Some people claim the Bible is a book of fairy tales because it mentions unicorns. However, the biblical unicorn was a real animal, not an imaginary creature. The Bible refers to the unicorn in the context of familiar animals, such as peacocks, lambs, lions, bullocks, goats, donkeys, horses, dogs, eagles, and calves (Job 39:9–12, KJV.) In Job 38–41, God reminded Job of the characteristics of a variety of impressive animals He had created, showing Job that God was far above man in power and strength.

Job had to be familiar with the animals on God’s list for the illustration to be effective. God points out in Job 39:9–12 that the unicorn, “whose strength is great,” is useless for agricultural work, refusing to serve man or “harrow (plow) the valley.” This visual aid gave Job a glimpse of God’s greatness. An imaginary fantasy animal would have defeated the purpose of God’s illustration.

Modern readers have trouble with the Bible’s unicorns because we forget that a single-horned feature is not uncommon on God’s menu for animal design. (Consider the rhinoceros and narwhal.) The Bible describes unicorns skipping like calves (Psalm 29:6), traveling like bullocks, and bleeding when they die (Isaiah 34:7). The presence of a very strong horn on this powerful, independent-minded creature is intended to make readers think of strength.

The absence of a unicorn in the modern world should not cause us to doubt its past existence. (Think of the dodo bird. It does not exist today, but we do not doubt that it existed in the past.). Eighteenth century reports from southern Africa described rock drawings and eyewitness accounts of fierce, single-horned, equine-like animals. One such report describes “a single horn, directly in front, about as long as one’s arm, and at the base about as thick . . . . [It] had a sharp point; it was not attached to the bone of the forehead, but fixed only in the skin.”

To read the rest, see Unicorns in the Bible?

Four legs and a fin: According to a much-ballyhooed report in Nature, scientists have found another fish-to-tetrapod “missing link.” Just don’t look at the fine print. Read more.

Finding a twin: Sooner or later, say some astronomers, we’ll run across an extrasolar planet so similar to our own planet that we’ll be able to call it “Earth’s twin.” Too bad we won’t be able to see it though. Read more.

Also: Neanderthal power tools, character assassination, the origin of sarcasm (seriously), and giving human rights to apes. Read more.

How about joining 1,800 of our ministry friends (about 450 families) next month as they all head to Branson, Missouri, for AiG’s Defending Your Faith in a Secular America national conference?Enjoy four days (July 15–18) in this premier vacation spot in America—plus receive some excellent apologetics teaching from Ken Ham, Doug Phillips of Vision Forum, and Dr. Voddie Baucham of Texas. The conference will feature over a dozen inspirational and equipping teaching sessions. Plus, there will be some great toe-tapping music from AiG’s very own Buddy Davis. Buddy will also be hosting his very popular children’s workshops throughout the conference. You will also have plenty of time to enjoy Branson and its family-friendly entertainment. In fact, with so much to see and do, this will no doubt be long remembered as a favorite vacation!

• Register now

• TV Program
• General Safety
• Spring Cleaning: Weeding and Thinning Library Materials
• Speaking Event Shipments and Customer Orders
• Fiscal Year-end Closing and Audit

• Cain’s wife—a Scopes trial problem!
• Living fossils—evidence for evolution or creation?
• Quoting creationists—forbidden in school!
• Sharp-toothed bears—proof of evolution?
• The famous Scopes trial—did the Christians win?