BioLogos on Scientific Errors in the Bible – A Review
Originally posted on the Quran and Bible Blog
سْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْم
“Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”
– Proverbs 30:5
Fundamentalist Christians maintain that the Bible is “inerrant” (i.e., free of error, whether historical, scientific, etc.). Of course, when one objectively tests this claim, one tends to find that it is inaccurate. The Bible is certainly not “inerrant”. It is actually errant, as has been demonstrated in previous articles.[1] So what does that mean for the faithful Christian? Does it mean that the Bible is wrong and should not be trusted? Should Christians apostatize from Christianity and put their faith elsewhere? Not necessarily, according to the folks at BioLogos, an organization comprised of scientists, which believes that science and religion are not “at war”. Rather, they believe that both can be reconciled, and in fact, they claim to “embrace historical Christian faith”.[2] They also affirm “evolutionary creation” (also called “theistic evolution”), and its founder, the respected and brilliant scientist and former head of the Human Genome Project, Dr. Francis Collins, has defended evolutionary theory as scientific fact and also argued that it is possible to reconcile it with religious faith.[3] But how do these respected scientists reconcile the clear scientific errors in the Bible, and how do they maintain their faith in spite of these errors? In this article, we will review their explanations. Specifically, this article is a review of the BioLogos article Why Would God Allow Scientific Errors in the Bible?[4]
Why Does the Bible Contain Scientific Errors?
First and foremost, it should be noted that BioLogos does not deny that there are some sections of the Bible which are clearly at odds with scientific facts. For example, Christy Hemphill states the following regarding the authors of the Bible:
“…he [God] allowed some of their pre-existing misconceptions about the how and why of the universe to remain unchallenged, because they weren’t important to his divine mission in the world and because correcting them was not essential for what he wanted to communicate.”
So, the understanding is that God deliberately allowed “misconceptions” about nature and the universe simply because it was not “important” correct them. He could have corrected them but chose not to.
We see here both a sense of honesty (admitting that there are “misconceptions”, otherwise known as “errors”, in the Bible; other Christians are not so honest) but also a sense of “having your cake and eating it too”. This is also common among some scholars of textual criticism. For example, while respected scholars like the late Raymond Brown agreed with the critiques of modern scholarship on the Bible, they still remain faithful Christians. This double-dealing was criticized by the late Geza Vermes as precisely the “example of the position of having your cake and eating it”.[5] Indeed, if we acknowledge that the Bible has errors, and that many of its stories are not true and grounded in later myths, then why should we believe in it, especially for our salvation?
The explanation above is clearly fraught with problems. First, why would God, who is supposedly “truthful”,[6] allow untrue statements in the Bible? It does not seem to fit.
Second, if we excuse the erroneous statements of the authors by saying that God allowed them because they were not “important”, what about statements that the authors explicitly attribute to God? Were they lying? Or were they just erroneously (though not deliberately) attributing such erroneous statements to God? Or did God actually say such statements, and would He? For example, let us look at Leviticus 11:5-6. We previously discussed this passage in the article On Rabbits and Rumination: A Response to Christian Interpretations of Leviticus 11:5-6 (see note #1 for the link). In this chapter, it is God Himself who issues commands on “clean” and “unclean” animals, and it is God who says:
“[t]he hyrax, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a divided hoof; it is unclean for you.”
As demonstrated in the article, this passage is simply wrong. Neither hyraxes nor rabbits “chew the cud”, a phrase which refers to “rumination” in animals such as cows (the appeal to caecotrophy fails as explained in the article). The excuses of the apologists were shown to be inadequate. Thus, the only conclusion is that this passage is scientifically inaccurate. The problem is magnified since it was God who supposedly said it, not the author (whom fundamentalists maintain was Moses) himself! So again, we have to ask:
- Did God really say something which was simply untrue?
- Was it a mistake of the author? Was it an erroneous (but not deliberate) attribution to God?
- Was the author simply lying and God never said such a thing?
We can see that the explanation that God “allowed” this “misconception” because it was not “important” does not work here. It actually was important, because the reason given for not eating rabbits was because they “chew the cud”. The reason given was false. God could just have said “don’t eat rabbits because I said so”. The implication is that God deliberately said something false and gave that as the reason for a rule He was decreeing.
