The sea serpent Leviathan is mentioned several times in the Old Testament of the Bible. Legends about this immense and powerful creature were based on earlier stories about Tiamat, a dragon defeated by the god Marduk in a Babylonian creation myth. A similar story later appeared among the ancient Canaanites, who claimed that the god Baal slaughtered a primitive seven-headed serpent named Lotan.
In the Bible, Leviathan roamed the sea, breathing fire and spewing smoke from its nostrils. The Book of Psalms describes how the Hebrew god Yahweh fought with the many-headed Leviathan and killed it during a battle against the waters of chaos. Yahweh then created the universe, day and night, and the four seasons. Biblical references to the end of time say that Leviathan’s flesh will be part of a feast served on Judgment Day.
What is Leviathan?
The story of Leviathan has been a source of curiosity among many Christians and non-believers alike, ever since the creature’s creation was recounted in the pages of the Bible. Leviathan is known to be a fearsome primordial being that ruled over all other creatures of the sea. There are several descriptions of the creature’s origins and intentions in history, although most would agree that Leviathan is dangerous and capable of terrifying destruction.
Origin of Leviathan
Leviathan is known to be an enormous sea monster that was one of the original creations of Yahweh (the Christian god). There were several other creatures of equal power that were created, but Leviathan was known to be the most dangerous of them all. There are many different theories about what inspired the stories of Leviathan, but most focus on demonstrating Yahweh’s almighty power.
It is also possible that Leviathan was adapted into Christianity as a way to facilitate the conversion of people from other cultures to Christianity. This is a popular theory due to ancient myths and legends from cultures that predate Christianity and tell of a powerful sea serpent that is defeated by a benevolent protective deity. This also leads some to wonder if the tale was inspired by a real creature that was interpreted differently in various religions and cultures.
Leviathan is created
Leviathan is believed to have been created as one of the first creatures and was one of three primordial beings who could wield great power on earth. Behemoth (a bull-like creature) was given dominion over the earth. Ziz (a dragon-like creature) was given dominion over the heavens. Finally, Leviathan took charge of all the seas, although the Mediterranean was to be his home.
The mighty Leviathan was believed to be the most powerful of these three creatures. This is possibly due to the dangers associated with the sea and possibly because Leviathan was known to be destructive, while Behemoth and Ziz were peaceful creatures. At first, there were supposed to be two Leviathans, a male and a female. They were made to keep each other company in the sea.
Over time, however, it became clear that both creatures could not be allowed to survive. This was supposedly because the Leviathan would take control (and possibly devour) the world if they were able to produce offspring. Alternative versions also say that it was only necessary to kill one of the Leviathans because it had been corrupted by an evil entity, causing it to lose its gentle nature and become a creature of great destructive power.
Yahweh kills the female Leviathan
To preserve the lives of his other creations, Yahweh descended to earth to destroy the female Leviathan. There was a great struggle between Yahweh and the female Leviathan due to her great strength. However, because Yahweh was all-powerful, he was eventually able to kill the female and save the rest of his creations from destruction. The male Leviathan is embittered by the loss of his mate and awaits the end of time when he will fight Yahweh.
After killing the female Leviathan, Yahweh used the skin of her corpse to create a beautiful canopy. The Leviathan is known to have one of the most beautiful skins of all Yahweh’s creatures, making this canopy especially exquisite. Beneath the canopy, a feast made from the flesh of the beast lies on a table. It is said that when the righteous are taken to Paradise in the rapture, they will sit with Yahweh under this canopy and feast on the flesh of both Leviathans and Behemoths.
Yahweh also used the remaining skin of the female Leviathan and used it to make “Garments of Light” for Adam and Eve. Although they had disobeyed Yahweh’s will by eating the forbidden fruit, Yahweh helped ensure their protection on earth by giving them these special garments.
The Threat of Leviathan
Many creation stories that refer to Leviathan say that Yahweh made the creature (along with Ziz and Behemoth) as a way to demonstrate his mighty power. By creating the most powerful creatures on earth, in the seas, and in the heavens, Yahweh showed his great power, which helped to humble the rest of his creations.
Leviathan, however, posed a special kind of problem for many primitive peoples. It was the only one of the three creatures known to have a destructive nature and was widely regarded as an evil being. In addition to being extremely dangerous, Leviathan was known to be impossible for man alone to defeat.
Legend tells us that the Leviathan was at least 300 miles long. The exact size of the creature was unknown because the Leviathan was too large to be understood by man. This powerful sea creature was known for having a hot temper that was feared by all and armored scales that made it impossible to kill the beast.
