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Unicorns in the Bible ?


ellapenella

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I wonder what Ephraim and Mannaseh really have to do with this.

Both are Joseph's sons and Jacob's grandsons. Both were added to Jacob's line.

This is what each name means.

Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"

Or double-cursed will turn into double-blessings.

Manasseh = "causing to forget"

??????

In either case according to video above Ephraim shall be greater than Manasseh.

 

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10 hours ago, Ellapennella said:

Some people claim the Bible is a book of fairy tales because it mentions unicorns.

https://answersingenesis.org/extinct-animals/unicorns-in-the-bible/

 

In hebrew this animal in the bible was called a re'em or an ox and was an actual animal living in the middle east.  It had two horns

 

In the late Jewish author and skeptic Isaac Asimov’s, Guide to the Bible, he offers this:

“The Hebrew word represented in the King James Version by ‘unicorn’ is re’em, which undoubtedly refers to the wild ox (an urus or an aurochs) which is ancestral to the domesticated cattle of today. Re’em still flourished in early historical times and a few existed into modern times, although it is now extinct. It was a dangerous creature of great strength and was similar in form and temperament to Asian water buffaloes.”


Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/08/are-there-really-unicorns-in-the-king-james-bible.html#Szmk5XjjKvC1judW.99

The modern word unicorn simply evolved via translations. 

“When the first Greek translation of the Bible was prepared about 250 B.C., the re’em was already rare in the long-settled areas of the Near East. The Greeks, who had no direct experience with it, had no word for it.”

So, in their Septuagint translation of the Hebrew, they used the Greek word monokeros, which means “one-horned.” When the Bible was translated into Latin by St. Jerome, he used the Latin word unicornis which means one horned but does not necessarily mean a HORSE  with one horn 

 

In 1611, rather than speculate, the King James Version scholars just made up a new English word “unicorn,” rather as they did with baptismo, Greek for full-water immersion. In that case, rather than offend King James I, who had been sprinkled, they invented a new English word, “baptism” which could mean “sprinkled, poured or immersed.”

“Some people claim the Bible is a book of fairy tales because it mentions unicorns,” writes Bible scholar Dr. Elizabeth Mitchel. “However, the biblical unicorn was a real animal, not an imaginary creature. The Bible refers to the unicorn in the context of familiar animals, such as peacocks, lambs, lions, bullocks, goats, donkeys, horses, dogs, eagles, and calves (Job 39:9-12.1).


Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/08/are-there-really-unicorns-in-the-king-james-bible.html#Szmk5XjjKvC1judW.99


Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/08/are-there-really-unicorns-in-the-king-james-bible.html#Szmk5XjjKvC1judW.99

Edited by Mr Walker
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14 hours ago, I hide behind words said:

I wonder what Ephraim and Mannaseh really have to do with this.

Both are Joseph's sons and Jacob's grandsons. Both were added to Jacob's line.

This is what each name means.

Ephraim = "double ash-heap: I shall be doubly fruitful"

Or double-cursed will turn into double-blessings.

Manasseh = "causing to forget"

??????

In either case according to video above Ephraim shall be greater than Manasseh.

 

I was thinking about the two also.  I'm gonna read up about that. If you know anymore please share.

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9 hours ago, Mr Walker said:

In hebrew this animal in the bible was called a re'em or an ox and was an actual animal living in the middle east.  It had two horns

 

In the late Jewish author and skeptic Isaac Asimov’s, Guide to the Bible, he offers this:

“The Hebrew word represented in the King James Version by ‘unicorn’ is re’em, which undoubtedly refers to the wild ox (an urus or an aurochs) which is ancestral to the domesticated cattle of today. Re’em still flourished in early historical times and a few existed into modern times, although it is now extinct. It was a dangerous creature of great strength and was similar in form and temperament to Asian water buffaloes.”


Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/08/are-there-really-unicorns-in-the-king-james-bible.html#Szmk5XjjKvC1judW.99

The modern word unicorn simply evolved via translations. 

“When the first Greek translation of the Bible was prepared about 250 B.C., the re’em was already rare in the long-settled areas of the Near East. The Greeks, who had no direct experience with it, had no word for it.”

So, in their Septuagint translation of the Hebrew, they used the Greek word monokeros, which means “one-horned.” When the Bible was translated into Latin by St. Jerome, he used the Latin word unicornis which means one horned but does not necessarily mean a HORSE  with one horn 

 

In 1611, rather than speculate, the King James Version scholars just made up a new English word “unicorn,” rather as they did with baptismo, Greek for full-water immersion. In that case, rather than offend King James I, who had been sprinkled, they invented a new English word, “baptism” which could mean “sprinkled, poured or immersed.”

