On the fifth and sixth creation day God made different marine and land animal kinds. Many of these animal kinds were aquatic and land dinosaurs. The Holy Scriptures use the words behemoth, leviathan, and dragon to describe the dinosaurs. The word “dinosaur” was invented by Sir Richard Owen in 1841. Before that time they were known as dragons. Dragons are mentioned 34 times in the Bible. Dinosaurs lived during the pre-flood era as plant eaters and during the post-flood era as both meat eaters and plant eaters. The pre-flood era lasted for 10 generations. Many dinosaurs were killed during the worldwide flood thousands of years ago. The few dinosaurs that survived the global flood inside Noah’s Ark became extinct by A.D. 1850. A few cryptozoology, zoology, and paleontology experts believe that dinosaurs are still alive in remote areas worldwide.
BEHEMOTH
The biblical word behemoth seems to refer to a specific land animal that is large, powerful, and majestic. Many biblical creation scientists believe this animal is a gigantic dinosaur. In the book of Job, chapter 40, verses 15-24, the biblical record states, “Behold now behemoth, which I created with thee; he eateth grass like and ox.” The Creator goes on to describe behemoth as having a tail like and entire cedar tree and as being the chief of the ways of God. What creature is the chief of the ways of God? A dinosaur named Seismosaurus is the largest dinosaur found to date, and it could raise its head 70 feet in the air, from snout to tail was 140 feet long, and weighed almost 200,000 pounds, according to Dr. Carl Baugh.
Other dinosaurs similar to the behemoth were the Barosaurus, Brachiosaurus, and Camarasaurus. Barosaurus roamed parts of the United States and Tanzania in east Africa. The name means “heavy lizard.” This plant-eating dinosaur probably used its long tail like a whip for self-defense. This enormous sauropod’s neck had 15 vertebrae. Some of its bones were larger than a baseball bat. The hollow vertebrae cut down on its neck weight. Three full grown Barosaurus dinosaurs lined up would equal a football field in length. Likewise, Brachiosaurus lived in the United States, Portugal, and Africa. Its name means “arm lizard.” This gigantic sauropod’s shape was very similar to a giraffe with a very long tail. Barchiosaur used its sharp teeth to feed on tree tops. This sauropod’s nostrils sat on top of its head. Brachiosaurus lived on land near the swampy areas. Additionally, Camarasaurus means “chambered lizard.” The name comes from its hollow vertebrae. Camarasaurus lived in North America and walked on four feet. Each foot had five toes. Camarasaurus had sharp teeth that were longer than a banana. These teeth allowed Camarasaurus to chew tough, stringy plants. Its skull was nearly square. Its nostrils are located in front of its eyes to help cool its small brain.
LEVIATHAN
The Leviathan is the biblical description for a marine dinosaur. This reptile’s physical characteristics are described in Job 41, Psalm 104:25,26, and Isaiah 27:1. It was massively strong. It had a firm, solid anatomy that could not be moved (Job 41:12,22-24). It was mostly a sea creature, but did spend some time on land; it was known as “the monster of the sea” (Job 41: 31-32, Isaiah 27:1, Psalm 104:25-26). It couldn’t be subdued and taken captive or sold in the market place (Job 41:3-6,9). No one wanted to fight it and if someone dared to once, they would never do it again. There was no one fierce enough to conquer it (Job 41:8-10). It had a huge mouth that was lined with many teeth (Job 41:14). Sparks and fire flew from its mouth and smoke poured from its nostrils, meaning, this reptile could most likely breathe fire (Job 41:18-21). It has a tight, impenetrable coat. It was protected by the “rows of shields” on its back (Job 41:13, 15-17). Fishhooks, ropes, harpoons, swords, javelins, clubs, and arrows meant nothing to this sea monster. It laughed at those who approached him with these weapons because they could never harm it. These weapons were weak to this monster (Job 41:1-2, 7, 26-29).
