Species

Species and the Birth of Modern Science 57

And because Noah took care of the animals and gave them food which was kept in

the apothcea on the second level, there was a stairway from the habitation of Noah to

this place so that he could descend and take up food. So he gave them food, walking

between the apes, dragons, unicorns, and elephants, who thanks to God did not harm

him but waited for him to give them nourishment at the proper time. The divine plea-

sure saw to it that there was a great peace among these animals; the lion did not hurt

the unicorn or the dragon the elephants, or the falcon the dove. There was also a vent

in the habitation of the tame animals and another in that of the wild animals through

which dung was conveyed to the sentina. Noah and his sons collected the dung and cast

it by mean of an orice into the sentina so that the animals would not rot in their own

offal. One could also believe that the odour of the dung was miraculously carried off

so that the air was not corrupted and men and animals were not slain by the pest. So

the men in the ark laboured daily and had no great time for leisure.^40

(^40) Translated in Cohn 1999, 38f.
TABLE 3.1
The Creation Account, with Kind Terms Highlighted (Genesis 1:21, 24–26)
[21] Creavitque Deus cete grandia, et omnem
animam viventem atque motabilem, quam
produxerant aquae in species suas et omne
volatile secundum genus suum. Et vidit Deus
quod esset bonum. [24] Dixit quoque Deus:
Producat terra animam viventem in genere suo,
jumenta et reptilia et bestias terrae secundum
species suas. Factumque est ita. [25] Et fecit
Deus bestias terrae juxta species suas, et
jumenta et omne reptile terrae in genere suo. Et
vidit Deus quod esset bonum. [Vulgate 1682]
[21] God created the large sea creatures, and
every living creature that moves, with which
the waters swarmed, after their kind, and
every winged bird after its kind. God saw that
it was good. [24] God said, “Let the earth
bring forth living creatures after their kind,
cattle, creeping things, and animals of the earth
after their kind,” and it was so. [25] God
made the animals of the earth after their kind,
and the cattle after their kind, and everything
that creeps on the ground after its kind. God
saw that it was good. [NIV]
TABLE 3.2
The Animals on the Ark (Genesis 6: 17–20)
[17] Ecce ego adducam aquas diluvii super
terram, ut interciam omnem carnem, in qua
spiritus vitae est subter caelum: Universa quae in
terra sunt, consumentur. [18] Ponamque foedus
meum tecum: et ingredieris arcam tu, et lii tui,
uxor tua, et uxores liorum tuorum tecum. [19]
Et ex cunctis animantibus universae carnis bina
induces in arcam, ut vivant tecum: masculini
sexus et feminini. [20] De volucribus juxta
genus suum, et de jumentis in genere suo, et ex
omni reptili terrae secundum genus suum: bina
de omnibus ingredientur tecum, ut possint vivere.
[Vulgate 1682]
[17] I am going to bring oodwaters on the
earth to destroy all life under the heavens,
every creature that has the breath of life in it.
Everything on earth will perish. [18] But I will
establish my covenant with you, and you will
enter the ark—you and your sons and your
wife and your sons’ wives with you. [19] You
are to bring into the ark two of all living
creatures, male and female, to keep them alive
with you. [20] Two of every kind of bird, of
every kind of animal and of every kind of
creature that moves along the ground will
come to you to be kept alive. [NIV]