Why Ancient Texts Referred to Gentiles as "Dogs" and "Wolves" In modern culture, calling someone an animal is seen as a slur, but in the ancient world, it was a common theological shorthand. Christopher Enoch unpacks the uncomfortable symbolism found in first-century Jewish texts, including the Book of Enoch. In the Jewish mindset of that era, Gentiles were often symbolically represented by "unclean" animals to denote their separation from the Covenant. While this sounds harsh to modern ears, un