BADGER SKINS [smith]
There is much obscurity as to the meaning of the word
tachash , rendered "badger" in the Authorized Version, (
Exodus 25:5;
35:7) etc. The ancient versions seem nearly all agreed that it denotes not an animal but a color, either black or sky-blue. The badger is not found in the Bible lands. The Arab
duchash or
tufchash denotes a dolphin, including seals and cetaceans. The skins referred to are probably those of these marine animals, some of which are found in the Red Sea. The skin of the
Halicore , one of these, from its hardness would be well suited for making soles for shoes. (
Ezekiel 16:10)