But maybe there is another excuse. According to geologist Gregg Davidson, perhaps God was simply “[condescending] to the contemporary knowledge of the workings of the natural realm”. Another commentator, Ted Davis, referred to it as “accommodation”. In other words, God was deliberately saying something false because that is what was believed at the time, or He was using the language or phraseology of the time. Thus, when God said that rabbits “chew the cud”, He was simply using the language of the time and applied it (knowing that it was wrong) in that specific instance. But again, this does not seem to be a reasonable explanation because God could have chosen to simply say that since rabbits do not have divided hooves, they are forbidden to eat. Verse 4 clearly says that some animals “only chew the cud or only have a divided hoof”, so God could have just said “since rabbits do not have a divided hoof, they are unclean.” In fact, verse 26 makes this clear:
“Every animal that does not have a divided hoof or that does not chew the cud is unclean for you…”
Since rabbits do not have divided hooves, they would be included in the list of “unclean animals” as per verse 26. There was simply no reason to even mention chewing the cud, because it would not apply to rabbits. And yet, God still deliberately linked cud-chewing with rabbits.
Also, rabbits could have been mentioned even later in the chapter with other forbidden animals such as rats, which were forbidden without any reason given (verse 29). Clearly, the excuse offered by Davidson cannot be sustained.
According to Ted Davis, who more or less made the same argument as Davidson but called it “accommodation”, using the language of the “particular, time, place, and people” was needed because:
“[t]he message of the Bible transcends that particular situation, but it must be embedded within that situation or it will not be understood.”
Again, this fails to explain the error in Leviticus 11:5-6. There would have been no difficulty in “understanding” this passage if the phrase “chews the cud” was not included. It still would have made perfect sense to the ancient Israelites.
So, none of these excuses really works, at least with regards to the cud-chewing passage. One could argue persuasively that the Bible could use the language of the time in certain contexts, and it would not be irrational or erroneous. For example, when the Bible uses the word “heart” in such places as Leviticus 19:17, it is not unreasonable to argue that this was the common phraseology of the time and thus nothing to get in to a twist about. The verse states:
“[d]o not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart.”
Of course, anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge about biology would know that the heart has nothing to do with feelings or emotions such as “hate”. That would be the domain of the brain. But such figures of speech are common even in modern times. If a person says to someone they care about “you will be in my heart”, no one would castigate that person as an ignoramus. Rather, it would be understood that it is just a figure of speech. Thus, concepts like “accommodation” may work in this instance.
Another example in the Bible where “accommodation” is a reasonable explanation is Leviticus 11:13–19, a passage that discussed the “birds” which were “unclean” for the Israelites. This list of “birds” includes bats:
“These are the birds you are to regard as unclean and not eat because they are unclean: the eagle,[a] the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl, the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.”
Some critics of the Bible claim that this is a scientific “error”, because bats are mammals, not birds. Yet this view fails to consider that modern classification was not in use in ancient times. The Bible simply classified animals as “birds” as long they were able to fly. This is not a scientific error, but rather just a different (albeit simple) way of classifying animals.
However, the concept of “accommodation” does not work in every instance, such as Leviticus 11:5-6, as shown above. And it will not work in many other instances as well, as in the following 2 examples:
- Job 41:18-21 – This passage describes the mythical beast known as “Leviathan”.[7] It provides fantastical descriptions about this beast, such as “flames stream from its mouth”. In addition, Psalm 74:14 states that it has multiple heads. Of course, such an animal does not exist and has never existed. Not even the Genesis creation account mentions Leviathan.
One could argue that these descriptions were metaphorical, or that this animal was a supernatural entity, or that the Bible was simply using “accommodation”. But there were certainly other ways to describe this creature, whatever it was supposed to represent. Why did the Bible use mythical descriptions?
But the biggest problem is that the myth of the “Leviathan” is found in other cultures of the time, and it appears that the Bible simply borrowed the myth. According to Professor Mark S. Smith, “Leviathan” was representative of the common motif of defeating “cosmic foes”, and was found in Canaanite mythology. In fact, in the Canaanite myth, Leviathan was the “enemy” of gods like Baal,[8] just like it is an enemy of Yahweh in the Bible.
