Dinosaurs and Dragons

In 1841, Sir Richard Owen coined the term “dinosaur” (meaning “terrible lizard”) for the great beasts that were being rediscovered at that time. Yes, that’s right, rediscovered. You see, Adam and Eve were the first people to discover dinosaurs as they walked with them in the Garden of Eden, 6,000 years ago. In the beginning, man and all animals—including all the dinosaur kinds—were on a strict vegetarian diet (Genesis 1:29–30). That changed sometime after the Fall, which is why some dinosaurs are now classified as meat-eaters.

Two of each kind of dinosaur survived the global Flood by riding safely on the Ark. After the Flood, people continued to live in close proximity to dinosaurs. Many tales of their adventures have been passed down in the form of legends about dragons. In fact, most of the older translations of the Bible (e.g., the King James Version) mention dragons in several places.

• Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters. (Psalm 74:13)
• And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. (Malachi 1:3)
• In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1)
• And the wild asses did stand in the high places, they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes did fail, because there was no grass. (Jeremiah 14:6)
• The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen. (Isaiah 43:20)

Other people drew pictures of their encounters with the feared beasts on rock surfaces and cave walls. Still others carved their likeness into stone (for example, on the leaning tower of Pisa), painted them into pictures, and engraved them in brass (such as at the tomb of Bishop Bell in England).