Owls in Jewish Tradition

A Source Sheet for Jewish Witches and Witchy Jews

Photo by Erik Karits on Unsplash

A strong case could be made that of all birds presented in Jewish scriptures, literature, and folklore, the owl is the most despised. After all, during the medieval period, the bird came to be strongly associated with Lilith, a demoness and witch, and in some traditions, the first wife of Adam. 

Birds in Judaism and Jewish Culture (A-Wing and A-Way)

Tanach and Talmud

Tanach (selected references)

• Deut 14.15

  • Dark desert owl: בַּ֣ת הַֽיַּעֲנָ֔ה

    • translation note: owl, ostrich, literally translated as “daughters of the owl”

• Deuteronomy.14.16 

  • Little/Screech Owl: כּ֥וֹס

    • also called “dark little owl”

    • also means cup

  • Great Owl: יַּנְשׁ֖וּף

    • also called “long-eared owl”

• Psalms 102:7

  • I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl (כ֣וֹס) of the waste places.

• Isaiah 34:14

  • The wild creatures of the desert also meet with the jackals, the scops owl (קִפּוֹד) shall cry to his fellow; the tawny owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.

    • קִפּוֹד also means hedgehog