Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY
Watchtower
ONLINE LIBRARY
English
  • BIBLE
  • PUBLICATIONS
  • MEETINGS
  • g94 10/22 p. 31
  • A Warm-Water Seal?

No video available for this selection.

Sorry, there was an error loading the video.

  • A Warm-Water Seal?
  • Awake!—1994
  • Similar Material
  • Mediterranean Monk Seals—Will They Survive?
    Awake!—2001
  • Sealskin
    Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2
  • Seal
    Aid to Bible Understanding
  • Seal
    Insight on the Scriptures, Volume 2
See More
Awake!—1994
g94 10/22 p. 31

A Warm-​Water Seal?

SEALS are often depicted in the icy, white expanses of Arctic or Antarctic waters. But did you know that some seals can thrive in a temperate climate, basking on the sand of deserted beaches?

Meet the Mediterranean monk seal. Measuring up to 12 feet [3.5 m] in length, this warm-​water seal has short, thick hair covered with dark patches, with a whitish belly and breast. These distinctive colors, similar to the habit of some religious orders, may explain its name.

Several Bible passages mention a skin called taʹchash (in Hebrew), which covered the tabernacle and utensils in the sanctuary. (Exodus 25:5; 26:14; Numbers 4:8) Some experts suggest that taʹchash refers to sealskin. Could it be the skin of the Mediterranean monk seal? The presence of this animal in ancient Mediterranean waters makes this supposition valid.

Ancient folklore attributed special powers to the monk seal. Its skin, some believed, could ward off bolts of lightning and prevent hail from falling on cultivated fields. By either standing on end or lying flat, the hairs of the sealskin were said to indicate the onset or imminent conclusion of a thunderstorm.

Because of its supposed powers, the monk seal was almost driven to extinction by merciless hunters. Recently, however, it has been sighted in the sea around east-​central Sardinia. When harmony between man and animal is reestablished in God’s new world, the Mediterranean monk seal will undoubtedly repossess tranquil and peaceful beaches, where it will be able to bask in the sun unthreatened by greedy humans.​—Isaiah 11:6-9.

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

Panos Dendrinos/​HSSPMS

    English Publications (1950-2025)
    Log Out
    Log In
    • English
    • Share
    • Preferences
    • Copyright © 2025 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Settings
    • JW.ORG
    • Log In
    Share