How Much Do You Know About Animals in the Bible?

Bats in the Bible aren't exactly superstars. They're mentioned as unclean animals that make their homes in creep, scary places.

Adam blamed the serpent for treachery, telling God that "the snake made me do it." But the Lord was very disappointed in his fledgling flawed humans, and so punished them appropriately.

Each year, scientists are more and more wowed by the abilities of ants. The Bible recognized this in Proverbs, "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!"

Back in biblical times, there really were bears roaming the Middle East. And David killed both a lion and a bear to protect his sheep.

Moses couldn't be everywhere at once. While he was away, the Israelites took up bull worship. They made a golden calf to pray to … angering Moses to no end.

When the worshippers of the golden calf asked for forgiveness, God struck them all down with lightning. But then he changed his mind and resurrected them.

Serpents apparently weren't bound to the ground before the Adam and Eve debacle. But after the fruity fiasco, God doomed serpents to crawling on their bellies forever.

Moses went off on a long lecture in Deuteronomy 32. He followed it up with, "Their vine comes from the vine of Sodom and from the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are filled with poison, and their clusters with bitterness. Their wine is the venom of serpents, the deadly poison of cobras."

Dogs weren't treated like pets during biblical times. They were often simply herding animals meant to protect and a guide a flock of sheep.

Dogs often roamed ancient cities in packs. They stole food and caused problems -- and were regarded as unclean, impolite … and even dangerous to some.

For thousands of years, the dove's gentle nature and soft cry has made it a symbol of love. Some Bible characters used the word "dove" in referring to their loved ones.

In Jesus' time, the donkey was a universal animal, ridden and used by rich and poor alike. That's the kind of symbolism Jesus wanted to portray when he rolled into Jerusalem.

Even today, hyenas are known for their aggressive scavenging habits. And back then, it would've been terrifying to see these animals feasting on remains of the less fortunate.

The Egyptians worshiped a whole range of various creatures and things. They worshiped baboons, and the creature were often kept as beloved pets in the house.

The Egyptians loved their baboons for being so fun and cuddly. But they also associated them with Thoth, the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom, and gave them a treasured status in their society.

When the many plagues began to strike the Pharoah's lands, one became infamous. It was a plague of locusts … but still, he would not free the Israelites.

Gnats are a constant frustration for people of the Bible. But those gnats were almost certainly mosquitoes, dreaded for their pesky nature and diseases.

It's all about the metaphor. "They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea — as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.”

Jesus always emphasized his role as the leader of sheep. "Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep."

In Daniel 6, our protaganist is thrown into the lion's den. The next morning, Daniel is miraculously still alive … so the king who tried to kill him was instead thrown to the animals, and then torn apart.

Writers of the Bible were not at all specific about the fish species they saw. They just mentioned "fish" over and over again without really specifying which type.

Cats, one of the first domesticated animals, are mentioned just one time in the whole Bible. Perhaps the Bible's authors were merely dog people.

Who knew that these big birds would be heartless? They are in Lamentations. "Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert."

In Proverbs 23:32, "In the end it bites like a snake, and poisons like a viper." And in the Bible, vipers are very, very bad … because people get very sick from their bites.

"Abandon your towns and dwell among the rocks, you who live in Moab. Be like a dove that makes its nest at the mouth of a cave." And God promises the people that they will restore Moab following the attack.

Jonah is flung into the sea and swallowed by a great fish. Three days later, the fish upchucks him on the shore, where Jonah continues spreading the word of the Lord.

In the Bible, sparrows are often used to convey immense numbers of a tiny creature … but God still knows them all. "So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."

Baboons have a habit of barking at the rising sun. It's no wonder the ancient Egyptians thought the little monkeys were sun worshipers.

You'll see a pale horse in Revelations. And its rider? Death. This vision has inspired writers and artists for centuries.

"They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider’s web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched." So, word to the wise -- in the Bible, avoid spiders and snakes because those two are definitely up to no good.

After Elijah told Ahab that serious trouble was coming, he fled into hiding. There, ravens brought him food for sustenance.

Moses and Aaron never lacked in bold statements. Aaron's staff turned into a serpent … right after he chucked it front of the powerful pharoah.

Revelations always likes to get freaky. "And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth." Fortunately the passage immediately following features an angel in a rainbow.

Noah sent out a raven that never came back. His first dove returned without news of land. But the second dove? It came back with an olive leaf in its beak.

"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them." These are songs of praise from Isaiah's glowing letters.