In Biblical times the Leviathan was often associated with evil and according to some scholars is thought to represent the forces of chaos. Today, although the word Leviathan has become synonymous with any large aquatic creature, many researchers believe sightings of the Leviathan during biblical times may be the earliest reports of encounters with Sea Monsters, or may have been simply the misidentification of large ocean dwelling creatures such as whales.

In the book of job, both the Leviathan and the Behemoth are listed alongside a number of animals that are common knowledge in today’s world, such as goats, eagles and hawks, leading some scholars to conclude that the Behemoth and Leviathan may also have been more familiar creatures, with unfarmilar names. The animal most often thought to be responsible for accounts of the Leviathan is the Nile crocodile. Like the Leviathan the Nile crocodile is aquatic, scaly and possesses fierce teeth. Job 41:18 states that the Leviathan’s eyes are like the eyelids of the morning; this verse is sometimes compared to a crocodile’s eyes. Which rise out of the water before the rest of its head, invoking the image of the sun rising over the horizon.

Some have suggested that tales of the Leviathan may have spawned from exaggerated accounts of whales. Other theories give the Leviathan a more crypto zoological explanation, suggesting that it was an aquatic reptile, such as a plesiosaurus or a zeulodon, both of which where large aquatic reptiles which fit some aspects of ancient Leviathan sightings. During early European sea exploration sailors saw the Leviathan as a gigantic whale like sea monster, usually a sea serpent, that devoured whole ships by swimming around vessels so quickly it would create a massive whirlpool, sucking the ship and its crew town to their deaths.

It is fairly easy to say that regardless of the many theories put forward to explain the identity of the Leviathan we will truly never know the inspiration behind early tales of the Leviathan. Be it the over active imagination of early writers, the misidentification of a large whale, a sea serpent, a Nile crocodile or a prehistoric relic to much time has passed for us to every know this massive creatures true origins.

The Evidence
There remains no physical evidence of the Leviathan, unless you subscribe to the theory which states that the Leviathan was nothing more than the misidenfication of large whales, in which case, as we all know, whales are very real.

The Sightings
No document sightings of the Leviathan, outside of those found in the Bible, could be located at this time. However, if you subscribe to the theories that the Leviathan was a whale, sea serpent or Nile crocodile, in which sightings of those have occurred but will not be stated here.

The Stats – (Where applicable)

• Classification: Sea Monster
• Size: Unknown
• Weight: Unknown
• Diet: Unknown
• Location: World Wide
• Movement: Swimming
• Environment: Ocean