numerous products. From the horns of the ram, containers and sounding horns were made. (Josh. 6:4-6, 8, 13; 1 Sam. 16:1) Sheepskins sometimes served as clothing (Heb. 11:37), and ram skins that had been dyed red were used in the construction of the tabernacle. (Ex. 26:14) Sheep’s wool furnished the fiber for what was probably the most common material for clothing. (Job 31:20; Prov. 27:26) Sheep served as an important item of trade (Ezek. 27:21) and they were even used to pay tribute. (2 Ki. 3:4; 2 Chron. 17:11) Both the milk and the meat of sheep were items of diet. (Deut. 14:4; 32:14; 2 Sam. 17:29; Isa. 7:21, 22) Mutton and lamb were enjoyed regularly by kings, governors and others.—1 Sam. 8:17; 1 Ki. 4:22, 23; Neh. 5:18; Amos 6:4.

The meat was prepared by boiling or roasting. For the Passover, a year-old ram or a male goat was roasted whole after the skin was removed and the internal organs were cleaned. (Ex. 12:5, 9) When a sheep was prepared by boiling, the animal was first skinned and then disjointed. At times the bones were cracked open to free the marrow. Both the flesh and the bones were boiled in a large vessel. (Ezek. 24:3-6, 10; Mic. 3:1-3) Once the meat was cooked, it was removed from the pot, and the remaining broth was served separately. (Compare Judges 6:19.) Serving lamb to a guest was a gesture of hospitality.—2 Sam. 12:4.

The time for shearing the sheep was looked forward to with anticipation, as it was much like a harvest. Feasting and rejoicing attended the event.—1 Sam. 25:2, 11, 36; 2 Sam. 13:23, 24, 28.

The Mosaic law prohibited eating the fat of sheep (Lev. 7:23-25), and slaughtering a sheep and its young one on the same day. (Lev. 22:28) It also included provisions for handling matters involving straying sheep and loss, maiming or theft of sheep. (Ex. 22:1, 4, 9-13; Deut. 22:1, 2) Israel’s obedience to God’s laws determined whether their flocks and herds would be blessed or cursed.—Deut. 7:12, 13; 28:2, 4, 15, 18, 31, 51.

Sheep have from earliest times been offered in sacrifice. (Gen. 4:2, 4; 22:7, 8, 13; Job 42:8) Under the Law, all firstborn male lambs were to be sacrificed, but not until at least eight days old. To redeem a firstborn male ass, a sheep was to be offered. (Ex. 34:19, 20; Lev. 22:27) Rams were presented as guilt offerings (Lev. 5:15, 16, 18; 6:6), burnt offerings (Lev. 9:3; 16:3; 23:12) and communion sacrifices (Lev. 9:4), and a ram served as an installation offering for the Aaronic priesthood. (Ex. 29:22; Lev. 8:22-28) Daily, two year-old rams constituted the constant burnt offering. (Ex. 29:38-42) At the start of the months and in connection with the annual festivals, aside from the constant burnt offering, rams and male lambs were sacrificed. (Num. 28:11, 17-19, 26, 27; 29:1-38) The ram was such a prominent feature of Israel’s offerings that the prophet Samuel used “fat of rams” in parallel with “sacrifice.” (1 Sam. 15:22) However, at times female lambs could be presented as communion sacrifices (Lev. 3:6), sin offerings (Lev. 4:32; Num. 6:14) and guilt offerings.—Lev. 5:6.

PROPHETIC AND FIGURATIVE USE

In the Scriptures, “sheep” often denote the defenseless, innocent and, at times, abused people of Jehovah. (2 Sam. 24:17; Ps. 44:11, 22; 95:7; 119:176; Matt. 10:6, 16; John 21:16, 17; Rom. 8:36) Under unfaithful shepherds or leaders, the Israelites as God’s sheep suffered greatly. Through his prophet Ezekiel, Jehovah presents a most pathetic picture of neglect: “The flock itself you do not feed. The sickened ones you have not strengthened, and the ailing one you have not healed, and the broken one you have not bandaged, and the dispersed one you have not brought back, and the lost one you have not sought to find, but with harshness you have had them in subjection, even with tyranny. And they were gradually scattered because of there being no shepherd, so that they became food for every wild beast of the field.” (Ezek. 34:3-5) By contrast, Jesus’ sheep, both the “little flock” and the “other sheep” who follow his lead, are well cared for.—Luke 12:32; John 10:4, 14, 16; Rev. 7:16, 17.

