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Originally Posted by he beholds  Quote:
Originally Posted by Marrow Man I am curious as to how much the LXX translation (monokeros) played in translating the Hebrew as "unicorn" rather than "wild ox" or "rhinoceros" -- even though the Greek word appears to be closely related to rhinoceros! | LXX= ?
So do you think it means rhino as opposed to wild ox? (I don't think it matters for faith, but just for knowledge.) |
LXX is the abbreviation for the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (c. 300 B.C.). It was thought to have been translated by 70 (or 72?) scholars, hence the abbreviation LXX.
Unless I miss my guess,
monokeros literally means "one-horn" just as
rhinoceros means "nose horn." It is not too difficult to see how "one horn" becomes "unicorn" in an English translation, but that is a far cry from saying this is a reference to a mythological being.
If I am not mistaken, there are other instances of animals listed in Scripture in which we do not quite know what animal is being referenced. Compare different translations of 1 Kings 10:22, for instance; what did the ships from Tarshish deliver along with the apes? Was it baboons, monkeys, or peacocks? I don't think the foundations of Christianity are shaken here, imho.