How do we know what kind of bears were in the Bible ?

What kind of bears lived in ancient Israel? How should we picture the bears that David fought as a shepherd? To understand the stories and symbolism of bears in the Bible, archaeologist Joel Kramer looks at the evidence.

MY BOOK - Where God Came Down: The Archaeological Evidence

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[normanberg]

Interesting personal note. My grandfather and his 6 brothers were peasant farmers in Romania in the interwar period. They also kept sheep. As youths they would often shepherd them. To protect themselves and their flock from wolves and brown bears they were usually armed with slings and pitchforks as well as torches at night. Even into his 80's the old man was still deadly accurate with a sling. He even carried one with him into Russia during ww2. I noticed on your map you don't depict the range of brown bears extending into Eastern Europe and yet there they are to this very day.

[DamonNomad]

In the Elisha account, the "boys" would likely have been in their teens, based on the word used. Also, the fact that they were telling Elisha to "go on up" implies that they were threatening his life, as this happened shortly after Elisha's predecessor, Elijah, was caught up to heaven and Bethel was a major center of idol worship. The account mentions that 42 of them were mauled by the bears, which means there were at least that many of them present. God seems to have used the bears to rescue His prophet from a very dangerous situation.

[biancawildflower]

Your channel is cool!!! Short, beautifully made, intersting and informative content. AND your calm voice makes it so relaxing listening to! A real blessing!!!

[lorihuntley]

Thank you so much for creating Expedition Bible. So fascinating! I can’t get enough!

[jamesnoe]

This is an awesome new channel. Definitely liking and sharing.

[keithholland]

"Grizzly" usually refers to a subspecies of North American brown bears, which are believed to have been named for their "grizzled" fur color. The Syrian brown bears that once inhabited Ancient Israel are much smaller, similar in size to North American black bears, and they are usually lighter colored. Being the same species, they should theoretically be able to interbreed with any other type of brown bear, including grizzlies, but they don't due to geographic isolation. They are still incredibly strong for their size and you wouldn't want to get into a fight with a bear of your own weight, no matter what the species!

[sublyme]

Well dang, that just kicks things up a notch! And no wonder David wasn't intimidated by Goliath. Compared to lions and grizzlies, what's a tall man?

[nurse]

I feel confident that this channel is extensively researched and authentic.

This is appreciated as there’s so many ‘rubbish’
biblical videos on YouTube

[marthaj]

Ever since I first read that story about Elisha, I've wanted to know this information! _Thank you!_ Biblical archaeology is GREAT!

[williamsisk]

Joel, I appreciate the work that you are doing. Here in the United States there are a growing number of people that call themselves Christian but their lifestyle doesn't reflect that name. I believe to these people see the Bible as a religious textbook and the name Christian to identify themselves as being a good person. Saul of Tarsus used the old testament to condemn Christians but after conversion used it to proclaim Christ.
I pray that our Lord Jesus will use your work in archeology to bring the Bible to life and is more than a religious book.

[b-si]

Amazing to realize Ancient Israel was forested country!! Wild grasslands and timber'd mountains like Montana, Idaho & Oregon...is what I have in my mind & that's pretty awesome! I wonder if they had elk, moose or whitetail deer/muleys!?!
Love your channel...wonderful work!
God bless you and your ministry🙏🙏🙏

[stacyw]

I appreciate how you always put forth evidence for what you're saying, from archeology, script etc.
Thanks for all your hard work!

[epete]

What a blessing your channel is to all! Very much enjoying learning more about the Bible and Israel. Thank you!

[jorrienmesa]

I love your channel, I do want to mention I live in Montana and we still do have Grizzly bears just not a huge plethora.

[brianboru]

I like Joel's presentation very much, keeps it real (pragmatic), very interesting whilst maintaining a respectful historical Biblical balance.

[bradentokoly]

I'm very excited to have found your channel. I'll be sharing it with my entire family. I can't wait to watch all your videos.

[GospelandSpade]

Great video. Really enjoyed it. It just goes to show that since the Old Testament so much has changed even in a small country like Israel.

[bashieenglish]

I camped in the Western US for 5 months and many times I was alerted that grizzlies could be in the area and use caution. The Park Services demand that you store your food in steel boxes that they provide or tie it up in a tree. They do not want campers killed for their food. Black bears are more common but Grizzlies still roam in Idaho, Montana, Washington state and Wyoming. You are also instructed to take bear spray with you (still have mine) when you hike. They also provide instructions on what to do if you see a bear.
In Idaho a Park Ranger told me she walked to work every day to the Ranger station, 1/2 mile away until she saw bear scat on her walk. Now she drives the short distance and she is trained in how to handle bears.

[akabga]

I grew up in the mountains in Southern California, and I can definitely say that there are still brown bears in California!! I used to see them at least once a month, if not once a week, in the summertime! And, those guys get into your trash like nobody’s business! The forest service has to hunt them regularly with bean bags to keep them fearful of people.

[plotholedetective]

The species was Ursus arctus syriacus. The naturally indigenous brown bear to the area known as the Syrian brown bear. It has a pronounced shoulder hump and there is plenty of fossil and bone evidence to back it up. The Syrian brown bear is 550 lbs and stands under five foot tall when on it's back legs. They ate sheep, deer, and small game for protein... Historical accuracy is important 😤