Mammals of the Holy Land

Over 110 species of mammals roamed the forests, mountains, and deserts of this ancient "Land of Canaan"—Jordan, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine. Their impact on humans can be seen in cave drawings made by the Neanderthal inhabitants of northern Palestine some 200,000 years ago and gleaned from the writings of all Near Eastern civilizations.In recent centuries, encroachment by an increasing human population has resulted in the extinction of several species—aurochs (wild ox), red deer, onager…