From birds of every kind, cattle of every kind, every kind of creeping thing on earth, two of each shall come to you to stay alive.GENESIS 6:19–20We could take only two of each unclean animal, yet many came in packs. All but two of each were slaughtered. We were allowed seven pairs of every animal that chewed its cud and had fully cloven hooves: oxen, sheep, goats, deer, gazelles, ibex, antelope, and mountain sheep.“Why do we take more of those who chew their cud, husband?”“Because those are clean animals. Their meat will sustain us.”“What is so clean about chewing, swallowing, and bringing forth the same straws of wheat over and over?”“Wife, do not speak ill of God’s laws.”He hurried away, staff swinging wildly in front of him. I looked silently into the sky. Why do You make strange laws? And why have You called so many animals to Japheth’s knife?Japheth snorted gleefully as a herd of camels appeared on the horizon. Though camels chewed their cud, they did not have fully cloven hooves and were therefore unclean.
