Britannica classifies the Leviathan as a sea serpent that represents Israel’s enemies and the Behemoth as a powerful hippopotamus. But what are they really? Do they have a deeper meaning? Or are they simply animals that walked the earth? Both of these creatures appear in the book of Job. The Leviathan is also found in other places throughout the Bible in Psalm, Revelation, Isaiah and even sources of mythology. However, the Behemoth is only found in Job 40:14-24. These creatures have puzzled Christians for a number of years, and due to their air of mystery, a lot of self-interpretation goes along with these creatures. Needless to say, there are many possible theories surrounding these creatures of mystery. In order to come to a more solid conclusion, we will be shedding some light on a few of these possible explanations, including what each creature is and its role in the book of Job. Finally, based on our research, we will give our personal thoughts on what we feel is the most accurate theory.
The first theory surrounding the Behemoth and Leviathan is that they are actual creatures that walk (or walked) the earth. Wilson suggests that when the Bible mentions them and talks about how large they are that it is simply the author making them more colorful due to a lack of true knowledge about them (3). The name Behemoth is the “plural of majesty” of the ordinary word for animal, or in other words, an animal of excellence. The most common animal that the Behemoth is attributed to is the hippopotamus. There is a focus on the strength of the loins and belly, which is true of the common hippo. Some scholars believe that the section about the “tail of cedar” is a major downfall for the hippo theory, since hippos have a very small tail. H...
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...n J. Allen. Vol. 4. Nashville: Broadman, 1971. 145-49. Print.
Life Application Study Bible. NIV ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Print.
26 Mar. 2012.
"Leviathan." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2012. .
The New Interpreter's Bible. Vol. 4. Nashville: Abingdon, 1996. Print.
Smick, Elmer B. "Another Look At The Mythological Elements In The Book Of Job." Westminster Theological Journal 40.2 (1978): 213-228.
Walton, John H., ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009: 296-302. Print.
Wilson, Kinnier, J V. "Return To The Problems Of Behemoth And Leviathan." Vetus Testamentum 25.1 (1975): 1-14. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials. Web
Joines, Karen Randolph. Serpent Symbolism in the Old Testament: A Linguistic, Archaeological, and Literary Study. Haddonfield, NJ: Haddonfield House, 1974. Print.
In Chapter 69, the narrator vividly describes the image of a recently captured, decapitated sperm whale bleakly floating about near the Pequod while sharks and birds feast upon its dead remains. Despite the degrading imagery of, “the air above vexed with rapacious flights of screaming fowls, whose beaks are like so many insulting poniards in the whale,” the whale has still, “not perceptibly lost anything in bulk...it is still colossal,” (257). In the spite of its crude carcass, there is still human wonderment in regards to the indisputable massivity of the whale. However, the whale is not considered to be enormous just because of its literal size, but also because of the long-lasting effect its dead body will have on future ship encounters. It is the duty of a ship captain to avoid steering a ship into dangerous territory--the most common of which would be large rocks near the shore. In the lines, “...the whale’s unharming corpse, with trembling fingers is set down in the log-- shoals, rocks, and breakers hereabouts: beware!”, (257), the sperm whale’s carcass is often mistaken for rocks and, so, it necessarily follows that, “for years afterwards, perhaps, ships shun the place; leaping over it as silly sheep leap over a vacuum…” (257). The paragraph continues with the lines, “there’s your law of precedents; there’s your utility of traditions; there’s the story of your obstinate survival of old beliefs never bottomed on the earth…” (257), which reinforce the idea that since the sperm whale is already seen as being frightening and mysterious, its dead body ensues the same kinds of paranoid, uneasy thoughts. So, although
The Leviathan was a work of literature that contributed to society in many ways. It had more negatives than positives. But it is still remembered as a very important work of literature in western civilization. Thomas Hobbes wrote this as a radical description on how he believes society should be run.
Mercatante, Anthony S., and James R. Dow. The Facts on File Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend. New York, NY: Facts on File, 2004. 816. Print.
Throughout several myths, monsters are described as many diverse creatures. At first glance, they all seem very distinctive. However, each monster is like a combination of several qualities and characteristics that are matched in different ways to form the monsters that appear in myths such as Hercules, Bellerophon, and Perseus. All monsters have very distinct looks that make them inferior to humans. Generally, they are a mixture of two or more different animals such as snakes, lions, or humans and they may have multiple heads. For example, Cerberus was a horrific three-headed dog that had the tail of a dragon and his back was covered with snakes. Several monsters have some part of them from a snake. Snakes symbolize an evil quality and that is why many monsters are forms of them. Cerberus had his whole back covered in snakes and a dragon tail. Both of these are snake-like parts that contribute to Cerberus looking terrifying. His tail is from a dragon which is very similar to a snake and his back is filled with snakes like fur. The Hydra of Lerna is also an im...
There are three prominent monsters in the Beowulf text, Grendel, his mother, and the dragon. While the dragon proves to be the most fatale of foes for Beowulf, Grendel and his mother do not simply pose physical threats to the Germanic society; their roles in Beowulf are manifold. They challenge the perceptions of heroism, a sense of unrivalled perfection and superiority. Moreover, they allow the reader to reconsider the gender constructs upheld within the text; one cannot help but feel that the threat that these monsters present is directed towards the prevalent flaws in Beowulf’s world. Moreover, what makes these monsters is not their physical appearance; it is what they embody. Both Grendel and his mother have humanlike qualities yet their monstrous appearance arises from what their features and mannerisms represent. The challenge they pose to societal paradigms makes them far more terrifying to our heroes than any scaled flesh or clawing hand. These monsters provide the ‘most authoritative general criticism […] of the structure and conduct of the poem’. Their presence provides contrast and criticism of the brave society (Heaney 103).
