The question why cats are not mentioned in the Bible is a funny question if you haven't thought of it before. Let's dive into this neglected question and see if we can come up with an answer.
A Short History of Cats
Historians believe ancient Egypt was the site of cat domestication, due to the clear depictions of house cats in Egyptian paintings about 3,600 years old.
Crosschecking the Bible to find out why it's name was omitted in the holy book | Photo credit: Barb via Flickr
Ancient Egyptians were the first to use cats as a form of pest control near food warehouses. They revered the cat as a hunter and worshiped as gods and goddesses. The ancient Egyptians imposed the death penalty for killing cats and cats were also mummified before being buried.
Cats were also said to be the culprits of "The Black Death" during the Dark Ages because their population was highest in the world during that period. This they say originated from ancient Egyptian cats down to Europe.
So because of the plagues associated with cats leading to the deaths of many people which according to some findings are still killing people today that's why they aren't mentioned.
And unfortunately too for the domestic cats, since it was not mentioned categorically in the bible, which was originally written by the Jews that were God's people and who view ancient Egypt as their worst enemy because of what they went through in their hand as slaves, Cats were said to be too unholy to be included in the holy book because of its attachments to the Egyptians who are filled with so many things that God disapproves of.
Moreover any thing that violates God's commandments about the sacredness of life which cats are accused of, may certainly be enough reasons why cats were left out in the pages of the bible according to some speculations. But does that sound justifiable or convincing enough? Cats are not the only creature that does that.
Cat being cuddled by a kid. They are still loved by human despite their being omitted in the Bible | Photo credit: Animalist
The Egyptians held cats in high esteem and that no doubt encouraged the Israelite slaves to despise them just like they hated the Egyptians back then and this could also add to the possible reason why innocent cats were not mentioned in the bible because they were hated along with their owners or protectors.
Who knows if while distastefully showing enough abhorrence on the Israelite, whether cats were being showered with enough attentions to the dismay and displeasure of the then slaves in the land. The Isrealites are perhaps envious of the cats? that's by the way, But even at that, what about other portions of the bible that were written long after the Hebrews experiences in Egypt?
Facts About Cats And The Bible
There are some animals that were not directly mentioned in the bible but of which were not singled out like the cats. The point remains that for all those who believed that God created the earth and the things in it, cats not being mentioned directly in the bible certainly has nothing to do with the claims and arguments of whether it was created by God. Irrespective of all the accusations leveled against cat, they remain what they are: one of God's creations and concerning some questions about them being or left unanswered, that still go a long way in helping us to see how unsearchable God's wondrous works are.
Cat is just like every other directly unnamed animals or things in the bible. The Israelite despise cats just like the Egyptians hated sheep which Israel rears. Cats were of no use to the bible writers and since they were said to be inspired by God to put down his thoughts in the bible, he chooses what to include in his written words.
So many things having been said about the domestic cats as to the reason why it was not directly mentioned in the bible but one inescapable fact remains that cats are loved by many and still remains one of the most admirable pets in the world. Those who grew and stored grains should even be more grateful to the cats for hanging around and killing the rodents that eats up their produce. Come what may, cats remains what they are, Just cats.
Chibueze
November 25, 2015 at 7:38 pm
C’ome on, where do you get all these inspirations from? Abeg you are too original and highly detailed with your works here. Thank you for this thought provoking piece. God created cats just like every other things around us. If there are things we don’t understand about the pet, let’s leave it that way as long as they serve the purposes we rear them for. Cats are good pets and should be treated well
DeeDoloress Alon
June 30, 2017 at 11:18 pm
I believe God created the domestic house cats because God created the big cats called lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, leopards, black panthers, and cougars.
Dorothy
October 4, 2017 at 10:14 pm
Poorly written, poorly punctuated. Writer must have English as a second language because this article is horrible! Almost unreadable. Wrong words, wrong tenses. Just awful! Couldn’t get through it. My eight year old could do better.
Markmywords
August 24, 2018 at 10:38 pm
To Dorothy- Dorothy, punctuation has nothing to do with English being a first or second language or mind you- third or fourth language. Many non-native speakers publish articles and books and are excellent writers; therefore, what you bring up is a stereotype. There are many sloppy writers (and sloppy speakers) with English as their first language. Although there were a few confusing phrases, the article was OK for its topic, which is unusual to begin with. It is not an article written for an English writing class audience and perfection of tenses is not its main priority.
Fiovos Blakey
February 5, 2018 at 10:05 am
First I want to apologise on behalf of Dorothy. Most likely, she is not aware of the work and time you put into this article. I came here from a comic with questions about dinosaurs and then cats popped into my head. So, here I am do to that. Now, I have thoroughly enjoyed the article, it’s interesting and grabs the readers attention. There are some errors in the article but, the way Dorothy said it was very rude. And other than those minor errors, it doesn’t distracts the reader too much. The story and history in this is joyful. I can say I have learned more about this topic than I have in a church. Thanks for taking time to make a good learning lesson. Keep up the good work!
Dee TimmyHutchFan
September 10, 2018 at 9:24 pm
Cats are just plain evil. That’s why they were not mentioned in the Bible. I’ve had cats before and they are sneaky night creatures that should not be kept in the home.
As for cats creating the plague, I believe it. They kill rats and leave them on your doorstep. If that rat had fleas, they didn’t die with the rat and either would get on the cat or get on the person, which caused them to get sick and the disease to spread. So yeah, I would say cats did have a hand in spreading the black plague that nearly killed most of Europe in the dark ages.
Gillian Horsley
September 15, 2018 at 4:22 am
An extremely interesting and thought provoking article. I love cats and have two of them. Much cleaner than dogs and they don’t bark! Also cats are very independent.