Unicorns in our Midst

 There are nine instances in the KJV Old Testament original variations that the word “Unicorn” is used. The word changes based on varying translations but for now just note that these 9 specific times, the context surrounding it is used to describe something stronger or more powerful than your average ox. The context is key so a lot of your newer translations may say something like wild ox, or buffalo, or something like that. The key is something more powerful than an ox and in this period of the world in this region of the world, there is not much that is known to the common man that is more powerful than his ox. He used it for everything in everyday life. In any case lets get into the historical context first. Lets debunk the unicorn theory first. In the 5th century B.C. , Greek Physician, Ctesias, who worked for the King of Persia, collected and compiled stories from traders and merchants of India into a book called Indica. There are various stories within the book but one portion caught a lot of eyes when he described a strange one horned creature. He described it like a horses body, but larger and more powerful, white, with a red/purple head and a 1.5 cubit horn in the center of its head. He also described that it was slow to start running but once it got up to speed, it was nearly unstoppable. At the time, the animal was relatively unknown outside of its local environment so Ctesias, not knowing its actual name, called it a one-horn. These one-horned creatures were so rare it took over 100 years for the first one horned animal to be exhibited and written about at Alexandria in the great procession at the festival of Dionysus which coincided with the accession of Ptolemy Philadelphus in 284 B.C., and other than describing its one horn, it was described as a very powerful animal. This animal did begin to become more well known after this period and even made debuts in the streets and colosseums of Rome.

So now we jump into the texts and well start with the Septuagint, which was written during roughly the same time period during the Hellenistic period, and if looking for animal that is more powerful than an ox but was known to the common man, so this creature may have fit the bill for what they were looking for to describe. Remember the Septuagint is a Greek Translation of the Hebrew Texts and although its old, it is not the original and could have been transcribed with slight deviations. The original revelations were divinely inspired but the subsequent translations and writings of any type are subject to flaws. Anyways, the only Greek word they used to describe this more powerful creature happened to be for a one-horned animal, and was actually two words ἐγώ (pronounced ego, meaning one) and κέρας (pronounced keras, meaning horn). Then we jump up to Latin Vulgate which was completed in 405 A.D. and the Latin translation of one-horn is simply unus (meaning one) and cornibus (meaning horn) and so combined the word was Unicornium. And we know how widespread the Latin Vulgate was and still is today so we understand why it was so common. Ok, so we at least know where the word Unicorn started from but lets dig deeper. Now well check out the Hebrew Old Testament via the Masoretic Text and the word used the Hebrew רְאֵם  (pronounced re’em). Now remember this is different from the traditional word for ox which is שׁוֹר  (pronounced shore). Re’em is throughout the Old Testament only 9 times and is used in context to describe something more powerful than a common ox, while as the word Shore to describe your common ox is used 72 times in the Old Testament.

So we know that it is not a common ox, something more powerful than a common ox, and again because of the context, it horns are usually discussed, we know it has to have at least one horn (could be two). We also know that it is not common enough for the common man to see it on the daily otherwise they would have had a more specific name for it, so it probably isn’t from the local Middle Eastern geographic local, however its probably not so far off that if traveling through the capitols of the ancient empire, you would at least hear stories of it. Well with the Masoretic Text, which was based off Rabbinic teachings and Hebraic Texts, they used Re’em to translate as Wild Ox. Ok that makes since, more powerful than a docile, domesticated, farm animal because it needs to survive in the wild, right? What this writer believes the Greek translators were trying to portray was the exact animal that was paraded down the streets in Alexandria and first recorded by the writers of that era, a rhinoceros. But in the grand scheme of things, the context is there to guide us. So whether your translation of the Bible reads, buffalo, wild ox, or even unicorn, it is important you study both the translation and the context to fully grasp what God is laying at your feet, instead of getting caught up with whether or not unicorns (as we know them from the little pony show) existed.