The Bible does not mention rats by the specific English word rat very often in most translations, but it does mention mice and rodents in contexts related to unclean animals, plagues, and offerings. In the Old Testament, Leviticus 11:29 lists creeping things that are unclean, including the mouse or rat depending on translation, stating that certain small animals that swarm are unclean and should not be eaten. In 1 Samuel 6, after the Philistines captured the Ark of the Covenant and were struck with tumors, they made golden images of their tumors and golden mice or rats as a guilt offering to the God of Israel to atone and stop the plague, suggesting rodents were associated with disease outbreaks. In Isaiah 66:17, there is a condemnation of people who eat swine's flesh, the abomination, and the mouse, again grouping rodents as unclean foods forbidden under Mosaic law. Some translations also mention rats in the context of plagues. Generally, the biblical view in the Old Testament law classifies rats and mice as unclean animals not to be eaten, and they appear as symbols of pestilence and judgment. The New Testament does not focus on rats specifically. Interpretations vary by translation, as Hebrew words for small rodents can be translated as mouse, rat, or mole.
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