E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Doves’ Dung.
In 2 Kings vi. 25, during the siege of Samaria, “there was a great famine … . and … . an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung [hariyonim] for five pieces of silver.” This “hariyonim” was a plant called chickpea, a common article of food still sold to pilgrims on their way to Mecca.
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“In Damascus there are many tradesmen whose sole occupation is preparing [hariyonim] for sale. They have always been esteemed as provision meet for a lengthy journey, and are a necessary part of the outfit of all who travel in the remote parts of Syria and Asia Minor.”—Bible Flowers, p. 71.
