Turtle, Turtle-dove

The turtle-dove (Hebrew tor; Greek trugon) was a migratory bird whose seasonal return to Israel was celebrated as a sign of spring: "The voice of the turtle is heard in our land" (Song of Solomon 2:12). The turtle-dove was the bird of the poor in the Levitical sacrificial system: where the law permitted offering either a lamb or two doves or young pigeons, the dove option accommodated those unable to afford larger animals (Leviticus 1:14; 5:7; 12:8; 14:22). When Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple for purification and presentation, they offered "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24) — indicating they presented the offering of the poor, a detail consistent with their humble circumstances. The bird's gentle and mournful character made it a symbol of innocence and longing in ancient poetry, and its faithfulness to its mate was proverbial in antiquity.