Figure 1 – The Destruction of Leviathan, by Gustave Dore (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan)
There is simply no reason why the Bible, as the “inspired” word of God, would have incorporated a myth such as this. What purpose would it serve? Why not just use a known animal, and not a myth borrowed from a pagan culture, to describe God’s power (since Leviathan is supposed to be slain by God Himself)?
- Mark 4:30-32 – In this passage, Jesus (peace be upon him) is alleged to have used the parable of the mustard seed to describe the kingdom of God. This is not problematic, except for the description of mustard seeds as “the smallest of all seeds on earth”. As explained in the article Science in the Bible and the Quran: Searching the Holy Texts for Evidence of Scientific Knowledge, mustard seeds are not the smallest seeds on earth, but rather orchid seeds are. In fact, even poppy seeds are smaller than mustard seeds.
The concept of “accommodation” will not work here. The main reason is that both mustard seeds and orchid seeds can be found in the Middle East, including Palestine.[9] So, there was no reason why Jesus, whom Christians regard as the creator of the universe, could not have used orchid seeds in the parable. In fact, it would have been a better parable. The original parable states:
“What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
The parable explains that the kingdom of God may start out small, but once planted, it outgrows everything else. Mustard plants certainly seem to fit the bill. But so do orchid plants. In fact, since orchid seeds are smaller, the parable would have been even more impressive as “the parable of the orchid seed” instead of “the parable of the mustard seed”. Orchid trees can be very impressive in terms of size, even though they start out as nearly microscopic seeds.
Another way the error could have been avoided was to just not include the phrase “the smallest of all seeds on earth”. The parable would still have made sense and the message would have been delivered. Let us read what the parable would look like:
“What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed. When planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
To a 1st-century Jewish peasant, this parable would have been easily understood. A mustard seed, which starts out small, eventually grows into a large tree. The error is avoided and the need to teach an important lesson using scripture is met.
These are just a few examples of inaccurate claims about the natural world that could have been easily avoided but were still included in a book that was supposed to be “inspired”.
Even if we could somehow excuse all the scientific errors using the arguments of the Christians at BioLogos, what about historical errors or false prophecies? How can we excuse an inaccurate historical statement or an obvious false prophecy by appealing to “accommodation”? For example, when Paul was asked about unmarried Christians, he stated that it was better not to get married because “the time is short” and the “world in its present form is passing away”.[10] In other words, Paul’s advice was to just forget about marriage as that was not the most pressing concern when the world was about to end. Christians cannot say that Paul was somehow referring to events thousands of years in the future since it would be impossible to expect unmarried Christians to remain in a state of celibacy while waiting for the end generation after generation. To make matters worse, Paul admitted that he had no ruling on the matter from God, but he claimed that since he was “trustworthy” by God’s “mercy”, Christians should accept his judgment.[11] So he issued a false prophecy, one that was repeated throughout the New Testament, even by Jesus (peace be upon him) himself, that the world was going to end very soon. Why would God have allowed a false expectation of the world’s end when He had no plans for that to happen until thousands of years later? Wouldn’t it have been a better lesson simply to say “the end will come when it comes; until then, serve God and do good, and get married if you want to”? It was only because Christians obviously ignored Paul’s judgment that unmarried Christians still get married almost 2000 years later.
Conclusion
We can see that the explanations offered by BioLogos scientists for the apparent scientific errors in the Bible may work in some instances, but not in others. Hence, the only reasonable conclusion is that the Bible does make scientific errors which should not have been made. Concepts like “accommodation” do not explain why other logical alternatives were not used by an All-Knowing being who was attempting to teach his followers. Moreover, the explanations offered by BioLogos cannot excuse the Bible’s historical errors and false prophecies. There comes a point where we just have to be honest and admit that the Bible is wrong in so many instances because it is not from God.
And Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) knows best!
[1] https://quranandbibleblog.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/the-flat-earth-controversy-analyzing-the-quran-and-the-bible/
https://quranandbibleblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/science-in-the-bible-and-the-quran/
[2] https://biologos.org/about-us
[3] See Francis Collins, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief (New York: Free Press, 2006), pp. 197-211.
[4] https://biologos.org/articles/from-the-mailbag-why-would-god-allow-scientific-errors-in-the-bible
[5] Geza Vermes, The Nativity: History and Legend (New York: Doubleday, 2006), p. 21.
