Monsters in the Bible

The Bible is full of all kinds of interesting lore. Most notably are the various descriptions of monsters and mythical creatures...

Contents 1 Cockatrice 2 Dinosaurs 3 Dragons 4 Satyr 5 Sea Monsters 6 Unicorns 7 Beast With Seven Heads 8 Zombies 9 Flying/fiery serpents 10 Extra-Terrestrials 11 See also

Cockatrice

(Etymology: First attested 1382, from Old French cocatris, from Late Latin calcātrīx ("she who treads upon something"), from Latin calcō ("tread"), from calx ("heel, hoof").)

A cockatrice is a serpent, hatched from a cock's egg, that can kill with a glance. They are rare nowadays.

- Jermiah 8:17: "For, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you, saith the LORD."

- isaiah 11:8: "And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den."

- isaiah 59:5: "They hatch cockatrice' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper."

- isaiah 14:29: "Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent."

Dinosaurs

(Etymology: From Ancient Greek δεινός (deinos), "terrible, awesome, mighty") + σαῦρος (sauros), "lizard").)

The bible calls them "Behemoths", but it sure sounds like a Dinosaur. This is the passage creationists use to claim that man and Dinosaurs co-existed, for more details see Was Behemoth a Dinosaur?:

- Job 40: 15-24 Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together. His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron. He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him. Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play. He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed, and fens. The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about. Behold, he drinketh up a river, and hasteth not: he trusteth that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. He taketh it with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.

Dragons

(Etymology: From Old French dragon, from Latin dracō, from Ancient Greek δράκων (drakōn), "a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon"), probably from δρακεῖν (drakein), aorist active infinitive of δέρκομαι (derkomai), "I see clearly").)

These verses falsely predict that Babylon will never again be inhabited and that Dragons will live in Babylonian palaces and satyrs will dance there.

- Isaiah 13:21-22: "But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and SATYRS shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and DRAGONS in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged."

Satyr

(Etymology: Ancient Greek Σάτυροι, Satyroi)

A satyr is a Greek mythological creature, that is half man on the top and half goat on the botom with ears and horns from the goat. It is a very lustful creature, and is often portrayed carrying a flute of some sort.

Satyrs make an appearance two times in the bible:

- Isiah 13:21: But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

- Isiah 34:14: The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.

Sea Monsters

The Leviathan is a huge sea monster (Psalm 74:13-14; Job 41; Isaiah 27:1).

(Etymology: From Hebrew (Biblical and Modern) לִוְיָתָן ("whale").)

The word "Leviathan" appears five places in the Bible:

1. Book of Job 3:8 "May those who curse days curse that day, those who are ready to rouse Leviathan "; NIV
2. Book of Job 41:1-34: "Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?...He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride." KJV (quoted 1 and 34 only)
3. Psalms 74:14: "Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness." KJV
4. Psalms 104:24,25: "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches. So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts." KJV;
5. Isaiah 27:1: "In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea." KJV

This creature is also mentioned twice in the Talmud: Avoda Zara (3b), Moed Katan (25b)

Job 41 goes into detail on the monster:

- Job 41: Canst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down? Canst thou put an hook into his nose? or bore his jaw through with a thorn? Will he make many supplications unto thee? will he speak soft words unto thee? ...Behold, the hope of him is in vain: shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him? None is so fierce that dare stir him up: who then is able to stand before me? ...His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a close seal. One is so near to another, that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another, they stick together, that they cannot be sundered. By his neesings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning. Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out. Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron. His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth. In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him. The flakes of his flesh are joined together: they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved. His heart is as firm as a stone; yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone. When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid: by reason of breakings they purify themselves. The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold: the spear, the dart, nor the habergeon. He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee: slingstones are turned with him into stubble. Darts are counted as stubble: he laugheth at the shaking of a spear. Sharp stones are under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire. He maketh the deep to boil like a pot: he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment. He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary. Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear. He beholdeth all high things: he is a king over all the children of pride.

Unicorns

(Etymology: Latin ūnicornis, from unus : one + cornu - u : horn.)

Unicorns are mentioned no less than nine times in the Bible (Numbers 23:22, Numbers 24:8, Deuteronomy 33:17, Job 39:9-10, Psalms 22:21, Psalms 29:6, Psalms 92:10, Isaiah 34:7). Most notably the King James Version. More modern translations have replaced the unicorn with "wild ox". Others speculate ancient unicorns may have been rhinoceros.

- Numbers 23:22: God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn. KJV

Beast With Seven Heads

Take all the horror scripts from hollywood, put them in a blender and you have the Book of Revelation. It contains some pretty radical monsters such as this 10-horned, 7-headed beast:

- Revelation 17:3: So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

The beast apparently also has quite the fetish for headgear:

- Revelation 13:1: And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Zombies

What could be more fun than Zombies for Jesus!

- Matthew 27:52-53: "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many."

Flying/fiery serpents

- isaiah 14:29: "Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent."

- isaiah 30:6: "The burden of the beasts of the south: into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the bunches of camels, to a people that shall not profit them."

- numbers 21:6: "And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died."

Extra-Terrestrials

- 1 Peter 2:11: "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers to this world."

- psalm 94:6: "Slay the widow and the alien."

NOTE: Some believe "alien" may be a synonym for "immigrant". Additional research on the original language sources may be necessary to gather more details.

See also

• Arguments against scripture
• Bible rules
• Bad Bible Advice
• Crazy Bible
• Good Bible Advice
• Magic Bible

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