In fact, it is said that the Leviathan’s scales are one of the creature’s most impressive qualities. Many creation myths claim that the Leviathan had a double layer of armored scales that protected its flesh. These scales were so close together that not even air could pass through! Although these details tell us that the beast was powerful, they don’t give us much idea of what kind of animal the Leviathan might have been. Many theorize that the beast is probably a large serpent or dragon. Others believe that the Leviathan could have been a large whale.
Interestingly, the Leviathan not only has fearsome characteristics, but is also known for its strange beauty. The powerful sea beast is also known to have qualities that are fluorescent in nature. Its eyes are said to have a kind of dim light that is believed to intensify if the Leviathan’s head breaks the surface of the ocean. Its skin also has a beautiful glow, especially its fins, which are known to have what appear to be halos floating above them.
Special abilities
Perhaps the most terrifying thing about the Leviathan is that this creature is not necessarily evil, but rather enjoys chaos, especially among the creatures chosen by Yahweh. The Leviathan was a creature that terrified everyone because of its many abilities.
Leviathans were known to breathe fire. When the creature’s head broke the surface of the water, it was said that flames shot out of its mouth and nostrils. Flames also shot out of its eyes when it was above the surface. However, the monster’s heat abilities are not limited to this. The Leviathan was known to be able to boil the water around itself. This allowed it to kill its prey and, in general, terrify humans.
In addition, the beast was known to have extremely foul breath. Its smell was essentially poison, and any person or creature that encountered the monster’s breath would die. There are passages in ancient texts that suggest that the Leviathan would kill all living beings in Paradise if allowed to enter, just from the smell of its breath.
Possible connections to earlier mythology
Although many Christian scholars would argue that the story of Leviathan is true and that it was original to their religion, there are several earlier stories from other cultures that make this questionable. Due to the overlap of the following accounts, many have come to one of two conclusions.
The first conclusion is that Christians used the story of sea serpents being defeated by an all-powerful deity to help people from other cultures convert more easily to Christianity. This is a likely conclusion because there are many similarities between the stories. Furthermore, Christianity is known to have used this technique before to convert non-believers.
The second conclusion is that there was a sea creature that lived during the time of these ancient cultures that inspired these stories. While some theorize that the Leviathan was inspired by a creature that no longer exists on this earth, others believe that the monster may be an exaggeration of creatures that can be found today.
Hadad (Baal) vs. Lotan
Hadad (also known as Baal) was a storm god who served as a protector of society, similar to the way Zeus and Marduk were known to protect their people. Because the storm god was able to protect the people and the land by sending them rain to grow their crops, he was associated with being a benevolent deity.
Ba’al Hadad fighting Lotan
The serpent god, however, was viewed in the opposite manner. A seven-headed dragon creature named Lotan was known to lurk in the depths of the ocean and was seen as a threat to creation. However, as Hadad is known to have great powers, he is able to defeat the mighty Lotan.
After defeating his enemy, he is said to have used the creature’s body to create the world in which humans now live. Similar themes can be found in other versions of the fight against Leviathan in many cultures.
Marduk vs. Tiamat
The story of Tiamat’s fight with Marduk is an ancient story that was passed down through Babylonian mythology. The story tells of Tiamat, a powerful entity (one of the first created) who took the form of a fiery dragon monster. Alternative versions of the story claim that she was also the watery Chaos of the universe. Both versions have notable connections to the description of Leviathan.
Tiamat was known for sabotaging the work of young gods who were trying to create life. There were many attempts to create life separate from the gods, but Tiamat destroyed all of these new worlds. Finally, Marduk (a young god) was able to defeat the evil Tiamat in a terrible battle. When the battle was over, he used her corpse to create the heavens and the earth.
Zeus vs. Typhon
Greek mythology also mentions the all-powerful deity Zeus and his encounter with a terrible serpent beast called Typhon. In this version of the story, Typhon is created by Gaia (Mother Earth) when she joins forces with Tartarus (the underworld) to create a monster that was fearsome enough to kill Zeus and take his place.
Typhon was a terrible serpent creature known to have incredible powers. The beast was known to have a terrifying appearance that struck fear into the hearts of anyone (mortal or not) who saw it. Like Leviathan, Typhon was said to be able to spit jets of fire from his mouth.
Typhon and Zeus fight in a powerful battle, but the serpent beast is finally defeated when Zeus throws a giant mountain onto the beast, trapping it beneath the earth.
Thor vs. Jormungandr
In Norse mythology, Thor encounters a beast known as Jormungandr (also known as the Midgard Serpent) when Loki challenges him to three feats. In the second feat, Thor is challenged to lift a cat. No matter how hard he tries, he is unable to lift more than the cat’s paw and becomes frustrated. His frustration subsides when he realizes that the kitten is actually a snake large enough to encircle the entire world of Midgard (the middle world where humans live).
