Q: Some people try to discredit Genesis by saying snakes don’t eat dust, as Genesis 3:14 claims. So is the Bible in error?

A: Although we don’t know for sure that the serpent referred to in Genesis 1 really was the same as a snake, we do know that snakes do eat dust! After the serpent deceived Eve, God cursed it, saying, “On your belly you shall go and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.” And since most people don’t realize that many snakes eat dust, they use this as a reason not to take Genesis literally.

See, a snake has an organ in the roof of its mouth called “Jacobson’s organ” that helps the snake smell. Here’s how it works: with its darting, forked tongue, the snake picks up bits of dust and pulls them into its mouth. Once the dust is inside the mouth, a pair of sensory organs takes over and the snake is able to smell the trail for possible prey.

The point is, no matter what the serpent was, nothing contradicts the Bible’s clear statements in Genesis.

For an in-depth look at the serpent and its true identity, see Who was the serpent?

This week’s After Eden cartoon:

December 27–29
“The Break” conference
Lake Ann, Michigan
Carl Kerby, Mark Cahill, By The Tree

January 6–7
Lady Lake, Florida
Dr. John Whitcomb

January 7
Wilmington, Ohio
Buddy Davis

January 7
Cincinnati, Ohio
Dr. Tommy Mitchell