Leviathan

LEVIATHAN. This Word is often to be met with in the Scripture, and the Fathers understand it generally in a moral Sense of the Devil, who is the Enemy of Mankind, the Serpent. The Jews maintain, that upon the fifth Day of the Creation, God created 2 Esdras vi. 47, 48, 49, 50, 51.two Animals; the one called Enoch, the other Leviathan. Enoch was placed upon the Earth in Order to live there, and God gave him the Grass of a Thousand Mountains to feed upon. Leviathan was left in the Water wherein he had been created, and will continue till the Day of Judgment, at which Time he will be killed, and served up at Table, as Part of an Entertainment provided for the Elect. The Word Leviathan, according to the Etymology of it, signifies a large Fish, or Sea Monster. Leviath may signify what is joined, fastened, or tied together; and Than, a great Fish; as if we לויתןLeviathan.should say, the great Fish covered with Scales, stuck close one upon another. The Job xl. 20, 21. xli. 1, 2, &c. כלביתChalbith.Crocodile we know is very long and large, and has Scales so strong, and so thick, that the Darts of Huntsmen and the Fishermens Hook cannot penetrate them. In our Opinion therefore Leviathan signifies a Crocodile.

Job gives us an admirable Description of the Leviathan, in xl. and xli. Chapters of his Book, and therein says nothing but what may be very naturally explained of the Crocodile. Others interpret it of the Whale, or what the French call the Mulart, which is a very large Fish to be met with in the Mediterranean: Others by the Name of Leviathan, understand in general all large Fish and Sea Monsters. Many of the Ancients have interpreted it allegorically of the Devil. Bochart¹ shews at large, that it is the Crocodile. He proves it by a Place out of the Talmud, in the Treatise upon the Sabbath, where it is said, that the Calbit, or Sea Dog, is the Terror of the Leviathan: He pretends that this Calbit is the Fish called Ichneumon, which darts itself into the Crocodile’s Mouth, gnaws its Intrails, and never goes any other Way out of its Belly, than through the Hole which it makes by gnawing so continually.

Job speaks of the Leviathan in the Manner following, Canst thou draw out Leviathan with an Hook, or his Tongue with a Cord which thou lettest down? Is the Crocodile one of those Fish which is to be caught with an Hook, and fastened by the Tongue, or strung through the Mouth and Gills, in Order to be carried up and down as one pleases? He does not ask this as if there were Danger in doing so, but as if it were a Thing very impossible, which no one could attempt without great Temerity. Herodotus² relates a Way of taking the Crocodile with an Hook; but this probably was not invented in the Time of Job. This Historian says, that it was their Way to throw a Piece of Hog’s Flesh, together with a large strong Hook, into the Midst of the Nile. The Fishermen stood upon the Shore, where they made a young sucking Pig cry. Hereupon the Crocodile immediately came forward, and swallowed the Hog’s Flesh with the Hook; the Fishermen immediately drew it on Shore, threw Mud into its Eyes, which are very small in Proportion to the rest of the Body, and then killed it.

Canst thou put a Hook through his Nose, or bore his Jaws through with a Thorn? As they did Beasts of Service, such as Camels and Buffles, which were guided in this Manner, and trained as they please. Is the Crocodile one of those gentle and tractable Animals? See Isai. xxxvii. 29. where he speaks of piercing in this Manner the Muzzles of Beasts of Burden. I will put my Hook in thy Nose, and my Bridle in thy Mouth. The Hebrew of Job may be otherwise interpreted: Wilt thou put Light into his Nostrils, or pierce his Jaw with a Thorn? As those small Fish which are carried to Market, strung together in this Manner. Shall the Companions make a Banquet of him? Shall they part him among the Merchants? Or as others will have it, Shall the Inchanters cut him up, and the Canaanites divide him in Pieces for Sale? Shall they charm him like a Serpent, and cause him to burst with their Inchantments?

Lay thine Hand upon him, remember the Battle, and talk no more; or according to the Hebrew, Lay thine Hand upon him and never think of the Battle: Behold, the Hope of him is in vain, shall not one be cast down even at the Sight of him? The Crocodile is a very dreadful Creature; the hardiest Warrior will not dare so much as to appear before him. They tell³ of one Artemidorus, that lighting by Chance upon a Crocodile while he was sleeping on the Sands, he was so scared, that he instantly lost both his Understanding and Memory. Cnemon in Heliodorus⁴ was in very great Disorder at the Sight of a Crocodile, which he had only a Glimpse of, and saw rather the Shadow than the Body of it. Job continues, None is so fierce that dare stir him up. It would be very great Rashness to attempt it. None but the Tentyrians are capable of being so hardy; the Inhabitants of Tentyrus destroyed Crocodiles wherever they could find them.

