Dragons In The Bible?

Dragons In The Bible?

In Jewish religious texts, the first mention of a dragon-like creature is in the Biblical works of Job (26:13), and Isaiah (27:1) where it is called Nachash Bare'ach, or a "Pole Serpent". 

This is identified in the Midrash Rabba to Genesis 1:21 as Leviathan from the word (Taninim) (תנינים) and God created the great sea-monsters." 

In later Biblical texts, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Job, and Psalm 89 refer to a sea-demon called Rahab.  Isaiah 51:9 equates this Rahab with a dragon or monster. "Rahab" is the English transliteration of  רהב (reb) with the several meanings: pride, a mythical sea-monster, or Egypt (as an emblematic name). (1)

“And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: 2 And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. 3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. 4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. 5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days. 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.           (Revelations 12: 1-8)  ⁽²⁾ 

      “And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the

sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. 3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. 4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.”                      (Revelations 13: 1-5)

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”                   (Revelations 12:9)

“Flames blaze from his mouth; streams of sparking fire fly out.” (Jobs 41:19)

“Smoke streams from its nostrils like steam from a pot heated over burning rushes.” ( Jobs 41:20)

The association of the serpent with a monstrous opponent overcome by a heroic deity has its roots in the mythology of the Ancient Near East, including Canaanite (Hebrew, Ugaritic), Hittite and Mesopotamian. Humbaba, the fire-breathing dragon-fanged beast first described in the Epic of Gilgamesh, is sometimes described as a dragon with Gilgamesh playing the part of dragon-slayer. The legless serpent (Chaoskampf) motif entered Greek mythology and ultimately Christian mythology, although the serpent motif may already be part of prehistoric Indo-European mythology as well, based on comparative evidence of Indic and Germanic material. The folk-lore motif of the dragon guarding gold may have come from earlier Bronze Age customs of introducing serpents to village granaries to deter rats or mice.

One can argue that this is far beyond the knowledge of man as it was a miracle hence it will be useless to judge. As a miracle is one that defies the laws of earth and universe. Which is indeed true. However; miracles are directly attributed to prophets in order to prove their prophet-hood to a group of unbelievers or is a sign given to them by god. The verse Deuteronomy 13:1-5 implies that a seven headed dragon came out of the sea which is intended to come out from this earth. 

Please refer to the following Commentary : 

Matthew Henry Commentary

13:1-10 “The apostle, standing on the shore, saw a savage beast rise out of the sea; a tyrannical, idolatrous, persecuting power, springing up out of the troubles which took place. It was a frightful monster! It appears to mean that worldly, oppressing dominion, which for many ages, even from the times of the Babylonish captivity, had been hostile to the church. The first beast then began to oppress and persecute the righteous for righteousness' sake, but they suffered most under the fourth beast of Daniel, (the Roman empire) which has afflicted the saints with many cruel persecutions. The source of its power was the dragon. It was set up by the devil, and supported by him. The wounding the head may be the abolishing pagan idolatry;”

In Conclusion: 

Therefore it loses in terms of its miraculous quality as it was not a spontaneous act by a prophet. No archaeological evidence supports this claim. As the Dragon has obviously roamed the Earth.