According to the book of Genesis, the Lord God created the entire universe in six days. Fox example, on the fifth day of creation, the Bible tells us that the Lord created great whales and other aquatic life (Genesis 1:20-21). And on the sixth and final day of God’s handiwork, did the Lord create the beasts of the earth (Genesis 1:24-25). Mankind was also created on the sixth day, but only after God brought forth all the animals. Now apart from whales and cattle the creation story does not mention the names, nor the types, of sea creatures and earthly animals which the Lord God created. However, further down in the Biblical narrative do we come across two very mysterious creatures that are named and signified. One beast is a mighty sea monster called Leviathan, and the other beast is a large land animal named Behemoth. Though these two creatures are believed to be mythological, there may in fact be some scientific evidence which supports their existence, or at least proves that they once existed. So, let us turn now and go in search of these strange and mysterious beasts of the Bible!
When reading through the Hebrew Bible, we first come across the beasts Behemoth and Leviathan as written in the book of Job. For during Job’s long dialogue with God, the almighty speaks of Behemoth as a creature that eats grass like an ox, who moves his tail like a cedar tree, and whose bones are like bars of iron (Job 40:15-18). Leviathan in turn is described as a strong sea creature whose scales cannot be pierced, and whose breath is as a flame of fire proceeding from his mouth (Job 41). At first glance one may scoff at the description of these two creatures as something out of ancient folklore and fantasy. But at the same time the fossil records indicate that at one time in earth’s history, dinosaurs did indeed walk the earth and also inhabited the sea. Behemoth could have been a brontosaurus or even a woolly mammoth, both of which were herbivores. Whereas Leviathan could have been a spinosaurus, a dinosaur that lived in water. And even though the book of Job was written around the 6th century BC, the validity of the existence of these creatures still holds ground. For in God’s discussion with His servant Job, the Lord speaks of things which happened from the very foundation of the world (Job 38:4). So in these Biblical passages spanning the history of creation, it is highly probable that all of the beasts mentioned in Job could very well have been actual creatures, even if they are now extinct.
In addition to the creatures Behemoth and Leviathan, the Bible also mentions an animal which we find in the world of medieval fantasy. And this mythological mammal is is none other than the unicorn. For as we shall see, scattered throughout the Old Testament, this mysterious beast raises its horn in the various books of the Hebrew Bible. For example, in the Torah (the five books of Moses) unicorns are mentioned three times. In the book of Job two verses speak of the unicorn. Also, in the books of Psalms unicorns are found in three separate verses. And in the book of the prophet Isaiah unicorns are referenced to in one verse. Now by finding yet another mythical beast in the Bible may lead many to disregard everything else found within the holy scriptures. However, in Hebrew the word re’em, which has been translated into English as unicorn, may also be used as a metaphor representing strength. So by applying the English word “unicorn” translated from the Hebrew word “re’em,” are we not only presented with an animal resembling a horse with a single spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, but we are also introduced to a strong and defiant creature. As a result of this double meaning, the Jewish Masoretic Text has translated re’em as “wild ox” instead of unicorn in all such verses.
Apart from the mythological or pseudo-animals written of in the holy scriptures, the Bible also demonstrates how the Lord used other life forms to establish His holy will. And these life forms are in fact genuine creatures that we know of today, and not the invention of folklore. For example, when the Lord God afflicted the land of Egypt with the ten plagues, many of these plagues involved creatures such as frogs, flies, and locusts. So here we see God using animal and insect life to execute His judgments. And moving from the natural world and entering into the spirit realm, we see that God also uses supernatural creatures to punish unrepentant sinners. For in the ninth chapter of the book of Revelation do we witness demonic entities arising from the bottomless pit, who had the appearance of locusts. However, these supernatural locusts are also described as having the faces of men, hair like women, teeth like a lion, and tails like unto scorpions. Now whether or not these verses are allegorical or literal, it still goes to show how the Bible uses the imagery of animals and strange creatures to convey deep spiritual concepts and mysteries.
In closing I would like to mention one more creature which pops up in both the Old and New Testaments, namely the dragon. The Psalms, the Prophets, and the book of Revelation all mention dragons. In the Old Testament, whenever dragons are spoken of, the Bible may in fact have been referring to dinosaurs. Even in the Common Era do we posses the story of St. George slaying a dragon, an event which is believed to have occurred in the third century AD. However, in the book of Revelation each verse where we see the word “dragon” is symbolic of the devil. So, from what has been outlined in this presentation concerning the Biblical beasts Leviathan and Behemoth, the conclusion that we come to may lead us to support the belief that these two creatures did indeed live in the material world at one time. But if they never did actually exist physically, then they must be symbolic of a deeper spiritual truth which has been veiled in mystery.
References:
The Jewish Publication Society of America. The Holy Scriptures, According to the Masoretic Text. (Philadelphia, PA: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1917).
Zondervan. The Holy Bible, King James Version. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009).