assure you were plumber than those of pigeonsJ
Mon 8 March 2004