A large, heavy, big-headed mammal with short, strong limbs, a short tail, and small eyes and ears. Bears walk on the whole foot (both the sole and heel), as humans do.
The Palestinian bear is a Syrian version of the brown bear (Ursus arctos syriacus). It can grow to a height of 1.8 meters (six feet) and may weigh as much as 227 kilograms (500 pounds). It is still found in Syria and Turkey but no longer in Israel.
Bears have an excellent sense of smell but less keen sight and hearing. They eat any kind of food:
Vegetation
Fruits
Insects
Bears usually do not attack people. However, bears will fight fiercely to protect themselves (Lamentations 3:10). They will also fight to protect their children (2 Samuel 17:8; Proverbs 17:12; Hosea 13:8). David bragged about killing a bear (1 Samuel 17:34–37). A single hit from a bear's paw can kill a person. So, David's courage and strength as a young shepherd in running after a bear and saving a sheep from its jaws were impressive
Some biblical passages seem to imply that bears attacked for no reason (for example, Proverbs 28:15; Amos 5:19). At times, they were God's instruments of punishment. This is seen in the story of Elisha and the two she-bears. (2 Kings 2:24). The Bible often mentions the bear and lion together (1 Samuel 17:37). They were the two largest and strongest predators in the holy land. Thus they symbolized both strength and terror (Amos 5:19).
In biblical times, bears seem to have roamed all over Palestine. Today, they only live in the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains. Even there they are rare.