Few creatures capture the imagination of both young and old as much as the large dinosaurs.
We know they existed, the fossil records reveal many different types, both land and aquatic, different sizes from tiny ones to giants larger than anything on earth today but they no longer exist as such.
Those of us who believe in Creation know God designed each species uniquely with a highly specialised anatomy and we also know two of each kind went onto Noah’s Ark and although we know the Ark was huge, how on earth did those large ones fit?
Well, they didn’t!
Yes, the different species were on the Ark but they were either eggs or smaller juveniles selected by God. Each in its own way, perfect, for God knew what was needed for each species to breed on and multiply.
So why are dinosaurs not mentioned in the Bible?
When the Bible was written, the word dinosaurs did not exist, it came along in 1841 when Sir Richard Owen coined it.
However, dinosaurs under different titles are referred to in the Bible.
Incredulous as it may seem, the proof is in several parts of the Bible so let’s start with Job. We know Job lived after the Flood because several passages in the book of Job describe how God had judged the world with a flood (Job 12:15-16).
It is thought Job lived during the time of Abraham, about 400 years after the Flood, possibly during the peak of the Ice Age event which may explain Job’s description of wintery conditions in what we believe was the Middle East.
God gave Job a ‘dressing down’ and is teaching him a lesson by pointing out His creation, the earth, the seas and various creatures. He asks Job about birds, goats, lions, deer and other animals, all of which were known to Job.
To demonstrate just how great our God is, He describes what can only be a large dinosaur.
“Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. Behold his strength in his loins and his power in the muscles of his belly. He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron. He is the first of the works of God; let him who made him bring near his sword! For the mountains yield food for him where all the wild beasts play. Under the lotus plants he lies, in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh. For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the willows of the brook surround him. Behold, if the river is turbulent, he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth. Can one take him by his eyes or pierce his nose with a snare?” (Job 40:15-24)
Obviously one of the largest land creatures ever created and one which would have been quite difficult to trap or kill.
The Cedars of Lebanon
Some people believe the Behemoth was a hippopotamus or an elephant but look at their tails. Both have small tails in comparison with their large bodies. The Behemoth on the other hand, has a tail like a cedar.
To see this in context, cedar trees are among the largest and most valuable trees in the Middle East. The cedars of Lebanon were so large they were used for the pillars of King Solomon’s palace so it was a large tail, just imagine how large it was then look at the fossils and how large the dinosaurs’ tails were.
What about the Leviathan?
In Isaiah 27:1, God describes the Leviathan as a fleeing serpent, “And He will kill the dragon who lives in the sea.”
“Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down on his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook?” (Job 41:1-34).
“There the ships move along and Leviathan, which You have formed to sport in it.” (Psalm 104:26).
Is Leviathan in the Bible a dragon?
Who knows? Later Jewish sources describe Leviathan as a dragon who lives over the sources of the Deep and who, along with the male land-monster Behemoth, will be served up to the righteous at the end of time.
I’ve been asked a number of times why dinosaurs aren’t mentioned in the Bible and how could they possibly have fitted on Noah’s Ark, mainly by people trying to disprove the Word of God. These are the answers provided by God himself.
John Skinner served as an infantry soldier in Vietnam then the Tasmanian Police before taking up the position of CEO of the Australian Rough Riders Association (professional rodeo based in Warwick Qld). Before retirement to his small farm, he was a photo-journalist for 25 years. He is married with 3 children and 7 grandchildren.
