UFOs burst into the consciousness of the American public in 1947 with a sighting in Washington State and flying saucer crash in Roswell, New Mexico. It turns out, however, that people have been seeing strange objects in the sky for much longer. How long? Possibly back to the dawn of humanity. Even the Book of Genesis discusses strange objects in the sky. Are there really UFOs in the Bible? Buckle up, because it's time to take a walk through the Bible's ancient alien encounters.
Genesis UFO: A Smoking Firepot With a Blazing Torch
One of the earliest mentions of potential aliens and UFOs in the Bible comes from the Old Testament Book of Genesis. In Genesis 15:17, "When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces." (NIV) Some suggest this "smoking firepot with a blazing torch" is a UFO.
Exodus: UFOs Everywhere
Exodus tells the story of Moses leading the Jews after their exodus from Egypt. In Exodus, God appears to Moses as a "burning bush" (Exodus 3). Later, during the exodus, Moses and the Jews are led by a "pillar of cloud" by day, and a "pillar of fire" by night (Exodus 13:21-22). And while the Bible interprets this as God speaking to Moses and leading the Jews, some ancient alien theorists feel the Biblical descriptions of fire and clouds are similar to some modern UFO descriptions. The pillars of clouds and fire show up in subsequent books of the Old Testament as well, including in Exodus 40, Numbers 14:14, Deuteronomy 1:33, and Nehemiah 9:12 and 9:19.
Other descriptions in the Book of Exodus tell of Moses being carried to a mountain in a cloud (24:18) and of God descending in a cloud (34:5), which some theorists interpret as the appearance of aliens and UFOs. Many other references to clouds behaving in oddly specific manners (such as guiding people, carrying people, arising from the sea, bringing messengers from God, and more) also exist throughout the Old Testament that are very different from how one might observe the patterns of clouds today. Ancient alien theorists point to these numerous cloud references throughout the Old Testament as actually being references to UFOs and aliens.
Isaiah: UFO Over Mount Zion
In Isaiah 4:5, the prophet predicts: "Then the Lord will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over everything the glory will be a canopy." (NIV) Some ancient alien theorists believe the prophet is predicting the appearance of a UFO over Mount Zion using the coded reference "cloud" found throughout the Old Testament.
Ezekiel: Ancient Astronauts
Perhaps the most well-known story interpreted by ancient alien theorists as a visit from a UFO is the story of Ezekiel and the chariot. The Biblical story, described in the Book of Ezekiel, tells of the prophet Ezekiel seeing a chariot of God in the sky. Written in first person, Ezekiel's account suggests the wheeled chariot was piloted by beings in the "likeness of man."
While Biblical scholars interpret this as a visitation by angels in a chariot of the Gods, proponents of the ancient astronauts theory suggest this was, instead of the miraculous appearance of angels, a visitation by an extraterrestrial spaceship. The chariot, with "a wheel intersecting a wheel" and "sparkling like topaz," went on to land in a flash of lightning, an uprising of wind, and the flash of lights and fire from the metallic object. Ancient astronaut theorists point out that the events described by Ezekiel seem very similar to descriptions in modern times of UFOs and alien craft. Ezekiel was taken aboard the craft and transported to a "temple" on the "highest mountain," possibly an early alien abduction?
Zechariah: Flying Scroll UFO
In the Old Testament Book of Zechariah (Zechariah 5), the Hebrew prophet Zechariah describes looking to the sky and seeing a flying scroll "twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide" (Zechariah 5:2). Throughout the passage, Zechariah also describes a cover of lead being lifted from something in the sky to reveal a woman in a basket along with two winged women alongside it. Again, Biblical scholars interpret this as the appearance of angels and signs from God, but proponents of ancient astronaut theories believe this is another example of misinterpretation of the UFO phenomena filtered through a religious lens.
New Testament: Did a UFO Herald the Birth of Christ?
Perhaps the most significant New Testament reference to what many believe to be UFOs come from the birth of Jesus, when His arrival was heralded by the Star of Bethlehem that led the Magi to His place of birth. The star, theorists suggest, was in fact a UFO leading people to the baby.
Likewise, as in the Old Testament, the New Testament also offers multiple references to oddly behaving clouds. Examples include people entering clouds, clouds that speak, armies of clouds in the sky, and more. UFO theorists believe these clouds are manifestations of UFO phenomena interpreted through the understanding and technology of the time.
UFOs in the Bible
Other UFO and ancient alien theorists suggest that the concept of God existing in the sky, angels descending from the sky, and Heaven being located in the sky are all Biblical references to a benevolent alien race overseeing humanity on planet Earth from above.
Did God Create Aliens, or Did Aliens Create Humans?
If, as the Bible suggests, God is the creator of the heavens and the earth, then people from various religions suggest that God, as the creator of all, must have also created beings from other planets if they do, indeed, exist. But ancient alien theorists have turned this Biblical interpretation on its head. For example, author Erich von Däniken (Chariots of the Gods) suggests that perhaps humans were "seeded" by an alien race and what many believe are Gods are, instead, the parent alien race that created humanity on Earth.
