A dinosaur like Medieval dragon imagined by a Western artist
The word "dragon" creates in our Western brains an image that is usually something like this dragon imagined and drawn by an artist.
The English word "dragon" derives from Greek δράκων (drákōn), "dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake", which probably comes from the verb δρακεῖν (drakeîn) "to see clearly" wikipedia
We immediately know what a dragon is once we hear or read the word or see an image about it; a fearsome winged creature that throws flames and flies over Medieval castles carefully watched by dragonslayers and other heroic knights holding their bows and arrows, swords and shields ready for fight. Some remember the game of Dragons and Dungeons!
Chinese dragons look slightly different from the traditional Western monsters and are more clearly snake like creatures with fearsome teeth gaping in their mouths and huge eyes scaring the wits out of children celebrating Chinese New Year - or, alternatively, making them laugh happily!
Bel and a Dragon
A Maccabean period addition to the Book of Daniel tells an interesting story about Bel and a dragon and how Daniel solved the problem caused by the monster.
The narrative of Bel and the Dragon incorporated as chapter 14 of the extended Book of Daniel exists only in Greek in the Septuagint. This chapter, along with chapter 13, is referred to as deuterocanonical, in that it is not universally accepted among Christians as belonging to the canonical works accepted as the Bible. The text is viewed as apocryphal by Protestants and typically not found in modern Protestant Bibles, though it was in the original 1611 edition of the King James Version. It is listed in Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England.
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From snake to Dragon
Holy Bible tells a most fundamental story about a talking and walking snake in the beginning of the history of humanity. At the end of the Bible the snake discussing nicely and wisely with Eve has grown into a fearsome dragon with ten mysterious horns.
Paradise
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, `Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden,
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, `Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,lest ye die.'"
And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:1-5 KJ21
Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, `Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden,
but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, `Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,lest ye die.'"
And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Genesis 3:1-5 KJ21
Book of Revelation
And I stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
And I saw that one of his heads was, as it were, wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed.
And all the world wondered after the beast.
And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
And there was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 12:1-8 KJ21
And I stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.
And I saw that one of his heads was, as it were, wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed.
And all the world wondered after the beast.
And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"
And there was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.
And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven.
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 12:1-8 KJ21
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