I've always felt that this 'traditional' Israeli understanding was somewhat thwarted by Arik Einstein's lyrics in עוף גוזל. The bird is warned, "רק אל תשכח, יש נשר בשמים". I would imagine that a little bird need only fear a creature that consumes live animals?
I think by the time the song was written in 1987 (see here), nesher=vulture became the "traditional Israeli understanding".
Thanks. That was very informative!
You wrote that nesher has nothing to do with "fallen out [feahters]" from an etymological standpoint. But Scripture itself states that the nesher is bald (in Michah).
When was Rambam first referred to as HaNesher HaGadol?
I'm not sure when the Rambam first got that nickname. It was over time, applied to other rabbis as well.
When Michah states that the nesher is bald, it is very likely a play on words - something we see often in the Tanach. That doesn't indicate an etymological connection, and we always have to be careful about making assumptions in this regard.
I think you are misunderstanding me. I am not claiming that there is an etymological connection. I am saying that quite aside from the etymology, we have a statement in Michah that the nesher is bald.
That's true, and that is one of Slifkin's arguments for identifying the nesher as a vulture.
If you let the ayin of עיט be really guttural, you kinda get another bird of prey -- the kite.
we learned in high school that it is a griffon vulture.
not that all this matters to me, as i have no idea what the difference is between a vulture and an eagle. as far as i am concerned you can just translate as "bird"
Well, you're following in the spirit of Onkelos...
i am very bad with animal names in hebrew in general. then again, even in english i am not good at identifying them
On what basis are you identifying the Golden Eagle with the "nesher" in parashat Yitro?
That's how the Encyclopedia Mirkait identifies it.
The confusion here is a cultural difference between east and west: In eastern culture the vulture was considered a powerful bird and the "king of birds", in western culture, however, the vulture as a scavenger was seen as a disgusting bird, to them the eagle was the king of birds. That's why western orientated Jews couldn't believe "'al kanphe nesharim" could refer to the vulture, and took it to mean eagle.
"The Great Vulture" as a compliment makes sense in Middle Eastern culture.
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