The word myth derives from the Greek mythos, which has a range of meanings from "word," through "saying" and "story," to "fiction"; the unquestioned validity of mythos can be contrasted with logos, the word whose validity or truth can be argued and demonstrated. Because myths narrate fantastic events with no attempt at proof, it is sometimes assumed that they are simply stories with no factual basis, and the word has become a synonym for falsehood or, at best, misconception. In the study of religion, however, it is important to distinguish between myths and stories that are merely untrue. The term mythology denotes both the study of myth and the body of myths belonging to a particular religious tradition. The first part of this article discusses the nature, study, functions, cultural impact, and types of myth, taking into account the various approaches to the subject offered by modern branches of knowledge. In the second part, the specialized topic of the role of animals and plants in myth is examined in some detail. Some say that in Ancient Greece, Greek myths evolved over many years like history, passed down for generations. They were stories of human kings and heroes with supernatural powers, or various prayers and rituals for specific gods. The Greeks believed their gods were a lot like humans. They believed their gods were able to have children, feelings, and live their lives the way humans did every day. However, each god had a specific duty. They each were in charge of a different aspect of life. Aphrodite was placed in charge of love, beauty, marriage, and vegetation. Many temples were built in honor of her and other gods, and each city was usually a patron to a particular god. Ceremonies were performed for the worship of the gods, and the people of the towns distributed gifts to shrines. Aphrodite had many statues carved in worship of her.
Every ancient society and civilization has creation myths that were passed down and keep alive throughout the passing of time by word of mouth. These myths are the world’s oldest stories and are vital to these cultures because they explain their beginnings and give purpose to their existence. By analyzing and interpreting different creation myths it becomes easier to understand different cultures and their connections and relationships with heir beliefs and god(s).
Satan first appears in the Hebrew Bible as not evil but a dissenter to God. On the contrary he also appears as one of God's servants in the book of Numbers and in Job. In the Hebrew Bible, the angels were also called "'sons of God'." Pagel states in her essay that Hebrew term the satan describes am adversarial role. In the early sixth century Hebrew story tellers introduced supernatural character, satan, as one...
Beowulf outlines turmoil between three opponents: Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the Dragon. These separate discords each serve to fulfill different metaphoric purposes. Grendel’s character epitomizes the adverse persona of how an Anglo-Saxon warrior should not be. His mother represents everything that a woman during the time era should seldom be. Lastly, the Dragon embodies all the values that an Anglo-Saxon king should not dare retain. Without a doubt, the symbolic implications of the monsters in Beowulf bring the context to a new level of understanding.
The monsters in Beowulf are portrayed as the harbingers of death, despair, and destruction. The crimes in which they commit against human-kind are so grotesque, so evil, that it seems inconceivable that such creatures could exist. But these monsters are not just mere figments of the imagination. Rather they are the inverted ideals of Germanic societal values and reflections of human immorality. While the envious, fratricidal Grendel and the greedy dragon are inverted ideals of Germanic warriors and kings, Grendel’s mother is an inverted ideal woman. In a society where a woman’s role is to serve her husband by being a gracious and hospitable hostess that establishes peace between men, exemplified by the figures of Wealhtheow and Hygd, Grendel’s mother defies such gender roles. Grendel’s mother is an unmarried outcast who embodies inhospitality, tempestuousness, and
The Model Hippopotamus is small and three dimensional, it can fit in a person’s hands. Small objects and artifacts were popular during the Middle Kingdom. Although, the hippopotamus is small, it does not take away from the viewpoint. One can see the Model Hippopotamus
Flood stories have been a common thread in many religions across the globe. One of the stories we are most familiar with in our culture, the story of Noah’s Ark, is a well-known segment of the old testament, and an interesting story of how God punished the world for how corrupt it had become. God accomplished this by flooding the world, and annihilating all the creatures upon it, save for Noah and his family and a pair of each type of creature on the earth . This story, however, has roots deep in the past, some of which have only come to light with the development of new archeological techniques and technology. As more and more is found out about the era from when this story originates, discoveries are made as to the origin of the story, what tale it was based upon, and as to the authenticity that such an event may have actually even occurred, if on a somewhat smaller scale. Based on the information available at the present time, one can make fairly confident inferences as to the root of this story. One could argue that the story of Noah’s Ark was based on the Epic of Gilgamesh, and that in turn was based on older stories that were based on a real flood of the Black Sea.
Myths organize the way we perceive and understand our reality. Myths grant stability to a culture, and in this respect; serve to explain the unexplainable. From Barbra Sproul’s perspective, creation myths reveal basic religious concerns pertaining to how the universe was formed, and how people or societies are fashioned. Myths speak of the transcendent and unknowable aspects in a drama that attempt to reveal and give reason to human existence and where man stands in the cosmos. Through myth, the dimensions of space, nature and time are expressed in symbolisms that show how the holy can be experienced or conveyed if understood properly.
The Nephilim are usually known as the giants and offspring of spiritual beings with humans. They are primarily described in Genesis from the Bible and have been misunderstood and misinterpreted over the years. Theologians, scientists, and Christians have come up with various theories on who the Nephilim really are and where they came from. Due to these distinct beliefs over this controversial topic, religions all over the world including, different cultural backgrounds such as Greek mythology, have taken the Nephilim and adapted their understanding and interpretation of the scripture of the Nephilim’s identity to their own doctrines. Understanding who the Nephilim really were can help one comprehend more about the Creation, God, and the spiritual world surrounding us.