Among people of pastoral and nomadic habits it is natural to estimate wealth, not by houses and lands, but by the number of animals owned.
Abram was very rich in cattle (Gen. 13:22And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. (Genesis 13:2)). Lot had flocks and herds (Gen. 13:55And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. (Genesis 13:5)). See also Genesis 24:3535And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. (Genesis 24:35). Job’s wealth, on the return of his prosperity, was estimated in like manner. See Job 42:1212So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. (Job 42:12). Special mention is made of she-asses because they were more highly valued than the males on account of their milk, a nourishing drink. To this day the riches of the Bedawin are reckoned by the number and quality of their cattle.