Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 58, October 2006, pp. 1-13.

8 Alhareth. Al-Dumairi mentioned also that Hamza bin Abd Almutaleb (Uncle of Prophet Mohammed Peace be upon him) was named “Asadu Allah” (Allah‟s Lion) [because he was a brave man and a fierce warrior and lion hunter in Mecca; and he was known wearing his famous lion coat]. According to Al-Dumairi the lion was living around Mecca, Arabia in the time of Hamza and Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) in the 7th Century, and he mentions that a man („Utba bin Abi Lahab) was devoured by a lion in Al-Zarqa‟a, Ard Al-Sham (in Jordan); and tells about a story between safeena (Mawla [servant] of Prophet Mohammed [Pbuh]) and a lion in Ard Al-Roum [Byzantine Empire] (in Turkey); Al-Dumairi also tells the story of Prophet Daniel in the lions‟ den in Babel [Babylon] (in Iraq), under the reign of the Persian King Darius. Al-Dumairi in his Reference Book “Hayat Al-Haywan Al-Kubra” writes also about the lions‟ behaviour; and also on the medical benefits when using the different lion body parts in curing different diseases. He goes further and writes about the interpretation of dreams; when somebody dreams about a lion or a young lion in a certain situation. Daniel in the Lions‟ den. Painted by Peter Paul Rubens. ca. 1615. National Gallery of Art in Washington. www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienD/Daniel.htm The Asiatic or Persian Lion (Panthera leo persica) in Palestine: ‫بسم الله الزحمن الزحيم . فما ل ُم عن التذكزة ُعزضين . كأن ُم ُ ُ ٌ ُستنفز ٌ . فزت من قسورة . صدق الله العظيم‬ ‫ة‬ ‫ه حمز م‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ “Then what is wrong with them that they turn away from receiving admonition. As if Gazelle – Number 58 – October 2006

Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 58, October 2006, pp. 1-13. | Page 8