Leviathan is a mythical sea monster that appears from the water mainly during a storm. Mystery and inaccessibility made this creature popular, and the name itself - a household name. In modern times, this definition has received a slightly different interpretation.
Hebrew Leviathan translates as "twisted" or "twisted". In the modern sense - a whale. This is a sea monster, the first mention of which was written in the Tanakh (Old Testament).
Origin of Leviathan
In the Ugaritic mythological cycle, this creature, called Latana, is positioned as a sea monster with several heads. It is a companion to the Buddhist god Yama.
People living in Ancient Egypt believed that their country was protected from the north by a powerful fortress, from the south and west by impassable deserts, and the eastern part was protected by crocodiles. There is an assumption that, describing these crocodiles, the Egyptians painted in their own imagination exactly the leviathan. Subsequently, in order to eliminate subordinate people, they ascribed to this creature an unknown power and strength. The appearance and physical capabilities of Leviathan were gradually overgrown with legends.
Leviathan was mentioned several times in the books of the Old Testament:
- Job
- Book of Psalms;
- in the Book of Isaiah.
The English poet, thinker and politician John Milton (1608-1674) presents Leviathan as a sea monster, living near the Norwegian cliffs. There is also a legend that this beast emerges from the depths of the sea exclusively during a storm and can destroy ships.
Excavations
Excavations were carried out in the Ica desert, located in Peru, as a result of which scientists discovered the remains of a skeleton of an ancient sperm whale. It has been suggested that this creature lived in oceanic waters about 12-13 million years ago. Scientists were struck by the size of the remains. So, the surviving skull was about 3 meters long. Based on this, it was found that the body size of the animal could reach 17.5 meters. Teeth parameters 12x36 cm.
