This is not a student howler, as such. But yesterday I ran a class on the
Book of Revelation as the first tutorial of a course on millennialism; next
week we do Radolfus Glaber and the year 1000. A student entered the class
wearing a pigeon (alive) on her head. This was a first. She said that she
lived in the country and that the bird was only ten weeks old and got upset
when she left it alone.
Could not help noticing after this the distinct lack of birds (including
pigeons) in the Book of Revelation. Only the eagle (three times: Revelation
4:7, 8:13, 12:14). There are many wings, of course, on the various
creatures which adore God. The (wingless?) dragon is thrown out of heaven by
Michael and his (winged?) angels. The woman clothed with the sun is given
the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared
for her in the desert (Rev. 12:14).
The pigeon behaved beautifully - just as the citations might lead you to
expect.
Hilary
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Dr Hilary M. Carey
Department of History ph: +61 2 49 215209
University of Newcastle fax:+61 2 49 216940
NSW 2308 AUSTRALIA email: [log in to unmask]
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