Dinosaurs, in the biblical sense.

I just heard someone on the radio talking about how religious people don't like you to mention dinosaurs around them, because everything that contradicts the Bible offends them. Well alright, but I'd just like to make a note of something fairly basic - dinosaurs do appear in the Bible. In fact they appear on the first page of the Bible. (pause for effect)

I can understand why English speaking people don't know about this, because in most translations it appears as "whales" or "great sea monsters". I had to look in something called "Young's Literal Translation" to find a text close enough to the original. As you can see, it says "the great monsters". The Hebrew text (which has also been interpreted as meaning "whales" in the middle ages) says simply "the great alligators". Well, anyone who has the ability to make the connection between "let there be light" and the big bang, can make the connection between "the great alligators" and dinosaurs. Anyone who doesn't have that ability - I have nothing for ya.

And, of course, it's one of those issues that don't really matter either way.
















Resources: http://bibleresources.bible.com/bible_read.php
and http://www.mechon-mamre.org/i/t/t0101.htm

In addition, and without detracting from my point, it now occurs to me that the modern Hebrew word for "alligators" (taninim) was probably adopted from this text, and it probably did mean "monsters" back then. Still. Dinosaurs.