Dict: easton - Hare

easton:

Hare @ (Heb. 'arnebeth) was prohibited as food according to the Mosaic law kjv@Leviticus:11:6; kjv@Deuteronomy:14:7), "because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof." The habit of this animal is to grind its teeth and move its jaw as if it actually chewed the cud. But, like the cony (q.v.), it is not a ruminant with four stomachs, but a rodent like the squirrel, rat, etc. Moses speaks of it according to appearance. It is interdicted because, though apparently chewing the cud, it did not divide the hoof. There are two species in Syria,

(1) the Lepus Syriacus or Syrian hare, which is like the English hare; and

(2) the Lepus Sinaiticus, or hare of the desert. No rabbits are found in Syria.

Hareth @ thicket, a wood in the mountains of Judah where David hid when pursued by Saul ( kjv@1Samuel:22:5). It was possibly while he was here that the memorable incident narrated in kjv@2Samuel:23:14-17, kjv@1Chronicles:11:16-19 occurred. This place has not been identified, but perhaps it may be the modern Kharas, on the borders of the chain of mountains some 3 miles east of Keilah.