Israel Post’s philatelic department has arguably the worst international customer service among postal administrations issuing variable value stamps, but its annual series maintains an undeniable quality year after year. In 2024, the variable value stamps thematic series for use in its postal kiosks is dedicated to the Animals of the Bible.
Animals regularly feature in the Bible, not only as part of day to day life and the natural environment in which people lived, but also by way of helping to illustrate parables and other literary works, and even as symbols or images with a strong religious connotation.
The series consists of seven designs depicting different animals, with an introductory design issued in February with the remainder being released in groups of two throughout the year. The illustrations on the stamps, postmarks and first day covers are by Ronen Goldberg; the name appears in Hebrew in the lower right-hand corner of all stamps, גולדברג, רונן. The rolls of labels are manufactured, on self-adhesive paper with a flexo digital imprint, by Tadbick Ltd. The size of the label is 54 x 30 mm, with simulated perforated vertical edges.
The first design launches the series, “Animals from the Bible”, with the dove, symbolising peace, emerging from a scroll with sacred texts.
The official first day covers are illustrated with images of the geographical regions of Israel where the animals of the series lived.
To print the stamps, the aCon SPU STAMPS postal kiosks installed in post offices use thermal transfer printers (not direct thermal) with its unique code and face value in black in the upper right-hand corner. From 2024 onwards the machine code used by the philatelic service is 000001, with six digits. The face value is printed with a decimal point, although some kiosks have temporarily printed stamps with a comma. The six main postal rates of 2024 programmed in the postal kiosks, on the date of issue, were NIS 3.60 (domestic mail) – 4.40 – 7.50 – 8.30 – 13.70 – 17.40.
This first design was the only one available, from February 13th 2024 and progressively, from the seven postal kiosks still in operation in post offices throughout the country. The design will be available throughout the year in some machines, whilst only for a few weeks or months in others, until the release of the next new design of the series.
The second design in the series depicts cattle showing the image of a bull. The issue was available from May 7th 2024 with the code 000001, from the machine used by the philatelic service, and also from the postal kiosk installed in the Jerusalem post office, with the code 00101.
The illustration on the official first day cover, showing the walls and olive groves around Jerusalem, is accompanied by a biblical text with a reference to the issue’s theme.
Released on the same date as the previous one, the third design in the series depicts sheep.
In addition to the philatelic service, this design was also available from the postal kiosk with the code 00220, installed in the Be’er-Sheva branch. The illustration and the text on the cover together relate this sheep illustration to the city.
The second set of two designs was released from September 10th 2024. The horse appears in several biblical texts playing a crucial role in battles. In addition to the philatelic service, this design was available from the kiosk installed at the Haifa post office with the code 00714.
The cover is illustrated with an image and a biblical reference to the Kishon River, a winter torrent that flows into the Mediterranean near the city of Haifa.
Issued on the same date, the fifth design in the series depicts the leopard, a fierce predator, but also a wild animal of great beauty. The illustration and the text on the first day cover relate this leopard illustration to Mount Hermon, the highest mountain in Israel.
This design was available with the philatelic service code 000001 and code 00900 issued by the postal kiosk installed at the Tiberias branch, in northern Israel. This kiosk temporarily, issued the stamps with the face value containing a comma instead of a decimal point.
Israel Post increased postal tariffs in early October 2024. The new six programmed values at postal kiosks from October 28th were NIS 4.00 (domestic mail) – 4.40 – 9.00 – 9.10 – 13.70 – 17.40.
The third and final set of two designs was released on December 24th 2024.
The goat was of great importance in the daily life of people in Israel.
This design was available from the postal kiosk installed in the Tel Aviv post office, with the code 00414 in addition to the machine at the philatelic service.
The illustration and the biblical text on the cover refer to the flocks in the Sharon region, a coastal plain where the city of Tel Aviv is located today.
The seventh and last design in the series depicts the lion, an animal with a central and significant place in the Bible. Like the other issues, this design was issued by the equipment used by the philatelic service, with the code 000001, and by the kiosk with code 00300, installed in the Ashdod branch.
The illustration and text on the first day cover relate the design with Samson’s encounter with a lion in the vineyards of Timnah. Archaeology places these vineyards in the area known today as Tell Batash, east of Ashdod.
In December 2024 by way of a finale and summary of the series, Israel Post released a new ‘souvenir folder’ or presentation pack containing all the designs in the series dedicated to the Animals from the Bible, with informative texts in Hebrew and English.
The folder contains eight stamps with the current domestic postage rate extant on the date of issue; the seven designs of the series with their respective first day postmarks, plus an additional stamp with the first design on the cover. This stamp has a special postmark illustrated with another animal also mentioned in the Bible, although with a rather negative connotation and not included among the series issues, the snake.
(English edition rewritten by J. Gareze – May 2025)
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