Ass

The ass (donkey) was the most common beast of burden in biblical Palestine, appearing throughout both Testaments in mundane, symbolic, and prophetic roles. The domesticated species included the she-ass (ʾāthôn), the male working donkey (ḥamôr), and the swift riding ass (ʿayir). Patriarchs owned asses as livestock (Genesis 12:16; 45:23); Balaam's ass spoke by divine intervention (Numbers 22:23–30); and Samson slew Philistines with an ass's jawbone (Judges 15:15–16). Most significantly, Zechariah prophesied that Zion's king would come humble, and riding on an ass (Zechariah 9:9)—a prophecy fulfilled at Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:5).