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moÌ„l ((1) ×ªÖ¼× ×©×מת, tinshemeth, the King James Version “mole,†the Revised Version (British and American) “chameleonâ€; Septuagint ἀσπαÌλαξ, aspaÌlax = σπαÌλαξ, spaÌlax, “mole,†Vulgate (Jerome's Latin Bible, 390-405 A.D.) talpa, “mole†(); (2) חלר, hÌ£oÌ„ledh, English Versions of the Bible “weaselâ€; Septuagint γαλῆ, galeÌ„Ì, “weasel†or “pole-catâ€; compare Arabic khuld, “mole-rat†(); (3) חפרפּרות, hÌ£aÌ„phar-peÌ„roÌ„th, English Versions of the Bible “molesâ€; from חפר, hÌ£aÌ„phar, “to digâ€; compare Arabic hÌ£afar, “to dig,†and פּרה, peÌ„raÌ„h, “mole†or “rat,†for פּ×רה, pe'eÌ„raÌ„h, from the root פּ×ר, paÌ„'ar, “to digâ€; compare Arabic fa'rat, or faÌ‚rat, “rat,†“mouse,†from the root fa'ar, “to digâ€; Septuagint τοῖς ματαιÌοις, toıÌs mataıÌois, “vain, idle, or profane persons†()): (1) Tinshemeth is the last of 8 unclean “creeping things†in , . The word occurs also in and , translated the King James Version “swan,†the Revised Version (British and American) “horned owl,†Septuagint ποÏφυÏιÌων, porphurıÌoÌ„n, “coot†or “heron.†See CHAMELEON. (2) HÌ£oÌ„ledh is the first in the same list. The word occurs nowhere else, and is translated “weasel†in English Versions of the Bible, but comparison with the Arabic khuld has led to the suggestion that “mole-rat†would be a better translation. See WEASEL. (3) In , “In that day men shall cast away their idols ... to the moles and to the bats,†hÌ£ăphar-peÌ„roÌ„th, variously written as one word or two, is translated “moles†in English Versions of the Bible, but has given rise to much conjecture.
The European “mole,†Talpa europea, is extensively distributed in the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, but is absent from Syria and Palestine, its place being taken by the mole-rat, Spalax typhlus. The true mole belongs to the Insectivora, and feeds on earth-worms and insect larvae, but in making its tunnels and nests, it incidentally injures gardens and lawns. The mole-rat belongs to the Rodentia, and has teeth of the same general type as those of a rat or squirrel, large, chisel-shaped incisors behind which is a large vacant space, no canines, and praemolars and molars with grinding surfaces. It is larger than the mole, but of the same color, and, like the mole, is blind. It makes tunnels much like those of the mole. It is herbivorous and has been observed to seize growing plants and draw them down into its hole. In one of its burrows a central chamber has been found filled with entire plants of the ḥummuṣ or chick-pea, and two side chambers containing pods plucked from the plants in the central chamber. While the mole digs with its powerful and peculiarly shaped front feet, the mole-rat digs with its nose, its feet being normal in shape. See LIZARD.