[6] John 3:33.
[7] Leviathan is also mentioned in Psalm 74:14 and 104:26, and Isaiah 27:1. In these passages, it is described a fearsome sea monster (more specifically, a sea “serpent”) with multiple heads.
[8] Mark S. Smith, The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel (USA: HarperSanFrancisco, 1990), p. 52.
In fact, the parallels between the Canaanite myth and the Biblical myth leave no doubt that it was the same myth. For example, the Baal Epic states:
“[w]hen thou smotest Lotan [Leviathan], the slippery (serpent) (and) madest an end of the wriggling serpent, the tyrant (with seven heads)…” (https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/ugarit).
The same imagery is used in Isaiah 27:1:
“In that day, the Lord will punish with his sword— his fierce, great and powerful sword— Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.”
And as stated previously, Psalm 74:14 states that Leviathan had multiple heads. The parallels with the Canaanite myth are quite obvious.
[9] https://www.flowers-israel.net/page/flowers-in-israel—orchid
[10] 1 Corinthians 7:29-31.
[11] 1 Corinthians 7:25.
Categories: Bible, Christianity, Feature Article, History, Jesus, Judaism, Palestine, Science
I respectfully disagree. All of the books we look at are versions\translations but the Word of God itself is inerrant.
So are you suggesting that every time there seems to be an error, whether scientific, historical or anything else, it is a mistranslation? It certainly could happen, but you would need to demonstrate that somehow.
Your language is very telling, “There seems to be”. I certainly don’t “need” to demonstrate it, but I have read widely on the objections and the answers to those objections have been more than adequate.
You’re the one who made the assertion. I’m just asking you to prove it. Otherwise, what was the point of your comment?
Use the example of Leviticus 11:5-6. How is that a mistranslation?
And by the way, I also have reD the “answers” given by fundamentalists, and they are wholly inadequate, and often times, demonstrate a lack of understanding of the science.
Have a good day. I won’t spend my time arguing you. My final word.
Ok then! No one asked you to comment. You did it yourself and then run away when you are asked to clarify further. 🙄 Have a nice day!
Your living your life in a shameful way sir. All those books you read mean nothing if there in error.
@ lifestepbaptistministries
You could be right and their is a mistranslation. Just bring your evidence if your speaking the truth.
fat chance.
Oh he’s looooong gone!
What is the evidence that the hare does not chew the cud ?
To make the parable meaningful to the widest possible audience, not just scientists, it makes no sense to include all existing seeds.
If God speaks about the Leviathon then this cannot be classified as myth.
1. By simply observing a cow and a rabbit, we can see big differences. Whereas a cow literally regurgitates food that it has already chewed and eaten, and then chews and swallows it again to allow for more thorough digestion, a rabbit digests it food and then excretes a two types of feces: regular feces which it does not consume, and caecotropes (which it does swallow again). The purpose behind caecotrophy is to allow for a second round of ABSORPTION of nutrients, not DIGESTION. The rabbit does NOT “chew” the caecotrope. It swallows it whole with a protective layer of mucus (so that it will not be digested by the stomach acid). The caecotrope then passes into the intestines where the second round of nutrient absorption can occur.
2. The parable is fine. The issue is to call mustard seeds the “smallest” of all seeds. Orchids are common in the Middle East, so using them in the parable would have made more sense. Even poppy seeds could have been used in the parable. As it stands, the parable in its present form demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the natural world. This is not a big deal, if you accept that Jesus (peace be upon him) was simply a man who did not know everything. But if you believe he was “God” and the “Creator” of the universe, then it is a big deal because it proves that he did not know his own creation. Hence, Christianity does not worship an “All-Knowing” deity.
3. Circular argument and a non-sequitur. First of all, you don’t know that it was “God” who spoke about it. It could just be the author recycling the folklore of the time. In fact, that is what the evidence suggests. Descriptions of Leviathan are essentially the same in the Bible as they are in the earlier Canaanite myths.
Second, there is no known animal that has the characteristics of Leviathan.
