It is believed that the book of job is the most ancient of the inspired writings we have come to know as the bible. He was the greatest man among all the people of the east. Due to his great suffering, job criticized the working of jehovah in his life. Some creatures described in the bible, particularly the behemoth and the leviathan from job chapters 40 and 41, bear a close resemblance to what we now call dinosaurs. Most people believe you cant reconcile dinosaurs and the biblebut they are wrong. Chapters 40 and 41 introduce us to some unusual creatures, behemoth and leviathan. Evolutionary biology teaches that dinosaurs became extinct long before man occupied the earth. In 1663, a man named samuel bochart published a twovolume book that declared that these passages job 40. From a study of the book of job at first baptist church, st.
In one of the oldest books of the bible, the book of job, we find the accounts of such creatures. The book of job includes descriptions of great land and water creatures called behemoth job 40. Job bible book with full chapters new international. In those closing chapters of job, god is confronting jobs selfrighteous attitude and displaying his own glory in order to humble job. For many years young earth creation science believers have pointed to the book of job, chapters 4041, as evidence that dinosaurs lived recently. Since then, many commentaries have simply accepted this and done little to investigate the matter. When you read the 40th and 41st chapters of the book of job, this description could not have been anything else but a dinosaur. Dinosaurs in the bible ancient creatures in scripture. Even more dramatic is the book of job, where the author describes the great land creature, behemoth job 40, and the great water creature, leviathan job 41. Aug 01, 2015 but if the bible is correct when it talks about gods creation of the world and universe, then dinosaurs and people both lived on the earth at the same time.
Job, chapters 40 and 41 notes couple animals god brought to jobs attention. Jehovah god gives his servant job a graphic depiction of the largest land creature that was created with mankind in job chapter 40. This would have included dinosaurs and flying reptiles. In his second speech to job at the end of the book of job, the lord mentions two powerful and fearsome creatures, behemoth and leviathan. Dinosaurs certainly did roam the earth in the ancient past. He was a consulting editor to the international bible society now biblica for the books of the bible, an edition of the new international version niv that presents the biblical books according to their natural literary outlines, without chapters and verses. Putting god on trial the biblical book of job contains a major section on the literary use of behemoth. Jan 07, 2015 dinosaurs certainly did roam the earth in the ancient past.
The book of job, presumably written in the second millennium bc, details the. The bible shows that archaeology and paleontology are worthwhile pursuits. If we take extinct animals into consideration, a herbivorous dinosaur seems a. There seems to be a reference to dinosaurs in the book of job. Does the bible job 40 describe a sauropod dinosaur behemoth. Job, behemoth, and dinosaurs by wayne jackson the topic of dinosaurs fascinates virtually everyone. These two creatures were the leviathan and behemoth, mentioned in job chapters 4041. In the book of job, dinosaurlike creatures are mentioned and so they appear to have existed at the same time that adam and eve and their descendants existed. The bible lists two different types of very large dinosaurs in the book of job chapters 40 and 41. Creation science and biblical interpretation, job 4041. Not only does the bible use the word dragon repeatedly, 21 times in the old testament and 12 times in the book of revelation, but the book of job also describes creatures called behemoth and leviathan, whose attributes match large, reptilian beastslike dinosaurs. In the book of job we see the word behemoth being used to describe the largest of the animals god made. Following the flood, the animals disembarked and spread throughout the world.
These passages are found in the book of job and they refer to creatures known as the behemoth and the leviathan. Children often have a big problem understanding how dinosaurs fit with creation and the bible. Accordingly, the lord, in a devastating examination of the patriarch, illustrated his own power and wisdom and, by contrast, jobs pathetic ignorance with a series of examples from nature job 3841. His understanding the books of the bible study guide series is keyed to this format. Most of the book of job is these guys explaining to job, why everything went wrong. It predates the first five books of the bible, the books of moses, and its exact origin is a mystery. Q ive been on the net studying dinosaurs in the bible and it appears that the kronosaurus leviathan is talked about in job 41, isiah 27. Scientists have been able to reconstruct many of their skeletons, so we know much about how they may have looked.
And in job, chapter 41, god gives a graphic depiction of the largest sea creature living contemporaneous with mankind. I grew up hearing that these chapters prove both 1 the existence of dinosaurs, and 2 the cohabitation of humans with them. But in searching the scriptures, i have found some intriguing clues, particularly in the book of job, chapters 38 and 39 new king james version, in which god himself discusses many species of animals in a fascinating way. The bibles best description of a dinosaurlike animal is recorded in job chapter 40. This erroneous idea is based on the supposition that either you have to believe in the youngearth theory of a 6,000 yearold earth and dinosaurs living with adam, or you. The exact location of uz is not known, however the most likely location was northeast of palestine in the land of aram modern syria.
In the first two rounds, eliphaz, bildad and zophar speak in turn. For many years youngearth creationists have pointed to the book of job, chapters 4041, as evidence that dinosaurs lived recently. However, it does state that all things were created because of gods will, so god clearly had a purpose for making dinosaurs. From the physical descriptions of some of the great creatures of the bible, it is easy to see where dinosaurs fit in. Are dinosaurs described in the bible, in the book of job. The book of job is that oldest book in the old testament and gives us information about living conditions in the ancient times that we do not find anywhere else in scripture. In the last chapters of job chapters 38 through 41 god, as he answers, and encourages, job, shows job. In fact, many bibles have marginal notes that state the behemoth is a. Does the bible have anything specifically to say about dinosaurs. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. The book of job, written a few centuries after the flood, leads us to believe that large dinosaurs were still alive in the lush river valleys of the middle east.
