Behemoth: Dinosaur or Hippopotamus?

"15 Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox.
16 What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly!
17 His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like rods of iron.
19 He ranks first among the works of God, yet his Maker can approach him with his sword.
20 The hills bring him their produce, and all the wild animals play nearby.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies, hidden among the reeds in the marsh.
22 The lotuses conceal him in their shadow; the poplars by the stream surround him.
23 When the river rages, he is not alarmed; he is secure, though the Jordan should surge against his mouth.
24 Can anyone capture him by the eyes, or trap him and pierce his nose? (Job 40:15-24)

Modern day scientists and some Christian theologians believe that Behemoth is the Dinosaur. So for discussion, Dinosaur is our first candidate as Behemoth.

Candidate No. 1: Dinosaur


According to Evolutionists, Dinosaurs are thought to have become extinct approximately 65.5 million years ago.

The first genus of primitive ape ancestor is thought to have emerged about 23 million years ago – homo erectus emerging around 1.6 – 1.8 million years ago - and homo sapiens (with modern human features) bursting onto the scene around a mere 130,000 years ago.

The first modern human civilization is said to have emerged in ancient Sumer (the cradle of civilization) 8000 years ago.

Conclusion


Dinosaurs and humans never co-existed so Job cannot write of an animal that cannot be referred to. Bible also refutes the idea of Dinosaurs co-existing with humans. In verse 15, God says that He made Behemoth at the same time that He made man, "which I made with thee". This is consistent with the Genesis account that man and animals were made in the same day (Gen. 1: 24-27).

In Mark 10:6 Jesus affirmed that mankind has existed "from the beginning of the creation", which certainly excludes the notion that dinosaurs became extinct millions of years before man appeared upon the planet.

Candidate No 2:


Hippopotamus

Look at the behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. (Job 40:15)

Hippos leave the water at dusk and travel inland, sometimes up to 8 kilometers, to graze on short grass, their main source of food. They spend four to five hours grazing and can consume 68 kilograms (150 lb) of grass each night.

Like almost any herbivore, they will consume many other plants if presented with them, but their diet in nature consists almost entirely of grass, with only minimal consumption of aquatic plants.

What strength he has in his loins, what power in the muscles of his belly! (Job 40:16)

Adult hippos cannot swim and are not buoyant. When in deep water, they usually propel themselves by leaps, pushing off from the bottom. They move at speeds up to 8 km/h (5 mph) in water. However, young hippos are buoyant and more often move by swimming —propelling themselves with kicks of their hind legs. Adult hippos typically resurface to breathe every 3–5 minutes. The young have to breathe every two to three minutes. The process of surfacing and breathing is automatic, and even a hippo sleeping underwater will rise and breathe without waking. A hippo closes its nostrils when it submerges.

His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are close-knit (Job 40:17)

To mark territory, hippos spin their tails while defecating to distribute their excrement over the greatest possible area. Watch the video below