Third, there is actually a contradiction in the Bible about Leviathan. Psalm 74:14 says that God had killed Leviathan:
“For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 Thou didst divide the sea by thy strength: thou brakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou brakest the heads of leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.” (Psalm 74:12-14)
But Isaiah says that Leviathan will be killed in the future:
“In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.” (Isaiah 27:1).
@ QB
Just want to add another option to point 2 you can also accept that the anonymous writer added to Jesus(as) statement for dramatic effect and thus proves scriptural corruption.
I’m still of the opinion that Jesus was just talking about seeds which are used for nutritional purposes not about every possible seed. The fact that orchids are widespread is not relevant in that context. I have seen orchids many times but I have never seen the seed of an orchid. Mustard seeds I am familiar with because I, along with many others I presume, buy them for nutritional use.
I asked about hares, not rabbits. Hares are mentioned in the text of the kjv. You haven’t offered any evidence to show that hares do not chew the cud.
If the Leviathan was hunted and eaten it must have existed. My guess is that it was hunted to extinction sometime before the flood. In that case it would be quite natural for myths to develop but the bible does not copy them.
As far as Isaiah goes often personal beings are called by the names of animals if they share some common characteristics. The animal itself has no religious significance and there is no reason why God personally should try and kill it. Does he need it for food?
“I’m still of the opinion that Jesus was just talking about seeds which are used for nutritional purposes not about every possible seed. The fact that orchids are widespread is not relevant in that context. I have seen orchids many times but I have never seen the seed of an orchid. Mustard seeds I am familiar with because I, along with many others I presume, buy them for nutritional use.”
But your god should have known the difference. The easiest way to avoid the error would just have been to use the mustard seeds as the example without saying they are “smallest” of all seeds.
I am sure you have seen poppy seeds, though. They are also smaller than mustard seeds.
“I asked about hares, not rabbits. Hares are mentioned in the text of the kjv. You haven’t offered any evidence to show that hares do not chew the cud.”
Hare and rabbits are both lagomorophs. They both practice caecotrophy. If you want evidence that they “don’t” chew the cud, then I suggest you go find a hare and observe it for several hours. As it stands, it is a well-known fact to biologists that hares are not ruminants like cows. Maybe you should research the biology if you are so sure.
“If the Leviathan was hunted and eaten it must have existed. My guess is that it was hunted to extinction sometime before the flood. In that case it would be quite natural for myths to develop but the bible does not copy them.”
LOL, such pathetic logic! First of all, the Bible does copy the myths. I showed the evidence.
Second, you present no evidence for any of your assumptions, and yet ask for “evidence” that hares don’t chew the cud!
“As far as Isaiah goes often personal beings are called by the names of animals if they share some common characteristics. The animal itself has no religious significance and there is no reason why God personally should try and kill it. Does he need it for food?”
You need to prove that Isaiah said this about Leviathan, instead of just assuming it. Where is the evidence that he was referring to some “personal being”?
“But your god should have known the difference.”
But for the purpose of the parable it is more important for the hearer to know the seed. For this reason Jesus restricts himself to seeds that are used for food. The parable is not primarily a vehicle for demonstrating what God knows or does not know..
You are still not giving me any evidence that the hare does not chew the cud. Until you do I will assume that the bible is correct. If I watch a hare chewing I cannot see what it is chewing can I? Can you tell me what is in its mouth and how it got there?
” Where is the evidence that he was referring to some “personal being”?
Animals do not have personal characteristics. They are non-ethical entities. There is no reason for God to be against the Leviathan if it is just an animal with animal instincts.
Serpents and dragons are spiritual beings described poetically as animals in the bible.
Stop playing the dumbo with your literalism.
@ Erasmus
1. Seeds
The issue would have been solved without saying “the smallest of all seeds” it was an unnecessary add on.
2. Hares
Hares do not chew the cud. In laymen’s terms
Cud chewers- Chew food, throw it up into their mouths, chew some more and swallow.
Hares- Chew food, excrete it out, turn around, chew it again and wallow
Two different processes and pretty much all biblical commentators agree its an error
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/11-6.htm
But again, poppy seeds are also used for food. He could have just said mustard seed without adding that it is the smallest seed.
You are obviously living in your own fantasy world. All knowledgeable people know that hares and rabbits are not ruminants. Maybe you should get a rabbit as a pet and just observe it. Until then, the burden of proof is on you to prove that hares chew the cud. It is absurd of you to ask me to prove that they don’t chew the cud. You can’t prove a negative stupid. That’s a basic rule of logic. It’s like asking to prove that Bigfoot DOESN’T exist.
