Basics of the biblical symbolism of birds

1)Birds were created on Day 5 of the creation week, along with swarmers of the sea, i.e., fish. Earlier, Elohim had formed earth into a three-decker house, firmament above, earth beneath, waters under the earth. He fills the firmament on Day 4 (with heavenly lights), and fills the lower and upper parts of the sub-firmamental region on Day 5. After birds and fish fill the waters and sky, He forms land animals and man on Day 6.

Insofar as they occupy the upper region of earth, birds are linked with heavenly lights, and also with angels, who are also winged.

2) Though birds fly across the firmament, they are also earth-dwellers. They are, in fact, the first earth dwellers (Genesis 1:22). Birds mediate between earth and heaven.

3) In various ways, birds are linked with the Spirit (Genesis 1:2). The Spirit "hovers" over the waters, undulating like a winged bird. The only other use of the verb is in Deuteronomy 32, where it described the movement of a nesting eagle. The Spirit is "over the face of the deep"; on Day 3, Elohim makes plants "on the face of the earth"; birds fly "on the face of the firmament." Birds' wings link them to images of Yahweh as winged ("I carried you on eagle's wings," Exodus 19:4).

It's no accident that the Spirit appears as a dove at Jesus' baptism. The bird/Spirit parallel is baked into creation.

4) A dove brings an olive branch to Noah, a sign of that new creation is emerging from the waters. The dove is a messenger/mediator that flies through the air to link Noah to the renewed earth. The scene again links birds with the Spirit: The dove "hovers" over the waters as the Spirit did.

5) Abram cuts covenant with animals and birds (Genesis 15), confirming the promise of land and an abundant seed. The seed is like stars and sand, which may parallel the land animals and birds of the covenant ceremony. Sand : stars :: cattle : birds.

6) Israelites have tassels on the "wings" of their robes (Numbers 15). They are Yahweh's flock, also his bevy of doves, his kit of pigeons. They're winged because they're a heavenly people, dwelling on earth but with a unique connection to heaven.

Priests especially are linked with mediating birds, as they move between earth and the "heaven" of the sanctuary.

Once we get that in view, we can fill out a political scheme based on creation. Fish occupy the lowest parts of the earth, beasts are on the land, and birds mediate between land and sky. That is: Fish are Gentiles, land animals represent Israel, birds represent the priests.

7) In the seven-day sequences in Exodus (e.g., chs. 25-31), the fifth day is connected to clothing and incense. The link appears to be visual: As fish form schools and birds form flocks, so clothing is a "cloud" around a body and incense a "swarm" of smoke ascending to God. Yahweh clothes Himself with with the winged glory of the cherubim. Rising in a cloud, birds are like the prayers represented by incense.

8) In the Levitical system, birds seem to represent marginal persons. Herd animals represent leaders, flock animals represent members of the people. Poor people (Leviticus 5:7, 11; 12:8) and lepers (Leviticus 14:1-9) offer birds. Offerings of birds bring the marginal from the margins.

This fits with the priestly symbolism explored before. If lepers are marginal in being outside, priests occupy the other margin, since they stand far on the inside. Both margins represent the place of Israel in the world, a "marginal" nation that is chosen for access to the Creator.