But we have here a more particular Description of this Animal. Who can discover the Face of his Garment, or who can come to him with his double Bridle? The Crocodile sleeps in the Day Time on the Sand, with his Mouth open; but notwithstanding his being asleep, who will dare so much as to approach him? His Body is like Shields of cast Brass: It is covered with Scales press’d close one upon another. The Crocodile is one of the largest River Fish we know of; there have been some seen five and twenty or thirty Foot in Length: The Skin of its Back is so hard, that there is no piercing it with Iron. Under the Belly it is tender, and this is the only Place wherein it is to be wounded. Who shall open the Entrance of his Jaws? Terror dwells about his Teeth. The Head of this Animal is oblong, and the Mouth of it extremely large. It has six and thirty very solid, sharp Teeth belonging to its upper Jaw, and as many to the lower. His Teeth fall in one with another like the Teeth of a Saw. When he opens his Mouth, the Opening is so wide, that he could swallow a Man, or even an Heifer intire. His Head is oblong, and slit almost as far as his Ears. There have been some seen in the Indies of such a Size, that a Man of tall Stature might stand upright between his Jaws. They are said to stir none but the upper Jaw, whereas other Animals move the lower only. But this is not confirmed by any late Observations.

By his Weesings a Light doth shine, and his Eyes are like the Eyelids of the Morning. But of his Mouth go burning Lamps, and Sparks of Fire leap out. Out of his Nostrils goeth Smoak, as out of a seething Pot or Cauldron: His Breath kindleth Coals, and a Flame goeth out of his Mouth. This poetical Description admirably expresses the Vivacity of the Crocodile’s Eyes, when he springs out of the Water, and the Rapidity wherewith he pursues his Prey, and the Rapaciousness with which he devours it. Strength is in his Neck, and Famine walketh before him. The Crocodile is in Shape almost like a Lizard. His Strength consists principally in his Neck and Head. He ravages every Thing in the Places where he is found; he kills Animals of all Kinds, and lays waste the Fields; which cannot be expressed better than by saying, that Famine walketh before him.

The Flakes of his Flesh are joined together, they are firm in themselves, they cannot be moved. His Body is all Nerve and Muscle, it is in some Sort impenetrable and invulnerable. His Heart is as firm as a Stone, yea as hard as a Piece of the nether Millstone. These Expressions describe in a lively Manner the Strength, Courage, and Intrepidity of the Crocodile. Nothing frightens him. If any one attacks him, neither Swords, Darts, nor Breast-plates can stand before him. Travellers agree, that the Crocodile’s Skin is Proof against Swords, Darts, Arrows, and Fire-arms; if any would pierce him, he must take him under the Belly. He esteemeth Iron as Straw, and Brass as rotten Wood. The Arrows cannot make him flee; Slingers are turned with him into Stubble.

He maketh the Deep to boil like a Pot: He maketh the Sea like a Pot of Ointment.

In the Oriental Style, great Rivers and Lakes are sometimes called Seas. There are Crocodiles not only in the Nile, but in Lakes too. Those of the Lake Mæris were adored in Egypt; they carefully prepared Provision for them to eat, they put rich Pendants in their Ears, and costly Bracelets on their Feet. When the Crocodile stirs himself with Impetuosity, or casts up Water through his Mouth, he makes the Lake or River he is in, boyl like a Cauldron of boiling Oil; the Odour which he leaves behind him is like that of Musk. This is attested by several Authors of good Repute⁵. He scatters this agreeable Scent not only while he is alive, but his Flesh even after his Death retains it: His Eggs likewise smell like Musk; and the like Odour, when they are wounded, issues from their Wound and Entrails.

Ezek. xxxii. 12.He beholdeth all high Things, he is a King over all the Children of Pride; which some explain by saying, that the Crocodile is the King of other Fish; but it may be better understood of the Egyptians, who are often called in Scripture Children of Pride, or proud. The Crocodile was their God, their King; they paid divine Honours to him. In the Hebrew Style by the Word King is often Job xxvi.meant the God of any Nation; every one knows, that the Egyptians worshipped the Crocodile, and that the Crocodile was the Emblem or Figure of Egypt.

In the third Chapter and eighth Verse he says; Let them curse it that curse the Day, who are ready to raise up a Leviathan. He means, in our Opinion, the Atlantes, and the People of Upper Egypt, who curse the Sun⁶, because they are burnt with the excessive Heat of it; and who are so daring, as to wake the Crocodile in Order to attack, kill and eat it⁷. Ezekiel describes the King of Egypt by the Name of great Than, or great Dragon; great Fish. Isaiah⁸ threatens Leviathan the piercing Serpent with Death; that is the King of Babylon; and Leviathan, the crooked Serpent, that is the King of Egypt. The Crocodile was esteemed the King of Fresh-Water Fish; and the Hebrews call all Fish Serpents, or Reptils. The Ps. lxxiii. 14.Royal Prophet says, that the Lord created the Leviathan to play in the Waters. It is therefore an Animal that liveth in the Water.

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