Re’em: Did Unicorns Exist in Biblical Times?
Detail of a former floor mosaic depicting a re’em or unicorn dating from year 1213, Basilica of San Giovanni Evangelista, Ravenna. Image: Wikipedia.
The Re’em is a creature mentioned nine times in the Bible, translated in the King James Version of the Bible as “unicorn”. Does this mean that Unicorns existed in Biblical times?
Re’em: Unicorns in the Bible
In the King James Version of the Bible, the term "re'em" was translated to "unicorn" in accordance with the Septuagint and Jerome's Vulgate. This translation is reflected in the following passages:
"Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib? Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee? Wilt thou trust him, because his strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labour to him? Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home thy seed, and gather it into thy barn?" (Job 39:9–12)
“His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh.” (Deuteronomy 33:17)
“God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.” (Numbers 23:22)
“God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn: he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.” (Numbers 24:8)
“Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns” (Psalm 22:21)
“He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.” (Psalms 29:6)
“But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.” (Psalm 92:10)
“And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.” (Isaiah 34:7)
The Re’em, The Unicorn and the Rhino
Does all this talk of unicorns mean that they really existed? Maybe. Most of these passages seem to be referring to a strong, energetic animal with one horn. They are not really insinuating that the unicorn had any special powers beyond that of any other animal.
Perhaps re’em or “unicorn” was just the word the ancient Jews used for rhinoceros. This connection has been made at other times in history.
During the Middle Ages, cups supposedly crafted from unicorn horn were highly prized by prominent individuals as a safeguard against poisoned beverages, although in reality these cups were probably made from rhinoceros horn or narwhal tusk. The depiction of the unicorn hunt is a recurrent theme in medieval art and can be found not only in Europe but also in the Islamic world and China, with many intricate representations surviving to this day.
Re’em as an Allegory
The Re’em was often interpreted allegorically in the early Christian church. One of the earliest known interpretations can be found in the ancient Greek bestiary known as the Physiologus, which recounts a tale of the unicorn as a robust and fierce creature that could only be captured by a virgin maiden.
According to the story, the unicorn would leap into the virgin's lap, and she would nurse it and lead it to the king's palace. During the Middle Ages, writers likened the unicorn to Christ, who offered salvation to mankind and was born of the Virgin Mary.
In other legends, the unicorn engaged in combat with an elephant, eventually killing it with its horn, and purified poisoned waters with its horn so that other animals could drink.
Perhaps the heavy greek influence around the jewish people and early church could explain how a unicorn managed to sneak it’s way into the bible. Perhaps there were even horses with a big horn running around back then. Stranger things have happened.
Do you think the re’em was really a rhino or something more exciting? Let us know in the comments.
If you enjoyed learning abour the re’em you might also be interested in the Abath: an Indonesian unicorn or the story of the Giant of Kandahar.
