A shepherd is a person who takes care of, leads, feeds, or protects groups of sheep. Shepherding is one of the oldest jobs in the world; it is found in many places around the globe and plays a key role in raising animals for food and materials.

Because shepherding is common in many places, many religions and cultures use shepherds as symbols or references in their stories and beliefs. For example, Jesus referred to himself as the Good Shepherd, and ancient Greek stories included shepherds like Endymion and Daphnis. These references and the image of shepherds appear often in stories and artwork about rural life.

Origins

Shepherding is one of the oldest jobs, beginning about 5,000 years ago in Asia Minor. People kept sheep for their milk, meat, and especially their wool. Over the next 1,000 years, sheep and shepherding spread across Eurasia. Henri Fleisch thought that the Shepherd Neolithic industry in Lebanon may have started during the Epipaleolithic period and may have been practiced by some of the earliest groups of nomadic shepherds in the Beqaa Valley.

Some sheep were raised on family farms with other animals, such as chickens and pigs. However, to care for a large group of sheep, the animals needed to move between pastures. This required a job separate from farming. Shepherds were responsible for keeping their flock safe, protecting them from predators, and leading them to market areas for shearing. In ancient times, shepherds also often milked their sheep and made cheese from the milk; a few shepherds still do this today.

In many societies, shepherds played an important role in the economy. Unlike farmers, shepherds were often paid to watch the sheep of others. Shepherds usually lived apart from other people, as they were mostly nomadic. This job was often done by single men without children, so new shepherds had to be recruited from outside the family. Many shepherds were younger sons of farming families who did not inherit land. In other societies, a family member—such as a child, young person, or elder—might shepherd the family’s flock. These shepherds were fully part of their communities.

Shepherds typically worked in groups, either caring for one large flock or each managing their own flock and sharing responsibilities. They lived in small cabins, often with their sheep, and bought food from nearby communities. Occasionally, shepherds lived in covered wagons that traveled with their flocks.

Shepherding developed mainly in certain areas. In lowlands and river valleys, it was more efficient to grow grain and cereals than to raise sheep, so sheep farming was limited to rugged and mountainous regions. Before modern times, shepherding was centered in places such as the Middle East, Greece, the Pyrenees, the Carpathian Mountains, Scotland, and Northern England.

Modern times

In modern times, shepherding has changed significantly. In Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries, the fencing off of common lands caused some shepherds to move from being independent nomads to working for large estates. In parts of Africa and Asia, some families rely on sheep for wealth, so a young son is often sent to guard the sheep while the rest of the family handles other tasks. In the United States, many sheep are raised on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Shepherd wages are now higher than in the past. Keeping a shepherd constantly with the sheep can be expensive. Also, the removal of sheep predators in some areas has reduced the need for shepherds. In Britain, strong breeds of sheep are often left alone for long periods without a shepherd. More productive breeds can be kept in fields and moved to new pastures when needed. Stronger breeds can remain on hillsides. The sheep farmer checks on the sheep when necessary, such as during lambing or shearing.

By country

The first Shepherd's Fair was announced to take place in the Cyprus village of Pachna on August 31, 2014. This information was shared in the printed editions of Cyprus Weekly and in the Greek-language daily newspaper, Phileleftheros.

Shepherding in China has a long history, dating back thousands of years. Traditional shepherds in China helped farming communities by taking care of sheep and goats in different regions. These shepherds were responsible for keeping their animals safe, protecting them from wild animals like wolves, and preventing theft.

In ancient China, shepherding was often a group activity. Families or communities worked together to manage their herds. They used their knowledge of the land and their animals to find the best places for grazing and water. These areas included high plateaus in Tibet and fertile plains in central and eastern China.

Traditional shepherds in China used tools and equipment that suited their regions. In the north, where winters were cold, they used portable shelters called yurts to protect themselves and their animals. In the south, where the climate was milder, shepherds used different methods for grazing and protection.

Over time, shepherding practices in China changed as agriculture and society evolved. With modern farming and the growth of cities, the traditional role of shepherds has decreased in many areas. However, in some remote and mountainous regions, shepherds still follow old traditions, passing down their knowledge through generations.

In recent years, there has been an effort in China to support traditional shepherding practices as part of sustainable and eco-friendly farming. Some programs aim to help local shepherds by recognizing the cultural and environmental value of their work.

European exploration led to the spread of sheep around the world. Shepherding became especially important in Australia and New Zealand, where large areas of land were used for raising sheep. In Australia, settlers expanded beyond the Nineteen Counties of New South Wales, claiming large areas of land called properties and later stations.

Sheep were transported overland to these properties and pastured in large, unfenced areas called runs. These areas required constant supervision. Shepherds were hired to keep the sheep from wandering, ensure their health, and protect them from attacks by wild animals like dingoes and introduced predators such as feral dogs and foxes. During lambing season, shepherds had even more responsibilities.

Shepherding was a difficult and lonely job that was first given to convict servants. Their living conditions were often poor, and their food lacked nutrition, leading to illnesses like dysentery and scurvy. When free labor became available, others took over this work. Some shepherds were brought to Australia on ships that carried sheep and were hired to care for them upon arrival. Sheep owners often complained about the shepherds’ poor performance and their fear of getting lost in the wilderness.

Sheep were watched by shepherds during the day and by a hut-keeper at night. Shepherds led the sheep to graze before sunrise and returned them to brush-timber yards at sunset. Hut-keepers usually slept in a movable watch box near the yard to protect the sheep. Dogs were often kept nearby to warn of dangers like dingoes or people.

