Bronze Raven Skull Charms – Plague Doctor Bird Mask Pendant – 2pcs Panda Hall

Symbolism: To many, ravens symbolize death or bad fortune to come, but to others they symbolize rebirth and starting anew, serving as a positive sign.

The first bird specifically mentioned in the Bible is the raven. While most people remember that Noah sent out a dove from the ark to find out if dry land was available for the rescued humans and animals after the flood, fewer recall that he first sent out a raven (Gen 8:6-7). The fact that the raven didn’t return provided Noah with only part of the answer he was seeking: the bird had found some food to scavenge, but Noah still had no way to tell how much land was visible. The dove’s thoughtful return with a branch gave the original ship captain confidence that the earth was returning to normal, but the dove hadn’t found enough vegetation to survive on, and so it returned.

While ravens were considered an unclean bird (Lev 11:15; Deut 14:14), they make an appearance in the Bible not only as examples of God’s provision but also as messengers with God’s provision. God told Job that part of the evidence for God’s care of his creation was that he fed the ravens (Job 38:41), a theme that both a psalmist (Ps 147:9) and Jesus echoed: “Consider the crows. They don’t plant or harvest. They don’t even have a storeroom or a barn. Yet, God feeds them. You are worth much more than birds” (Luke 12:24). Ravens are a particularly good symbol for God’s providential care because they engage in a behavior called “caching.” They eat some food right away, but some they save in a particular spot and come back for later. And they are smart enough to remember where their caches are unlike some animals.

Verse: Then the Lord spoke his words to Elijah: “Leave here, turn east, and hide beside the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. You can drink from the stream, and I’ve commanded ravens to feed you there.”

Elijah left and did what the word of the LORD had told him. He went to live by the Cherith River, which is east of the Jordan River. Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and in the evening. And he drank from the stream. (1 Kings 17:2-6)