BY B. J. OROPEZA

Leviathan is an extraordinary creature that we read about in the Book of Job 41. Is this a fire-breathing dragon, a mythological monster, a poetic description of a natural creature, or something else? What do biblical texts and other ancient traditions say about this beast?

Job and Leviathan

Towards the end of the book of Job, God appears to Job and relays a set of questions to him that exemplify the mysteries of God’s creation and his extraordinary power over it.

God speaks about Leviathan at length, which suggests that this beast to be the mightiest of earthly creatures. The fearsome beast breathes out fire and smoke (Job 41:18–21), has impressive teeth and scales and, among other things, it can easily break iron and bronze. Human weapons are useless against it (41:7–8, 14–17, 25–29). No human is able to capture or tame this wild monster.

In relation to Job’s complaint over his suffering, as John Day affirms, “The point of God’s argument seems to be that since Job cannot overcome Leviathan, how much less can he hope to overcome in argument the God who defeated him. Accordingly, Job repents in dust and ashes (Job 42:1–6)” (“Leviathan,” Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 4:296).

A straight-forward reading of this text might suggest Leviathan is a gigantic fire-breathing dragon resembling those of ancient legends and folklore. Indeed, the Septuagint version of Job replaces “Leviathan” with “dragon” in the Greek (drakōn: LXX Job 40:20 [English tr. 41:1]; Isa 27:1).

Leviathan comes from the Hebrew consonants lwytn, which may be derived from the Aramaic lwy meaning “to twist” or “coil” as though a serpent. Or it may originate from the Ugaritic ltn that stands for the Lotan (or Litanu) monster. In ancient Ugaritic mythology, we have the god Baal and his consort Anat battling against Yamm (the sea god), choking out Tannin (or Tunnam, a dragon), and smiting Lotan, a seven-headed twisted monster.*

These mythological gods seem to creep over into poetic and prophetic biblical texts.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/inchrist/2023/06/is-leviathan-a-fire-breathing-dragon-or-a-gourmet-meal/