Did you know that over 50 countries have distinct stories and legends of dragons? These legends span the entire globe and always have large reptilian creatures at the forefront–some on the land, and some in the sea. They often fly, hoard treasure, and seek out the remote places of the region from which they come.
Ancient historian, Pliny the Elder, describes dragons as massive serpents found in India and Ethiopia. He writes, “The dragons of India are of such immense size, as to envelop the elephants with their folds…”
Likewise, Herodotus, who is called the “Father of History,” also provides accounts of the dragons of Arabia and Egypt, noting their formidable appearance and the danger they pose to travelers. he described them as winged serpents, dwelling in frankincense trees.
But these kinds of stories aren’t just the things of the ancient past. In the wilds of Africa, in present-day Congo, some legends describe a creature known as M’kele Um’bimbe said to inhabit remote swamps and rivers and described as a “living dinosaur.” If it exists, this Congo swamp creature could be evidence of a world not yet fully explored.
Finally, we know the word of God speaks of the land-dwelling Behemoth, and the sea-dwelling Leviathan in Job and the Psalms. These are both creatures of gargantuan size. As we begin to unravel the mystery of dragons, the trail of evidence becomes hard to ignore, and even harder to deny. It is true that some of these stories do leave us with more questions than answers. Are these beings dinosaurs? And maybe most intriguing, could some small dragons still be alive on earth?
Let’s start delving, again, into the tales of dragons in written history.
Pliny the Elder, the great Roman historian, continues his intense descriptions from the 1st century AD: “The [Indian] dragons…encircle [the elephants] in their coils… although of such vast bulk, [they] are unable to disengage themselves from these knots. These dragons are of so enormous a size, that they can swallow the whole of an animal, even of the largest size …” And where else, besides, India? How about Africa? “In Ethiopia” He declares, “There are dragons, which grow to the length of [45 feet]. These animals have no crests, and their beards are of a yellowish color…” Interesting details… He offers descriptions of length and color.
And this will lead us to yet another famous African story in just a moment–-one of the most famous instances of dragons in the ancient world. But let’s drill down into these historical accounts for a moment. When you look at these accounts from Arabia, India and Ethiopia, they are exciting, right? But are they reliable? Emphatically, we can point out that Pliny the Elder was also writing about Roman emperors and their wars with great detail and is considered to be one of the preeminent voices of ancient history. And, as an interesting note – he also mentored his nephew, Pliny the Younger, who has one of the most cited historical accounts of Christ and Christians…
As for Herodotus– he is literally called the father of history. The point is that we trust their perspectives for many things, but why not dragons? And to add to the tapestry, Ethiopia’s own historians from ancient times also tell the tales of dragons. As do those of Arabia. As do those of India. And that leads us to one of the most famous stories of dragons in the medieval world, St. George and the Dragon.
This story, which spans continents and the legends of dozens of countries, recounts George, a member of the Roman military, who slays a dragon while on duty in Libya. The village lay under the fearful sway of this dragon, feeding it sheep, and then finally its own children–until the bravery of St. George put the dragon to death.
Could a fictional story holding no truth really have such an impact throughout many nations and cultures? It lends credence that there IS some truth to the stories. Of course, we know there is elaboration, and added color, but the gist of the story stays the same. Especially when you examine all the surrounding evidence…That the historians of these regions, India, Arabia, and north Africa, specifically, state that dragons did, in fact, inhabit these countries at some time.
This, of course, doesn’t even examine the fossil evidence of huge, reptilian creatures. Many of our curiosities are fulfilled as we look at that clear evidence. But if history proves that these creatures walked beside men, it dismantles the yarns that are spun by evolutionary theorists.
Let’s not simply dismiss something just because it doesn’t fit into the currently accepted narrative. To do so is to reject scientific principles, severing ourselves from being open to new evidence and cutting-edge discoveries.
This isn’t the last time I’ll be discussing this topic… because this program, and the entire Genesis Science Network is all about being bold about scientific truth. And that scientific truth is pushing us further toward the concepts of design, complexity, and the validity of the historical narrative we find in the Bible.
I’m David Rives, truly the heavens declare the glory of God.