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Ignatius
Guest
A Leviathan is a whale.
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juliamajor
Guest
Leviathan is term whalers used. It’s also a modern term. Ancient peoples would have been more familiar with water creatures that live closer to the shore and more accessible to fuel their nightmares and imagination.
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Mintaka
Guest
“Leviathan” actually means something like “wriggling serpent,” although as noted by other commenters, we’re talking a giant wriggling serpent with some croc-o-gator and fish features. (Rabbinically, he’s a kosher fish.)
However, the critter is always referred to as singular. There’s no herds of leviathans, Mrs. Leviathan, or Baby Leviathan. So it’s not a normal critter, but a monster. We also know that Isaiah says God will kill Leviathan “on that day” at the end of time, so again it’s never been a normal critter.
Re: Wikipedia, Jewish rabbinical legend has it that a Mrs. Leviathan was created, but God killed her and salted her away lest the Leviathan couple be fruitful and multiply. And when I say “salted her away,” I mean that Jewish legend also says she’s the salted fish half of the fish course on the menu at the Messianic banquet, when all the world’s righteous will dine together at the Messiah’s coming.
(The other half of the fish course will be fresh Mr. Leviathan, and the tent where it takes place will be made out of Mr. Leviathan’s scaly fishskin. This “tent” is actually mentioned in some of the Jewish prayers for Sukkoth, the Feast of Booths. Sadly, this belief probably didn’t exist yet in Peter’s time; but it would be funny if he was mentally trying to plan the upcoming Leviathan fishing trip during the Transfiguration.)
All in all, it does seem like Leviathan was originally pictured as just some weird natural sea monster, but that Isaiah pictured it more as one of the demons that God would defeat at the end of time. God doesn’t pencil in on his dayplanner, “Kill the Megalotherium of Ichthys IV so that I can have extra food at the wedding feast of the Lamb.” It’s about the final defeat of the enemies of Jesus’ Bride, at the end of time.
And they weren’t wrong about there being a banquet for the Messiah with two fish. But it had already happened, He served it Himself, and they were multiplied.
However, the critter is always referred to as singular. There’s no herds of leviathans, Mrs. Leviathan, or Baby Leviathan. So it’s not a normal critter, but a monster. We also know that Isaiah says God will kill Leviathan “on that day” at the end of time, so again it’s never been a normal critter.
Re: Wikipedia, Jewish rabbinical legend has it that a Mrs. Leviathan was created, but God killed her and salted her away lest the Leviathan couple be fruitful and multiply. And when I say “salted her away,” I mean that Jewish legend also says she’s the salted fish half of the fish course on the menu at the Messianic banquet, when all the world’s righteous will dine together at the Messiah’s coming.
(The other half of the fish course will be fresh Mr. Leviathan, and the tent where it takes place will be made out of Mr. Leviathan’s scaly fishskin. This “tent” is actually mentioned in some of the Jewish prayers for Sukkoth, the Feast of Booths. Sadly, this belief probably didn’t exist yet in Peter’s time; but it would be funny if he was mentally trying to plan the upcoming Leviathan fishing trip during the Transfiguration.)
All in all, it does seem like Leviathan was originally pictured as just some weird natural sea monster, but that Isaiah pictured it more as one of the demons that God would defeat at the end of time. God doesn’t pencil in on his dayplanner, “Kill the Megalotherium of Ichthys IV so that I can have extra food at the wedding feast of the Lamb.” It’s about the final defeat of the enemies of Jesus’ Bride, at the end of time.
And they weren’t wrong about there being a banquet for the Messiah with two fish. But it had already happened, He served it Himself, and they were multiplied.
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mikekle
Guest
I believe what we call dragons, probably did exist at some point in history. there is no other animal that I know that can spit fire! I also believe it was some type of dinosaur, and it probably existed alongside mankind for awhile.
It cant be Satan, as he is pure spirit, they dont have an actual form.
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mikekle
Guest
Since when do whales breathe fire? Whales also do not have necks.
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Faith1960
Guest
Good to know.
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friardchips
Guest
How do you know, after all, just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there?!
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Mintaka
Guest
The idea that Western dragons had legs, instead of them just being giant serpents (with or without wings), is a very late one. Pretty late medieval, in fact.
That’s also why Scythian cavalry, Roman cavalry, and most medieval cavalry “dragon banners” were usually just giant windsocks with whistle or bullroarer noisemakers in the dragon banner “mouth.” Giant serpents don’t need legs, and a giant windsock is much more fun to gallop along with.
The big exception is the Saxon red dragon banner of England, which had front legs and wings and a curly tail (as seen on the Bayeux Tapestry). Some argue that it’s really a wyvern (some of which started to have four legs).
That’s also why Scythian cavalry, Roman cavalry, and most medieval cavalry “dragon banners” were usually just giant windsocks with whistle or bullroarer noisemakers in the dragon banner “mouth.” Giant serpents don’t need legs, and a giant windsock is much more fun to gallop along with.
The big exception is the Saxon red dragon banner of England, which had front legs and wings and a curly tail (as seen on the Bayeux Tapestry). Some argue that it’s really a wyvern (some of which started to have four legs).
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Ignatius
Guest
Thank you Julia.
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Thorolfr
Guest
Herman Melville used the descriptions of Leviathan from the Book of Job in his novel Moby Dick.
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