Did Mermaids Really Exist? What Ancient Jewish Sources and Modern Science Reveal

You may have come across photographs of “mermaids” in the past. These images are actually hoaxes, created by sewing together the preserved body parts of monkeys and fish. The first person known to do this traveled for many years with these fabricated creatures, displaying them in a traveling circus.

But even without such hoaxes, belief in mermaids was widespread in ancient times. Many sailors claimed to have seen them, and it is likely that in numerous cases they had actually spotted manatees or dugongs from a distance — or partially submerged beneath the water. Because of their unusual appearance, sailors may have mistaken them for human-like creatures with fish tails.

For centuries, people learned about distant lands and animals through travelers’ stories and sailors’ reports. Exotic animals from Africa, for example, were often described in bizarre and exaggerated ways. The rhinoceros was once portrayed as a beast covered in iron armor. Even the most educated scholars of earlier generations relied on such secondhand accounts, since they were often the only available source of information about the wider world.

What Do the Sages Say About Mermaids?

Interestingly, the Talmud never explicitly mentions "mermaids."

The primary source often cited in this discussion concerns dolphins. In the Talmud (Tractate Bekhorot 8a), the Sages state: "Dolphins reproduce like human beings."

The passage continues: "What are dolphins? Rav Yehudah said: 'Bnei Yama' (people of the sea)."

Many commentators interpreted this passage as referring to mermaid-like creatures. Among them were Rashi, the Tosafot, and the Chida. However, they did not describe intelligent, speaking beings with human souls. Rather, they understood them as marine animals whose external appearance resembled a combination of human and fish.

Other commentators took a more straightforward approach and argued that the Sages were simply referring to the dolphins we know today and their manner of reproduction.

For example, Rabbi Benjamin Mussafia, in his work Mussaf HaAruch, explains: "They give birth to their young and nurse them with breasts; this is why they are said to reproduce like human beings."

A similar explanation was offered by Rabbi Yaakov Emden (the Yaavetz) and appears in the Yalkut Shimoni.

Human-Like Creatures in Rabbinic Literature

Elsewhere, the Sages mention a land creature called Adnei HaSadeh ("the lord of the field"), described as having a human-like appearance (Mishnah Kilayim 8:5).

The natural world contains many unusual creatures, some of which bear a partial resemblance to humans. Examples include:

• Proboscis monkeys

• Orangutans

• Various species of apes

It is therefore possible that marine animals could also possess certain human-like features, just as some land animals do.

Even those commentators who wrote about mermaid-like beings did not portray them as intelligent, speaking humans. They viewed them simply as another category of creature within nature.

Some traditions attributed singing abilities to them, but this would not be remarkable in itself, since many birds also sing.

Thus, even according to Rashi, Tosafot, and the Chida, there is no indication that they envisioned fully human beings living in the sea. Rather, they referred to marine creatures that resembled humans in certain physical respects.

"Everything on Land Has Its Counterpart in the Sea"

The Sages make another intriguing statement in Tractate Hullin (127a): "Whatever exists on land also exists in the sea."

Based on this principle, some have suggested that a marine creature resembling a human form could potentially exist, just as there are land animals that bear similarities to humans.

Indeed, scientists have already discovered several species of fish whose facial structures can appear surprisingly human-like.

How Much of the Ocean Do We Really Know?

The truth is that our knowledge of life in the world's oceans remains incomplete.

The vast depths of the oceans still contain many mysteries. Even enormous creatures such as the colossal squid — whose existence was long suspected and is now scientifically confirmed, remain rarely observed despite reaching estimated lengths of up to 14 meters (46 feet).

Given how little of the deep ocean has been thoroughly explored, it is impossible to claim that every marine species has already been discovered.

Would Discovering a Mermaid-Like Creature Change Science?

Even if scientists were to discover a marine creature with a vaguely human appearance, it would not revolutionize biology.

After all, the natural world already contains countless examples of species that resemble one another in various ways. Human-like traits appear in many primates and other animals without implying that they are human beings.

From a Torah perspective, the distinction remains clear. Scripture states regarding humanity: "And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7).

According to the Torah, human beings alone were granted a divine soul.

Therefore, even if nature contains creatures that resemble humans — or even something resembling the popular image of a mermaid — they would still be animals rather than human beings in the spiritual sense.