What Are the Unicorns and Satyrs Mentioned in the Bible?
Why does the KJV Bible contain references to such mythological creatures as the ‘unicorn’ (Num. 23:22) and the ‘satyr’ (Isa. 13:21)? How can such allusions be harmonised with the claim that the Bible is the infallible word of God? The “Unicorn” of the Bible The term “unicorn” is found nine times in the King James Version of the Bible (Num. 23:22; 24:8; Dt. 33:17; Job 39:9-10; Psa. 22:21; 29:6; 92:10; Isa. 34:7). However, unicorn does not appear at all in the American Standard Version, nor in most other modern versions. This should be a signal that the “problem” is one of translation, rather than a problem with the original, biblical text. In ancient mythological literature, the unicorn was a horse-like animal with a prominent horn protruding from the centre of its forehead. There is no evidence that this creature is alluded to in the scriptures. In the Hebrew Old Testament, the word that is found in the texts referenced above is re’em, which is translated “wild ox” in the later version...