This description is very similar to that provided by Abraham Isaac Kook, leading some scholars to believe that the Midgard serpent could be another representation of Leviathan.
Thor and Jormungandr meet again several times. The last of these encounters is said to be the end of time, known as Ragnarök. During the battles of Ragnarök, Thor will finally be able to defeat the vile beast, although unlike other representations of Leviathan against a powerful deity, Thor also dies in this battle.
Leviathan in different religions
The Leviathan is portrayed in several religions and is known in all of them for its mystery and intrigue. The powerful beast is typically mentioned only a few times in each text, probably so that followers of these religions are able to understand its power but not confuse its power with that of Yahweh. Although Leviathan is commonly recognized as a Christian monster, it may also be referenced in Judaism and Satanism.
Leviathan in Christianity
In Christianity, Leviathan is known as a powerful beast that was created by Yahweh to show his great power over all living things. However, this was not always the case. It seems that early Christianity may have referred to Leviathan as an evil entity (almost equivalent to a god). This powerful entity could only be conquered by the mighty Yahweh.
From this point on, Leviathan became a demonic beast that could only be conquered by Yahweh. Although this beast was terrifying, it was not as powerful as an entity or a demon would be, and it was easily tamed and defeated by Yahweh.
It is partly due to the changes in the Leviathan narrative that many people believe Leviathan was adapted from other religions or cultural mythology. It is believed that Leviathan would have remained the same throughout the Christian storytelling tradition if it were a legend that originated in their religion.
However, Leviathan has also taken on other meanings through the Christian religion. It is thought that the creature may also be one of the seven deadly sins. Those who follow this interpretation believe that Leviathan is the demon of envy. There are also those who go a step further and claim that Leviathan is an alternative image for Satan himself.
Leviathan in Judaism
Judaism offers even more information about Leviathan and its origin. There are some conflicting tales (which may be due to differences in translation) that speak of Leviathan.
One of the earliest references to Leviathan tells us that the creature is a female dragon that lives in the depths of the ocean (sometimes called the watery abyss). This beast will be served at the end of time and will be feasted upon by the righteous.
Other versions of this creature claim that the beast is male. Like Christianity, this version tells us that there was once a male and female Leviathan, but the female was killed to prevent the two from creating offspring and devouring the earth. It is believed that the flesh of the female Leviathan was given in part to the Hebrews as food in the desert.
Jewish texts also give us some insight into the biology of the beast. Apparently, the creature eats a whale every day to sustain itself. In fact, the whale that swallowed Jonah narrowly escaped being swallowed by the Leviathan. The most interesting information, however, concerns the fears of the mighty beast. Although many texts claim that Leviathan could not be killed by anyone other than Yahweh, Jewish texts tell us that the mighty creature’s only fear was the kilbit.
The kilbit was a type of worm that was capable of killing large fish by clinging to their gills. This suggests that Leviathan was vulnerable to attack—although undoubtedly if the beast were killed in this way it would be by the will of Yahweh.
Finally, a scholar named Abraham Isaac Kook describes Leviathan as a unique creature, “its tail placed in its mouth, twisting around and surrounding the world.” It is believed to be a representation of the world’s systems. Leviathan’s circular nature indicates the balance that can be found in Yahweh’s creation.
Leviathan in Satanism
It is also mentioned in the Satanic Bible. In these texts, it suggests that Leviathan is associated with the element of water (being the ruler of the seas) and the western directions. The powerful beast is also believed to be one of the 4 Crowned Princes of Hell, a powerful and respected position.
Interestingly, Leviathan is also commonly associated with Baphomet (a deity supposedly worshipped by the Knights Templar). It is shown in the Satanic Bible that each of the points on the Seal of Baphomet was a representation of Leviathan.
The Mouth of Hell
Over time, Leviathan became associated with the creature known as “The Mouth of Hell.” It is believed that the Mouth of Hell was the mouth of the fearsome beast that was supposed to rise during the end times. It is believed that the damned and the unbelievers will disappear into the Mouth of Hell during the final judgment.
Those who believe that Leviathan is associated with this creature claim that after the damned have disappeared into its mouth, Yahweh will descend upon the earth to have a final battle with Leviathan. After this battle, his flesh will be served to the righteous.
The origin of the myth
There are many explanations for the myth of Leviathan. The creature is known by many names in many cultures and has inspired much fear due to its great power.
Adaptation from other cultures
It is no secret that Christianity had a habit of adapting myths from other cultures into its religion. It is believed that this was done to make the process of conversion to Christianity easier for non-believers. There are many myths that reflect the same theme and format that can be found in other cultures. One of these myths originates from the Babylonians, who are known for having worshipped pagan gods that were not accepted by Christians.