“Rams” sometimes represent persons, particularly oppressive leaders of a nation that are destined for destruction. (Jer. 51:40; Ezek. 39:18) At Ezekiel 34:17-22, the rams, the he-goats and the plump sheep stand for the unfaithful leaders of Israel who appropriated the best to themselves and then befouled what was left for the lean and sick sheep, that is, the people who were oppressed, exploited and shoved about. Jesus compared those doing good toward the least of his brothers to sheep, whereas those refusing to do so he likened to goats.—Matt. 25:31-45.

Jesus Christ was prophetically spoken of as a sheep brought to the slaughtering, and as a ewe that remains mute before her shearers. (Isa. 53:7; Acts 8:32, 35; compare 1 Peter 2:23.) John the Baptist identified Jesus as the “Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world,” and in the book of Revelation the Son of God is repeatedly called the “Lamb.”—John 1:29; Rev. 5:6; 6:16; 7:14, 17; 14:1; 17:14; 19:7.

The Medo-Persian World Power was depicted under the figure of a ram with two horns of unequal height. The taller horn evidently signified the ascendency of the Persian kings. (Dan. 8:3-7, 20) At Revelation 13:11, the wild beast out of the earth is shown as having two horns like a lamb, suggestive of seeming inoffensiveness. Similarly, Jesus spoke of false prophets as wolves in sheep’s covering, hence dangerous, although appearing to be harmless.—Matt. 7:15.

The trembling of Mount Sinai at the time of Jehovah’s giving the Law to Israel (Ex. 19:18) seems to be alluded to under the figure of ‘mountains skipping about like rams.’—Ps. 114:4-6; compare Psalm 29:5, 6; 68:8; see SHEEPFOLD; SHEPHERD.

WILD SHEEP

The Hebrew word tohʼ (a form of t^eʼohʹ) has been variously translated “wild bull” (AV), “antelope” (AS) and “gazelle.” (Ro) However, a recent Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon by Koehler and Baumgartner gives “wild sheep” as a possible rendering, and it is thus translated at Isaiah 51:20 (NW), where the allusion is to capturing this creature in a net.

Wild sheep are distinguished from domestic sheep by their outer coat of coarse hair rather than wool. The variety of wild sheep that is now geographically closest to Palestine is the Armenian wild sheep, found in the mountain ridges of Asia Minor and eastern Iran. The ram of this variety measures less than three feet (.9 meter) high at the shoulder.

SHEEPFOLD

The enclosure into which the sheep were usually brought for the night to protect them from thieves and predators. Although caves and other natural shelters were also used, often sheepfolds were permanent pens having stone walls (Num. 32:16; 1 Sam. 24:3; Zeph. 2:6) and an entranceway. (John 10:1) As in more recent times, the branches of thorny plants may have covered the tops of the stone walls. There may also have been low, flat buildings on the protected side of the enclosure, where the sheep were sheltered in severe weather. Whereas the flocks of several shepherds might be kept in the same sheepfold, there was no danger of confusion. The sheep responded only to the voice of their respective shepherd. A doorkeeper served at the entranceway of the sheepfold and opened to the shepherds in the morning.—John 10:2-4.

SHEEP GATE

See GATE, GATEWAY.

SHEERAH

(Sheʹe·rah) [blood relationship, female relative].

A daughter of Ephraim, or of his son Beriah. She is mentioned as building or founding lower and upper Beth-horon and Uzzen-sheerah, though this may have been done by some of her descendants.—1 Chron 7:22-24.