Lol, Leviathan was a powerful god in Canaanite mythology. It represented the chaotic sea. That’s why Yahweh had to kill it, like Baal in the Canaanite myth.
Poppy seeds were used for food at the time of the parable? Any proof for that?
Leviathan was a myth and Jehovah had to kill a myth. I would have to be mad to believe that. No thanks.
How did anyone reach the conclusion that hares don’t chew the cud? If it is a scientific fact there must be a scientific reason, or not? I am just asking you to give me the evidence? Is that so hard?
“Poppy seeds were used for food at the time of the parable? Any proof for that?”
Poppies are native to Israel. Whether they were cultivated at the time for food is not known with certainty. But while looking into this, I came across something even better: thyme.
“Called koranit in the Mishnah, thyme is a diminutive dwarf shrub which grows extensively in Israel on the kurkar hills near the coast and on mountains. Its tiny, pungently aromatic leaves were used as a spice, like hyssop and savory, together with which it is mentioned (Ma’as. 3:9)” (https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/spices)
So thyme would have been used as a spice. And wouldn’t you know it? The seeds seem smaller than mustard seeds too.
https://previews.123rf.com/images/kazakovmaksim/kazakovmaksim1703/kazakovmaksim170300097/73690679-wild-thyme-thymus-serpyllum-flower-and-seeds-isolated-on-white-background.jpg
The Jewish Virtual Library says about poppies:
“…mention should be made of the poppy, the plant Papaver somniferum. Its seed is used as a spice and also in various kinds of pastry. In modern Hebrew the poppy is called parag or pereg, on the basis of the identification given in the Arukh and by other commentators for פרגים in the Mishnah, which are, however, none other than *millet . Although several species of Papaver grow wild in Israel, it is impossible to determine whether the cultivated poppy was grown. The only reference to ofyon (opium is extracted, as is known, from poppy) occurs in the Jerusalem Talmud (Av. Zar. 2:2, 40d). It was considered dangerous to buy ofyon from heathens (see *Havdalah ).”
“Leviathan was a myth and Jehovah had to kill a myth. I would have to be mad to believe that. No thanks.”
LOL, no you would have to be mad to believe that Leviathan is anything other than a myth borrowed from pagan mythology.
The authors of the Bible must have believed it was real, because they had heard the myth, so they incorporated it into the Bible.
“How did anyone reach the conclusion that hares don’t chew the cud? If it is a scientific fact there must be a scientific reason, or not? I am just asking you to give me the evidence? Is that so hard?”
Oh lord…facepalm moment…
Pay attention, moron. Hares are non-ruminant herbivores. They eat caecotropes. This is easily observable with any rabbit or hare. If you want such proof, go buy a rabbit, dummy. And then go to a farm and watch a cow. See if it does anything similar to the rabbit or hare.
The burden of proof is on you to prove that hares are ruminants (i.e., that they chew the cud). Most of your christian brethren are not as stupid as you to cling to the idea that hares may chew the cud, and until evidence is shown that they don’t, you will continue to believe that they do chew the cud. This just shows the nefarious effect of the Bible on the human intellect. Most other Christians appeal to the caecotrophy argument to explain the scientific error in Leviticus. So, while it is a stupid argument, it is not as stupid as yours.
Actually, for thyme seeds, it would probably depend on the species. Some seem bigger than mustard seeds, while others seems smaller.
https://wikifarmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Growing-Thyme-from-Seed.jpg
“They eat caecotropes. This is easily observable with any rabbit or hare.”
Why does that prove that the hare is a non-ruminant. Why can’t it do both?
“And then go to a farm and watch a cow. See if it does anything similar to the rabbit or hare.”
Wow. I am sure Aristotle never thought of that. I am very impressed.
Because rumination is different from caecotrophy. I already explained this.
Lol, you’re the one asking me to prove a negative. So I suggested you get a rabbit and then go to a farm and watch a cow. I guarantee you will instantly see the difference. 😂
It is simple anachronism to restrict the meaning of the ancient hebrew word and confine it to one technical scientific term.