Dromedary

The dromedary (single-humped camel, Camelus dromedarius) was one of the most important animals in the ancient Near East, essential for long-distance caravan trade and transportation across desert routes connecting Arabia, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. Distinguished from the Bactrian (two-humped) camel by its single hump and superior adaptation to hot, arid climates, the dromedary could travel days without water and carry heavy loads across terrain impassable to wheeled vehicles.

Camels appear as a mark of patriarchal wealth from Abraham onward (Gen. 12:16; 24:10) and feature prominently in the account of Rebekah's journey to become Isaac's wife. Isaiah 60:6 envisions dromedaries from Midian and Ephah bringing gold and incense to the restored Zion. Jeremiah 2:23 compares faithless Israel to a swift young female camel—a bikrāh, a riding dromedary—darting restlessly across the landscape as a metaphor for Israel's frantic and erratic pursuit of foreign gods. The image captures the dromedary's speed and unpredictability in contrast to Israel's covenantal obligation of steadfast loyalty.