http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/science/26crow.html

You don't see birds spending zillions-of-labor-hours-equivalent (zlhe)
on fancy binocs, shoes, just-right-jackets, etc.

You don't see horses betting zlhe on which humans can run around in a
circle the fastest.

Ditto dogs.

and so on.
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  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of
the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every
creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them.

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply,
and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth.

"Dominion" in the time of King James, when the "Authorized Version" was
published (1611), likely meant "ownership." In those days, private
ownership of land was not as common as today. I believe the king still
owned a large portion of the land, and this translation _may_ (I'm not a
Biblical scholar) have supporedt the idea that kings served at the will
of god. (To keep birders,  environmentalists and other riff-raff at bay.)

With ownership comes responsibility, a notion that has been sadly
overlooked both in human relations and environmental stewardship ever
since. I'm sure everyone reading this group agrees that responsible
ownership also requires leaving something decent for future generations.

Shalom.

Apologies to long timers as I've mentioned this before.  Years ago, dad
planted grape vines in our back yard and a for a couple of years in a
row, Northern Mocking birds nested there.  One year dad tilled an area
by the vine for a new garden and not wanting to disturb the nesting
mockers, he removed the beginnings of a nest to encourage the birds to
build elsewhere.  The birds were determined as was dad.

The beginning, tear-down went on for a couple of times and finally, when
dad would leave the house, the birds would attack him.  Dad even began
wearing his old army helmet so they wouldn't hit him.  Anyone else could
go into the backyard undisturbed but not dad.  No matter what he wore,
the birds attacked him.

We have an old video of the attacks somewhere that I really want to
find.  If I do, I'll upload and post a link to this site.

"Ownership" is too strong a connotation for "dominion."  Human experience over
the millenia doesn't support that, or effective control over living things, for
that matter.  "License" (as in license to exploit) is probably a better
connotation of "dominion."  And that's why Jim is correct when he writes as
follows:

As an opportunity to consolidate control, it was too good to pass up.
The English peasants and most of the priests couldn't read English, much
less Hebrew, Aramaic, et al.

Not too many whales in the Middle East, were there?  :-)