“Some people claim the Bible is a book of fairy tales because it mentions unicorns,” writes Bible scholar Dr. Elizabeth Mitchel. “However, the biblical unicorn was a real animal, not an imaginary creature. The Bible refers to the unicorn in the context of familiar animals, such as peacocks, lambs, lions, bullocks, goats, donkeys, horses, dogs, eagles, and calves (Job 39:9-12.1).


Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/08/are-there-really-unicorns-in-the-king-james-bible.html#Szmk5XjjKvC1judW.99


Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars/2011/08/are-there-really-unicorns-in-the-king-james-bible.html#Szmk5XjjKvC1judW.99

There's interesting  symbolism of animal metaphors in the bible where the message is coded in prophecy.

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yeah this is old news. I thought it was already widely known that the KJV, while often regarded as a very "beautiful" translation indulges in quite a number of additional flights of fancy. In addition to "unicorns" it also mentions "satyrs" and "cockatrices" iirc correctly.

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The one horned beast is a king, stems from the rule of Pharoah

 Image result for cyrus the greatCyrus the Great, while not to be confused the King of achie breakie hearts 

The Book of Isaiah 45:1

Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,

whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations

before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open

before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

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The bible mentions several creatures that do not and have never existed. Unicorns are just one of many. Though unicorns are not unique to the bible, so the legends were likely known to the human writers of the bible, and thought to be real.

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6 minutes ago, Podo said:

The bible mentions several creatures that do not and have never existed. Unicorns are just one of many. Though unicorns are not unique to the bible, so the legends were likely known to the human writers of the bible, and thought to be real.

Except, again, the Bible doesn't mention unicorns, the translation of the text found in the KJV mentions unicorns.

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1 minute ago, Orphalesion said:

Except, again, the Bible doesn't mention unicorns, the translation of the text found in the KJV mentions unicorns.

Sure, I was more just commenting on unicorns in associated texts, be them the bible itself or other abrahamic literature. People back then would probably have thought unicorns were real, since everyone back then believed in all kinds of made-up hoohaw.

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4 minutes ago, Podo said:

Sure, I was more just commenting on unicorns in associated texts, be them the bible itself or other abrahamic literature. People back then would probably have thought unicorns were real, since everyone back then believed in all kinds of made-up hoohaw.

I agree that people back then thought unicorns were real creatures living in India and that there are records of fictional creatures in every version of the bible. And yeah people did believe in all kinds of "hoohaw"  I just can't find any evidence that unicorns were part of ancient (BCE) Jewish folklore (like the Leviathan was, for example)

However the people who would have translated the Bible into Greek (and turned re'em into monoceros) would certainly have believed in them, yes.

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.... then there is that 'beastie' at the end ... with `10 horns   ...  a   decaceros  .

 

apocalypse__great_beast_by_artstain-d2aj

 

(How on earth anyone takes this book seriously !  :rolleyes:  )  

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45 minutes ago, back to earth said:

.... then there is that 'beastie' at the end ... with `10 horns   ...  a   decaceros  .

 

apocalypse__great_beast_by_artstain-d2aj

 

(How on earth anyone takes this book seriously !  :rolleyes:  )  

Revelation is hilarious with all it's messed up creatures :lol: Winged "Living Beings" that are covered in eyes (inside and out) and are unable to find rest day or night, forced to perpetually chant about "God's" greatness. Frogs that talk the "Kings of the world" into attacking Israel, dragons and multi-headed mish-mash creatures, scorpion men (with lady's haircuts), blood-covered zombie lambs with seven eyes, a quartet of friendly dudes that ride around on technicolor horsies...and everybody has their name tattooed on some body part or the other... and everything breaths fire. 

...and yet somehow Revelation manages to be very dry...

Though that fanart seems to conflate the Great Beast (which is usually more leonine in appearance) with the Red, baby eating Dragon (the one who doesn't understand that if the Woman Clothed with the Sun says no, it means no)

Though my favourite creatures in the bible are those beauties:

ophanim.jpg

The delightfully weird and effed-up Ophanim/Wheels within Wheels (featuring eyes) from Daniel. Another type of creature "God" doesn't allow to sleep so that they can be part of his eternal pep squad. 

 

Of coursre the argument about Revelation is that it's highly symbolic and possibly a hidden allegory about Christians in the late Pagan Empire.

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I don't call it a book of fairy tales because it mentions unicorns (or a translation of it does). I call it a book of fairy tales because it is a book of fairy tales. Not even entertaining ones, at that. 

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2 hours ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

Not even entertaining ones, at that. 