The recently discovered species Sarcosuchus imperator has led many creation science researchers to hold it as most likely candidate for the Leviathan. This large marine reptile that was dubbed “SuperCroc” was first discovered in 1966 and its fossilized remains were found in the Tenere Desert of Niger in North Africa in 2000. About 50 percent of its skeleton was found in the 2000 trip to Niger. The Sarcosuchus was a massive animal that measured forty feet and weighed up to ten tons. His jaw alone measured up to six feet long and housed over one hundred, huge teeth. Interestingly, the SuperCroc skull found in the Niger that was found had a bulbous structure at the end of his snout. This could have been used for a strong sense of smell or for mating calls. Another possibility is that perhaps this open cavity was used for breathing fire. In general, the physical descriptions of the Sarcosuchus are very similar to that of Job 41 in the Bible. The SuperCroc’s name comes from its great size, because it was twice as long as the longest recorded crocodile and ten times as heavy. In general, the physical descriptions of the Sarcosuchus are very similar to that of Job 41 in the Bible. It must have been one of the greatest animals on the earth and feared by many, and therefore considered by many as the most likely candidate to be the Leviathan.
A few creation researchers believe that Kronosaurus is the Leviathan described in Job 41. This marine dinosaur is an extinct sea giant that had a short neck and huge body. This marine animal was a member of the group Plesiosauria and a part of the family Dolichorhynchopidae. The first remains of the animal were discovered in the 1920s and have been found in Australia and South America. Its body measured between thirty and fifty feet long and weighed between eight and ten tons. Its diet consisted of fish, turtles, and other large marine animals. There have been fossilized turtles and pleiosaurs (long necked reptiles) found in the fossilized Kronosaurus. The Kronosaurus had the ferocious bite needed to be the Leviathan, but he lacked certain other features. It had no “armor like scales” to protect itself from arrows, swords, and javelins. Also, its four flippers were better suited for swimming in the sea, but the Leviathan spent time both on land and in water. Finally, there is lack of evidence that the Kronosaurus could have breathed fire or snorted smoke.
DRAGONS
The biblical word dragon usually describes post-flood predatory dinosaurs that lived in the sea and on land. The most famous predatory dinosaur was Tyrannosaurus Rex. Tyrannosaurs (from Greek τύραννος, tiranos and σαῦρος, sauros, meaning “tyrant lizard”) belong to the theropods. Tyrannosaurids comprise the family Tyrannosauridae, a group of 16 to 40ft dinosaurs that lived during pre-flood and early post flood era. Before the flood these theropods were vetegitarians, but after the flood they became meat eaters. The Tyrannosauridae included such similar as Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Tarbosaurus, and of course Tyrannosaurus rex. Remains of tyrannosaurids have been found in North America (including Alaska), India, Mongolia and Japan. Tyrannosaurs are surprisingly common in many North American fossil beds, especially their large, serrated teeth, which they shed periodically like most archosaurs.
These two-legged carnivores had huge heads filled with teeth up to 7 inches long. Tyrannosaurids had short tails and huge muscular rear limbs with three toes. Short but deep jaws with banana-sized sharp teeth, long hind limbs, small beady eyes, and tiny forelimbs (arms) typify a tyrannosaur. T. rex was one of the largest terrestrial carnivores of all time. It stood approximately 15 feet high and was about 40 feet in length, roughly six tons in weight. In its large mouth were six-inch long, sharp, serrated teeth. Most large living predators do scavenge meat happily when
ANALYSIS
Before the great flood the ancestors of the behemoth, leviathan, and dragons were all plant eating dinosaurs. However, after the worldwide deluge some of these sauropod and theropod dinosaurs became carnivores because the great flood destroyed some of the vegetation these reptiles eat. If dinosaurs are still alive today, these creatures would be significantly smaller in size because of the changes in the post-flood climatic and environmental conditions. Because dragon legends, dinosaur drawings, and dinosaur cave paintings are found in every ancient human civilization, this evidence confirms humans and dinosaurs live around the same time in the primeval past.