The bibles explanation for birds is that god created them either on day five of the creation week, or shortly after he created adam but befo. Ministry magazine what does the bible say about dinosaurs. In jewish apocrypha and pseudepigrapha such as the 2nd century bce book of enoch, behemoth is the primal unconquerable. This unusual book presents dinosaurs as a part of gods wonderful creation and uses them to introduce important biblical concepts concerning creation, the nature of. Clicking on a chapter will show you the text of that chapter of job in the bible new international version. Oct 09, 2018 he was a consulting editor to the international bible society now biblica for the books of the bible, an edition of the new international version niv that presents the biblical books according to their natural literary outlines, without chapters and verses. The video only includes approximately the first half of the presentation on chapter 1. If this book were placed in its true chronological order in the bible, it would reside within the book of genesis since job lived over 4,000 years ago. Dinosaurs and the bible could have also been titled dinosaurs in the bible, as it was a brief 75page summary as to why brian thomas believes that dinosaurs are referenced in the bible, supporting a young earth yecreationist view of the world. Yet the basic mystery about dinosaurs is easy to solve with the help of gods word. If behemoth was a dinosaur see earlier section, then a behemoth type must have been on the ark, because the lord used the behemoth as an illustration in teaching job. Feb 17, 2016 from a study of the book of job at first baptist church, st.
If this book were placed in its true chronological order in the bible, it would reside. These four guys came and talked to job for 35 chapters. Friends join job, and join him in silent mourning for seven days. The word dinosaur was introduced to the english dictionary in 1842 by richard owen. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone. Dinosaurs and the bible explores the historical, scriptural, and fossil evidence about dinosaurs, and shares what we can know after many years of thoughtful, careful research. The bible mentions two creatures that bare the resemblance to the dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are in the bible global impact ministries. Soon after the flood, job was tested by satan read the book of job for this account. It is the most dramatic and important opening of any chapter of any book. In order to set the record straight, lets examine this passage of scripture, and see what the possibilities are. Children especially are captivated by the dinosaur theme as they behold artists. The bible does not comment on the disappearance of the dinosaurs.
Following are examples of the overwhelming scientific evidence for the bible. It is almost universally conceded by bible scholars that the historical background for the book of job is in the postflood period of the patriarchal era. There has been controversy as to what behemoth really is. I may surprise a few oldearth creationists by my conclusions with this one. Job is shown two huge creatures, behemoth and leviathan.
Except for the first eleven chapters of genesis, which almost certainly were originally written by adam, noah, the sons of noah, and terah, then eventually edited by moses compare with introduction to genesis, the book of job is probably the oldest book in the bible. The bible mentions two strange creatures, behemoth job 40. Some may say these were fictional animals, and they could be. The book of job has a lot to teach us about our response to trials and troubles, but it also has scientific application as well. The book of job, possibly written a few centuries after the flood, uses the ancient name behemoth bihheemoth, whose original meaning has been lost. Actually, it is clear that dinosaurs were mentioned in the bible, not by name because, as we have seen, this word is new to us. The bible mentions two dinosaurs by name and describes them in great detail. Creation science and biblical interpretation, job 4041, dinosaurs. The only dinosaurs mentioned in the bible are birds, which are mentioned frequently in various contexts. Does the bible have any explanation for the dinosaurs. This description is about twice as long as that for the animals in chapter 39. Look at the behemoth, which i made along with you and which feeds on. Identifying behemoth and leviathan in the book of job. The topic of dinosaurs in the bible is part of a larger ongoing debate within the christian community over the age of the earth, the proper interpretation of genesis, and how to interpret the physical evidences we find all around us.
Using a supplied police lineup visual aid, kids will be challenged to identify, based upon their biblical descriptions, the animals most likely guilty of. The postdiluvian world is a very different world and such animals as dinosaurs were probably unable to adapt. The leviathan 4 is described as being an armored aquatic creature in the book of job, the psalms, and isaiah. Dinosaurs and the bible debunking the 7 myths that deny. Although the latest bible translations use the words elephant, hippo or crocodile instead of behemoth and leviathan, the original hebrew and the context of the descriptions do not allow.
One of those guys was the shortest man mentioned in the bible, bildad the shuhite. Home ask a bible teacher dinosaurs in the book of job. Many today would say dinosaurs died out millions of years ago, did not walk with man, and are not mentioned in the bible. Some interpreters have taken these to be dinosaurs. The bible focuses on the story of humanity and our relationship with our creator, and gives us scant information about the purpose of beasts. Those who believe in an older age for the earth tend to agree. The second instance where the bible might refer to dinosaurs occurs first in the book of job. Children especially are captivated by the dinosaur theme as they behold artists perceptions of these magnificent creatures that roamed the earth centuries ago, as such are portrayed in books, on television, and in the movies. Behemoth and leviathan in the book of job 1 creation ministries.
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