Were Behemoth and Leviathan Dinosaurs?

Behemoth and Leviathan: Allegory, Chaos, and the Sovereignty of Yahweh

Prior to the 19th century, the prevailing view among Christian theologians was that Behemoth and Leviathan were not literal animals but allegorical figures. Church Fathers such as Origen, Athanasius, Jerome, Vincent of Lérins, and John Cassian interpreted the creatures described in Job 40–41 as symbolic representations of the devil, demonic powers, and sin. This is especially evident in their treatment of Job 40:16 which in th eKing James Version (KJV) reads: “Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.” This verse was frequently cited in patristic literature as a euphemism for sexual temptation and lust, not as a zoological observation. (1)

Political and Apocalyptic Allegory

Beyond personal sin, Behemoth and Leviathan were also interpreted as symbols of oppressive empires and cosmic adversaries to God’s kingdom. This reading aligns with Isaiah 27:1, where Leviathan is described as a “fleeing serpent” and “twisting serpent” whom Yahweh will slay—imagery that many scholars associate with Babylon or other imperial powers. The Reformers, too, often read these creatures as metaphors for tyrannical institutions that stood in opposition to Christ and his Church.

Ancient Near Eastern Context: Chaoskampf and Mythopoesis

This non-literal approach is consistent with the ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cultural matrix in which Job was composed. In Mesopotamian and Ugaritic literature, monstrous beasts like Tiamat, Lotan, and Yammu represent primordial chaos. Yahweh’s subjugation of Behemoth and Leviathan echoes this chaoskampf motif—wherein a divine warrior defeats the forces of disorder to establish cosmic order.

In Psalm 74:14, Leviathan is described as having multiple heads: “You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you fed him to the creatures of the desert.” This pluralization is not poetic flourish—it reflects a deep mythological tradition. (2) In Ugaritic texts, Lotan (cognate with Leviathan) is a seven-headed sea serpent defeated by the storm god Baal. Scholars such as Michael Fox and John Day argue that the Psalmist is drawing on this imagery to portray Yahweh’s supremacy over chaos and evil. (3, 4, 5)

From Allegory to Literalism: The Rise of Fundamentalist Hermeneutics

The shift toward literalism in interpreting Job 40–41 is a relatively recent phenomenon. Following the Enlightenment and the rise of Darwinian evolutionary theory, many conservative Christians—particularly in the United States—began to read Behemoth and Leviathan as literal creatures. This was, in part, a reactionary move: a theological counterpunch to the perceived threat of naturalism.

By the early 20th century, figures within the burgeoning Fundamentalist movement began identifying Behemoth with a sauropod dinosaur and Leviathan with a prehistoric marine reptile. This interpretation, however, is not only anachronistic but also hermeneutically inconsistent with the broader biblical and ANE context. As scholar Michael Heiser notes, the descriptions in Job are “stock mythological motifs” that function theologically, not zoologically.

Behemoth’s “Tail” and the Euphemism of Power

One of the most contested verses in this debate is Job 40:17: “He moveth his tail like a cedar.” Young Earth Creationists often cite this as evidence that Behemoth was a sauropod. But this interpretation ignores the Hebrew poetic structure, which pairs the “tail” with the “stones” (testicles) and “loins” (hips) in Job 40:16–17. The passage is not describing anatomy but virility—Behemoth’s generative power as a symbol of chaotic potency. If the author intended to describe a sauropod, why emphasize the tail and not the neck, its most distinctive feature? It would be like describing a giraffe’s spots and omitting its neck entirely.

Leviathan: Fire-Breathing Crocodile or Cosmic Dragon?

In Job 41, Leviathan is described in terms that defy naturalistic explanation: he breathes fire (Job 41:19–21), terrifies the mighty, and is “king over all the sons of pride” (Job 41:34). These are not the traits of a crocodile—they are the attributes of a mythic adversary. Scholars such as Eric Ortlund and Andrei Orlov argue that Leviathan functions as a symbol of Satanic or cosmic evil, much like the dragon in Revelation 12.

Conclusion: The Theological Heart of Job 40–41

Ultimately, the point of these chapters is not zoological but theological. Yahweh is asserting his sovereignty over all creation—including the chaotic, the monstrous, and the unknowable. Behemoth and Leviathan are not meant to be catalogued in a bestiary; they are meant to humble the reader and exalt the Creator.

Whether or not these creatures ever walked the earth is beside the point. The truth claim of Job 40–41 is that Yahweh reigns over chaos, and that even the most terrifying forces in the cosmos are subject to his will.