What is the official Christian line on why there are no Dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible?

Question

I can think of a few excuses, but is there one that is widely accepted by Christians?

I've looked at Job 40. It sounds more like an elephant to me, especially its tail that sways like a cedar, as an elephant's does when it's charging.

Tanjo. I hadn't heard the one that Noah didn't want them 'cos they were too big for the ark, I like it, practical and down to earth,.. and amusing.

blackmule. I like that sort of talk, and buddy, I knew it was a big fish, except if someone asked "why no whales"? you might say "that's the big fish", great circular work.

Answer 1

I am Christian and am not sure they are not mentioned in the Bible but the Bible is not a Science book and tells you of the things you need to be joined ot a righteous God in everlasting paradise. I don't remember Koalas mentioned in the Bible.

Answer 2

The Bible is not a book about dinosaurs. It is about God and man's relationship to Him. So, there is no "official Christian line."

Some think that they existed before man, which is the current view in science, and so Christians have no problem with that unless they think the creation week in Genesis was a literal 6 twenty four hour sequence. Those who believe that, often site passages in the Bible that refer to a couple of ancient extinct animals that we can't identify today. Some think that Noah had some on the ark, while others think the flood effectively drowned them all.

I see no conflict between the Bible and science if we want to say that dinosaurs were gone by the time of man, but then I always wonder about the various finds that show a man's footprint in the middle of a dinosaur's. Perhaps some of what we think are dinosaurs were in fact leftovers, or even giant lizards that we don't have today.

Answer 3

There are two main lines of thought:

The first is that they are mentioned in places such as the books of Job and Psalms where the Leviathan and Behemoth are mentioned. Both have very dinosaur like qualities.

The other is that there was no interaction men and dinosaurs. So dinosaurs would play no part in the salvation of man. The subject of the Bible is not the history of the world, or the listing of all animals that ever lived. It is the about God, his relationsjip with men (not dinosaurs) and the way of salvation. With the book already running over 3.6 million words, which waste space on dinosaurs when they have nothing to do with the main subject - salvation.

Answer 4

To begin with, Job 41 sounds more like the description of a dragon than a dinosaur. And if you read the whole thing, it is describing the "likeness" of satan.

But dinosaurs were around before man started keeping written records. They were gone by the time Moses wrote the first 5 books in the bible.

Answer 5

The answer is that they are.

The Bible, as it is today, was originally written in Greek. The versions of the books that were assembled into the Bible were written between about 50 AD and 200 AD.

When/if "first editions" were written we have no information although it is reasonable to assume that there were previous editions of all the books of the Bible.

The most notable English translation of the Bible is called the King James version. There are other translations both before and since that translation, however, that translation has been accepted as an "important" translation. This happened in the 1600's.

The word "dinosaur" was no coined until the early 1800's. Before that time other words were used to describe huge reptiles, leviathan is one, dragon is another.

Unfortunately the majority of atheists seem to believe Dinosaur is a Greek word that has been in use for thousands of years and expect it to be in the Bible. To me this is primary evidence of illiteracy on the part of atheists, but, you are welcome to form your own opinion.

Even if God had used the English word "Dinosaur" when speaking Hebrew or Aramaic (and there is no reason to assume God would use words no one could understand) the writer would have translated the word into something people could understand at the time. A Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek word meaning "giant lizard".

PS: The Greek versions of books of the Old Testament were originally consecrated. Later Hebrew versions were used to write the KJV. Just heading off ignorant statements.

Answer 6

Well, first of all the Bible is bassically a dissertation about man and man did not exist when the dinsaurs did, according to science that is.

There are legends of dragons, flying large beasts.

But the Bible in day 5 of Genesis talks of the Large Beasts.

Dinosaur, you know, is a fairly modern term, no more than maybe 200 years old.

The Bible didn't talk about IPods and TV either!

Answer 7

Why? Does it make a difference? The existence of dinosaurs as we now know them wasn't even known until sometime in the 1800's.

During Bible times people were to busy existing then to be out searching for dino bones. But, even at that, there are mentions of large animals.

Who cares, anyway? There aren't any books that mention them either from that time period. Duh?

It is a non-issue, just so you know. Do-Do birds aren't mentioned yet we know they existed. So what?

Answer 8

I am a Christian and I accept that there were dinosaurs because we have the bones to prove that. What is the big deal?

Now all scientists have to prove is that some big bang came out of nowhere millions and millions of years ago and now here we all are without a creator.

Answer 9

The creation museum uses the "fact" that the dinosaurs lived with adam and eve and danced around freeley and lived happily ever after to the end of their days when noah diddn't want them on his ark because they were too big.

Answer 10

There are:
Job 3:8
Job 41:1
Psalm 74:14
Psalm 104:26
Isaiah 27:1