Pierre Belon was a French diplomat, explorer and naturalist. He travelled through Greece, Egypt, Arabia and Palestine between 1546 until his return to France in 1549. He is known for various books, among which Les observations de plusieurs singularitez et choses memorables trouvées en Grèce, Asie, Judée, Egypte, Arabie et autres pays étrangèrs (Paris, 1553).