Are Dinosaurs Real According to the Bible?

“According to the Bible, were dinosaurs real?”

Great question, Luke! Let’s divide it into two parts. The first implied question is this: Does the Bible talk about dinosaurs? And the second: If so, does it refer to them as real creatures? Let’s dive into those questions.

The Bible does not use the word dinosaur. But that should not surprise you, because the word dinosaur was not coined until the mid-1800s. The Bible was first translated into English well over 200 years before the word dinosaur existed, so we can’t expect dinosaur to be found in the Bible.

However, the Bible does use the word dragon (e.g., Revelation 12:3). In fact, many ancient sources refer to dragons living and interacting with man, often negatively. Many of these descriptions, including the description of Behemoth in the book of Job, fit that of a 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)

So it seems clear that the Bible does talk about dinosaurs—it just uses a different name. And it explicitly refers to them as real. God uses Behemoth as an example of his power and glory in his creation, something that would be impossible if Behemoth were not a real creature.

In summary, yes, dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible, though not under that title. And they were absolutely real creatures. The Bible makes that clear, as do the bones we find in the dirt. There is no conflict between the Bible and observable science.

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