Tag: dinosaurs

Magic Dinosaur Bones

Dale Pollard

 I’m trying to convince my wife (Janelle) that she needs to make a podcast/Youtube series that would provide a nurses perspective on the many kinds of medicines used in the Bible as well as the medical practices of ancient cultures mentioned in the Bible. Would their medical practices actually work or make things worse? If you think that would be interesting as well, please send her a message and let’s all annoy nurse Janelle until she makes it happen. 

On a similar note, this article was written after researching a few of these bizarre medical practices.  

DID YOU KNOW…

The use of dragon bones in medicine is a fascinating aspect of ancient beliefs, particularly if you view these “dragons” as possible examples of humans and dinosaurs co-existing. However, what’s really  strange is the fact that various societies around the world all decided to use the bones in such a unique way— medicine. 

For example, in medieval Europe, people sometimes discovered large bones and  believed them to hold magical properties. Powders made from these bones were used as talismans or medicinal remedies.

During the Middle Ages, alchemists often incorporated “dragon” substances in their potions and elixirs. They believed that dragon bones could enhance the efficacy of their concoctions or serve as some sort of protective charm.

Some Mesoamerican civilizations had legends about dragon-like creatures, and they used the large fossilized bones in rituals and their medicinal practices because they believed the remains held mysterious power. 

An article in the Associated Press in 2007 had this to say about the ancient Chinese: 

“Villagers in central China spent decades digging up bones they believed belonged to flying dragons and using them in traditional medicines. Turns out the bones belonged to dinosaurs…

The calcium-rich bones were sometimes boiled with other ingredients and fed to children to treat dizziness and leg cramps.”

The Bible has an interesting account about “magic” bones in 2 Kings 13:20-21. This passage recounts the power of God working through the prophet Elijah— even after his death.

Here’s a brief summary for those who might be unfamiliar with this incredible account: 

The prophet Elijah made a significant impact (perhaps the most significant) in Israel. Even after his death his prophetic legacy was admired by the people, but Elijah would perform one last miracle from beyond the grave. Some men were burying a man when they saw a raiding party coming. In haste, they threw the deceased man into the tomb where Elijah’s bones lay and when the dead man touched the bones of Elijah he came back to life and stood on his feet. 

While there may or may not be anything to the medicinal benefits of dinosaur bones as claimed by ancient cultures, there’s no need to speculate where the power was coming from in our biblical account. It’s obvious that it was God’s hand at work and not the prophet’s bones. The same can be said of baptism or even our Bibles. The power isn’t in water found in a baptistery or words on a page because we know the source is actually our Savior. The cure to the world’s greatest disease isn’t some secret recipe that utilizes dragon bones. What we need is what we already have and it’s widely available. 

“Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” 

Proverbs 3.7-8

“Rhosts!”

Wednesday’s Column: Third’s Words

Gary Pollard

My favorite show is Scooby Doo (the originals, of course). It’s packed with ghosts and monsters, most of which are exposed as frauds or criminals. Mankind has been fascinated with ghosts and other postmortem apparitions for a while. They make great stories and nearly every culture has ghost stories. We point to widespread legends of dragons as one evidence of man’s coexistence with dinosaurs. Since so many cultures have these ghost stories, is it possible they’re true? 

Life and death are God’s jurisdiction, so let’s see if he’s said anything about the subject. Who better to ask about the other side than the one who controls it? 

Look at Luke 16.19-31. Whether this is literal or figurative is immaterial, I just want to look at something Jesus described in detail. A rich man neglected Lazarus (an impoverished man) and ended up in torment after death. He lets Abraham know that he has family on earth who don’t believe and he wants to prevent them from sharing his fate. 

Abraham points out that a large abyss acts as a barrier, preventing anyone from moving between realms. He’s specifically talking about passing from torment to paradise and vice versa, but the rich man was nonetheless incapable of leaving under his own power. 

Hebrews 9 says that we die one time and face judgment. This seems to indicate some permanence to our destination. We know that some spiritual entities are capable of interacting with our world (angels/demons) in some capacity, but the Bible doesn’t give us much detail. 

We can state with a decent degree of confidence, though, that the dead are stuck where they are. That’s a major comfort, too, because our future is secure if we die in Christ (I Peter 1.3-7). They make for great plots (and the best cartoon ever), but ghosts remain solidly in our awesome imaginations.