IBEX ī’ bĕks (יְעֵלִ֑ים, wild goat, mountain goat, all Eng. VSS. See [http://biblegateway/wiki/Goat WILD GOAT]). 1. The three occurrences all stress that this is a mountain animal. The association of mountain goats and kids (Job 39:1) suggests that they are comparable and related. The incident described in 1 Samuel 24:1ff. took place at En-gedi (Fountain of the Kid) where there is today a wildlife sanctuary esp. to preserve the Nubian ibex in the hills where they have always lived. All points seem to confirm the identification. This ibex is the same size as the better known alpine ibex, or steinbock, of Switzerland and Italy, with more slender but clearly ridged, curved horns. The general color is gray, becoming browner in winter. Like most goats it both browses and grazes. It is confined to the mountains E of the Nile, in Sinai and S Arabia, with some outlying groups in Israel and perhaps Jordan.

2. (דִישֹׁ֖ן, ibex RSV; pygarg KJV, ASV, Deut 14:5 only). This appears to be the only occurrence of this word in modern Eng. VSS. For discussion see Pygarg.