Leviathan
Leviathan · Vast Sea Monster — Prince of Envy
The colossal sea monster of the Old Testament, developed in Christian tradition into the prince of envy. Job 41 describes him as an unconquerable beast of the sea whom only God can master — scales hard as shields, fire from his mouth, smoke from his nostrils. Counted as the Prince of Envy among the Seven Deadly Sins.
Origin
Derived from the ancient Canaanite chaos sea-monster Lotan. Appears in Job, Isaiah, and Psalms as the indomitable beast proving God's creative might. In later Jewish mysticism he is paired with Behemoth, the land-beast; an apocalyptic myth holds that the two will battle and become the feast for the righteous in the Messianic age.
Features
- Vast sea serpent or crocodile-scaled monster
- Fire from his mouth, smoke from his nostrils
- Scales harder than shields
- Boils the sea wherever he passes
Usage
Invoked as metaphor for uncontrollable natural force and envy. Thomas Hobbes's political treatise Leviathan (1651) used him as a metaphor for the absolute state, shaping political philosophy. The incarnate vast evil of eschatology.