Apart from a few highlights the bible is indeed a very boring book. I wasn't able to finish it because it was so extremely tedious. Reading long lists of who begats who get a bit repetitive very quickly. :innocent:

Btw good to see you again. :tu:

Edited by Noteverythingisaconspiracy
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3 hours ago, back to earth said:

.... then there is that 'beastie' at the end ... with `10 horns   ...  a   decaceros  .

 

apocalypse__great_beast_by_artstain-d2aj

 

(How on earth anyone takes this book seriously !  :rolleyes:  )  

 

It's quite simple.  The "book" is actually 66 books by 40 writers and there are more, accurate copies of it than any other text ever written.  Add to that a rather disturbing (for nonbelievers) tendency of the predictions in the book to come to fruition.  Ezekiel wrote of a "valley of dry bones" that he was told to prophesy over and he watched them come back together, cover with flesh and stand on their feet - "an exceeding great army".  That's EZ 37.  That began happening in this month, 69 years ago.  It is the greatest sign heralding the "end times" or "latter days".  Still ahead is a war in the M.E. where the city of Damascus becomes an uninhabitable "ruinous heap", overnight.  Also, there is a prediction by Ezekiel -chapters 38/39, that tell of a coalition of nations led by a ruler named Gog of the land of Magog which is described as being to the uttermost north of Israel, that will include Magog, Persia, Sudan, Libya, Turkey, and several of the "stans" nations of the southern steppes.  "Gog" will supply and lead them against the mountains of Israel in an attempt to "take a spoil".  Apparently, Israel will possess some great natural resource or wealth that will draw Gog and his group in to finish Israel off for good.

I know, silly, right?  Except that today, Russia (extreme north of Israel) is building its power next door in Syria along with Iran (Persia).  Turkey is returning to its Islamic roots, is no friend of Israel and is rebuilding its relationship with Russia.  All the rest of the people groups that were mentioned are today Islamic.  Those who deny the reality of prophecy are going to have to become increasingly creative in their effort not to look a bit stubborn in their pride of intellect.  

So, if Damascus goes boom! because Hezbollah or Assad decides to sucker punch Israel with Sarin tipped SCUDs and Israel returns the favor with a couple of low-yield nukes, don't worry, I'm sure it was "self-fulfilling" and therefore can be ignored.  Unless, of course, you happen to be IN Damascus.

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1 hour ago, Noteverythingisaconspiracy said:

Apart from a few highlights the bible is indeed a very boring book. I wasn't able to finish it because it was so extremely tedious. Reading long lists of who begats who get a bit repetitive very quickly. :innocent:

Btw good to see you again. :tu:

Oh god, it's so boring. Especially the new testament. At least the old testament had some action here and there. 

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The rhinoceros.

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4 hours ago, and then said:

It's quite simple.  The "book" is actually 66 books by 40 writers and there are more, accurate copies of it than any other text ever written.  Add to that a rather disturbing (for nonbelievers) tendency of the predictions in the book to come to fruition.  Ezekiel wrote of a "valley of dry bones" that he was told to prophesy over and he watched them come back together, cover with flesh and stand on their feet - "an exceeding great army".  That's EZ 37.  That began happening in this month, 69 years ago.

Of course it did .      :rolleyes:

 

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Wait a minute   ...... isn"t that  the story of  the Spartoi , sown by the hero Kadmos  from the teeth of the Drakon of the Ismenian Spring of Thebes ?  

And Jason did it to  in the fields of Kolkhis by the Black Sea . 

 

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...  and they were originally dragon's teeth ..... of course     :)   

 

209331_m.png

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41 minutes ago, back to earth said:

Of course it did .      :rolleyes:

 

 

Oh wait, of course!, you're right, Israel didn't begin to absorb Jews from all over the world 69 years ago.  How silly of me.  And they don't have an army today that anyone needs to worry about.  Keep whistling that tune, but you should really practice making it louder.

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7 hours ago, and then said:

Add to that a rather disturbing (for nonbelievers) tendency of the predictions in the book to come to fruition.

And yet I don't see nonbelievers retrofitting scripture to modern day events. Any idea when the first chapter of Genesis will finally happen?

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9 hours ago, Imaginarynumber1 said:

Oh god, it's so boring. Especially the new testament. At least the old testament had some action here and there. 

What?  Feasts, weddings, resurrections, miracles, crucifixions, virgin births, empty tombs, gambling centurions,  political and religious intrigues,  road trips, parables of all kinds, such as the good samaritan, prodigal son, and the wise steward, and some of the most beautiful language in English literature, and you find it boring?!!!

It reminds me of Jeffrey Archer novels . In the american west, most cowboys carried a bible with them, not for religious reasons but because it was one of the longest and  most entertaining books, which could be packed in a saddle bag, and was also widely available.  

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