What is the Leviathan? It is one of the great mysteries of the Bible.
Personally, I think the mystery is somewhat solved. It was a multi-headed serpent that many people of the ancient near-east believed inhabited the ocean. One theory posits that the Litany River of Beirut was believed to have been the home of such a creature. Hence, the name similarities.
The Leviathan's presence in the Bible may have been the result of cultural borrowing. This shouldn't be offensive at all as large, mysterious sea creatures is a fairly common myth around the world. Examples could include the Midgard serpent which Thor tames or even the Loch Ness monster. A stretch example could be Apeph of Egyptian mythology, which is a large serpent which seeks the sun-boat of Ra. I say it's a 'stretch', as Apeph's battleground is the sky, not the sea.
As for the Bible, the Leviathan is described most clearly in the Book of Job. It is described as a natural creature with a double coat of armor. (Job 41:13). It has a mouth full of fearsome teeth and its back has rows of shields. (v. 14-15). It has flesh folds which are tightly joined and immovable. (v.23)
Despite a description of its natural "flesh", nothing like this exists in the natural world. For those thinking that this describes a natural creature, the book of Job describes something that is beyond this world. Here's what it describes in v. 18-21:
It snorts throw out flashes of light. Flames stream from its mouth and sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from its nostrils and its breath sets coals ablaze.
We can also add Psalms 74:14, which adds that the Leviathan has multiple heads.
If people want to say that the Leviathan was (or is) a natural creature, they must account for this extra language.
Again, speaking personally, I think it fine to think of the creature as something metaphorical, or at least out of this world. There is no theological harm to admit that this creature may have been culturally borrowed. In fact, this human fingerprint speaks of something divinely beautiful.
After describing the creature in natural-supernatural terms, it is God that has the ability to tame it.
I would say that the Leviathan represents the universal fear of the unknown. The fear of the dark. The terrifying sense of losing sight of land while on a small sail boat.
It is God that slays and tames it.
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