Leviathan - Ancient Middle Eastern Origins

Ancient Middle Eastern Origins

Further information: Chaoskampf and Ninurta

Sea serpents feature prominently in the mythology of the Ancient Near East, attested as early as the 3rd millennium BCE in Sumerian iconography depicting the myth of the god Ninurta overcoming the seven-headed serpent. Examples of the storm god vs. sea serpent trope in the Ancient Near East can be seen with BaĘżal vs. Yam (Canaanite), Marduk vs. Tiamat (Babylonian), and Atum vs. Nehebkau (Egyptian) among others, with attestations as early as the 2nd millennium as seen on Syrian seals.

In the Ugaritic texts Lotan, or possibly another of Yam's helpers, is given the epithets "wriggling serpent" and "mighty one with the seven heads." Isaiah 27:1 uses the first of these phrases to describe Leviathan (although in this case the name "Leviathan" apparently refers to an unnamed historical/political enemy of Israel rather than the original serpent-monster). In Psalm 104, Leviathan is not described as harmful in any way, but simply as a creature of the ocean, part of God's creation. It is possible that the authors of the Job 41:2-26, on the other hand, based the Leviathan on descriptions of Egyptian animal mythology where the crocodile is the enemy of the solar deity Horus (and is subdued either by Horus, or by the Pharaoh). This is in contrast to typical descriptions of the sea monster trope in terms of mythological combat.

Read more about this topic:  Leviathan

Famous quotes containing the words ancient, middle, eastern and/or origins:

    “Many times man lives and dies
    Betweeen his two eternities,
    That of race and that of soul,
    And ancient Ireland knew it all.
    Whether man die in his bed
    Or the rifle knocks him dead,”
    —William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

    “At middle night great cats with silver claws,
    Bodies of shadow and blind eyes like pearls,
    Came up out of the hole, and red-eared hounds
    With long white bodies came out of the air
    Suddenly, and ran at them and harried them.”
    —William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)

    “See how from far upon the eastern road
    The star-led Wizards haste with odours sweet . . .”
    —John Milton (1608–1674)

    “Lucretius
    Sings his great theory of natural origins and of wise conduct; Plato
    smiling carves dreams, bright cells
    Of incorruptible wax to hive the Greek honey.”
    —Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962)