In 1839, the typical yearly wage for a shepherd was about AU£50, plus weekly rations of 12 pounds (5.4 kg) meat, 10 pounds (4.5 kg) flour, 2 pounds (0.91 kg) sugar, and 4 ounces (110 g) tea. During the economic downturn of the 1840s, wages dropped to £20 per year.

In the 1850s, many shepherds left their jobs to search for gold, causing a shortage of workers in the sheep industry. This shortage led to widespread fencing of properties, which reduced the need for shepherds. By the mid-1880s, over 95% of sheep in New South Wales were grazing in fenced paddocks. A census in the 1890s recorded that 2.6 million kilometers of fencing had been built in New South Wales at a cost of A$3 billion. By the early 20th century, boundary riders and stockmen replaced shepherds, and shepherds were no longer employed in Australia and New Zealand.

Religion

Dumuzid, later known as Tammuz, was an important god in ancient Mesopotamian religion. He was respected as the protector of shepherds. As Dumuzid sipad, meaning "Dumuzid the Shepherd," he was believed to provide milk, a rare and seasonal resource in ancient Sumer because it could not be stored easily without spoiling. Under this title, Dumuzid was also thought to be the fifth ruler of the Sumerian city-state of Bad-tibira before the flood. In the Sumerian poem Inanna Prefers the Farmer, Dumuzid competes with a farmer named Enkimdu for the favor of the goddess Inanna and wins her approval. Ancient people in the Near East connected Dumuzid with spring, when the land was fertile and full of life, but believed he "died" during the dry summer months.

The word "shepherd" is used as a symbol for God in the Judeo-Christian tradition, such as in the Bible (e.g., Psalm 23, Ezekiel 34). In Christianity, it is especially used to describe Jesus, who called himself the Good Shepherd. The Ancient Israelites were a people who lived by herding animals, and many of them were shepherds. Many important figures in the Bible were shepherds, including the leaders Abraham and Jacob, the twelve tribes of Israel, the prophet Moses, King David, and the prophet Amos, who was a shepherd near the town of Tekoa. In the New Testament, angels told shepherds about the birth of Jesus.

This metaphor is also used for religious leaders. In the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Church of Sweden, Lutheran, and Anglican traditions, bishops carry a shepherd’s crook as part of their symbols (see also Lycidas). This shows that followers are like a "flock" that needs care. This idea comes from Jesus’ instructions to Peter, "Feed my sheep," which inspired the image of a shepherd in Lycidas. The word "pastor," meaning "shepherd" in Latin, is now used to describe clergy in most Christian churches.

The idea of the Good Shepherd is central to the Bible. It shows how God cares for his people. It also highlights how humans often put themselves in danger and struggle to care for themselves without God’s guidance, much like sheep needing a shepherd.

In Islam, the Prophet Muhammad taught that every messenger of God was a shepherd at some point in their life, including himself. A story from the Sahih Bukhari describes Muhammad saying, "There was no prophet who was not a shepherd." This includes Jesus, Moses, Abraham, and all other prophets in Islam. The word "shepherd" is also used as a symbol for leadership and responsibility. A hadith from Ibn Umar says Muhammad taught, "All of you are shepherds, and each of you is responsible for your group. A leader is a shepherd, a man is the shepherd of his family, and a woman is the shepherd of her husband’s home and children. All of you are shepherds, and each of you is responsible for your group."

In Hinduism, one of the gentle aspects of the god Shiva is called Pashupati, meaning "the lord of the animals," often linked to cattle. As Pashupati, Shiva is seen as the herdsman or shepherd of human souls.

Sikhism also includes stories about shepherds. For example, it says, "We are the cattle, and God almighty is our shepherd."

This idea of shepherds has also been used by critics of organized religion to describe religion in a negative way.

In popular culture

The shepherd, along with figures like the goatherd, represents the peaceful countryside of Arcadia, a place imagined as perfect and natural. These works are called pastoral, a term that comes from the word for farming or herding. The earliest known examples are Theocritus's Idylls and Virgil's Eclogues, both of which influenced later writers such as Edmund Spenser in his work The Shepheardes Calender. In pastoral stories, shepherds often follow traditional roles and do not reflect the real work of shepherds.

In the poem "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe, a shepherd is shown as someone living in a peaceful countryside and able to offer things of great value that a city person could not.

Many stories about found children describe shepherds rescuing them, such as Oedipus, Romulus and Remus, the main characters in Longus's Daphnis and Chloe, and the characters in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. In these tales, the rescued characters are usually of higher social standing than the shepherds who save them, who are often minor characters. Similarly, in fairy tales written by the précieuses, heroes and heroines are sometimes shown as shepherds or shepherdesses in pastoral settings, but these characters are often royalty or nobility. Their simple surroundings do not change their noble status.

Gallery

• A fifth-century mosaic in Ravenna showing the idea of The Good Shepherd
• Les Bergers d'Arcadie (The Shepherds of Arcadia) by Nicolas Poussin
• A Sleeping Nymph Watched by a Shepherd by Angelica Kauffman, around 1780, V&A Museum no. 23–1886
• A traditional midnight mass with shepherds in Provence
• The Shepherd sculpture in Koskipuisto Park, Tampere, Finland
• The Shepherdess by Théodore Jacques Ralli, around 1873 and 1909, showing a shepherdess in a small Greek village.