Leviathan discovered and it ain't a crocodile

The bible mentions "leviathan." That is a word that means "a very large creature." The verses that discusses leviathan are in Job 41 and they are extensive. The discussion between God and Job is a comparison of Job the puny man to the mightiest of earthly creatures at that time, Leviathan. Read the description of this creature below, it seems fierce indeed.

In biblical circles, the actual animal Leviathan describes was always in dispute. It has variously been called a crocodile or a whale, but even then, scholars acknowledged that neither animal seems to match the mightiness of the animal God is talking about.

Job 41
"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook? Or press down his tongue with a cord?" Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope? Can you put a cord through his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he keep begging you for mercy?Will he speak to you with gentle words? Will he make an agreement with you for you to take him as your slave for life? Can you make a pet of him like a bird or put him on a leash for your girls? Will traders barter for him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? Can you fill his hide with harpoonsor his head with fishing spears? If you lay a hand on him,you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing him is false; the mere sight of him is overpowering."

"No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me? Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me. “I will not fail to speak of his limbs, his strength and his graceful form. Who can strip off his outer coat? Who would approach him with a bridle? Who dares open the doors of his mouth, ringed about with his fearsome teeth? His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together; each is so close to the next that no air can pass between. They are joined fast to one another; they cling together and cannot be parted."

"His snorting throws out flashes of light; his eyes are like the rays of dawn. Firebrands stream from his mouth; sparks of fire shoot out. Smoke pours from his nostrils as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds. His breath sets coals ablaze, and flames dart from his mouth. Strength resides in his neck; dismay goes before him. The folds of his flesh are tightly joined; they are firm and immovable. His chest is hard as rock, hard as a lower millstone. When he rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before his thrashing. The sword that reaches him has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. Iron he treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood. Arrows do not make him flee; slingstones are like chaff to him. A club seems to him but a piece of straw; he laughs at the rattling of the lance. His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge. He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment. Behind him he leaves a glistening wake; one would think the deep had white hair. Nothing on earth is his equal— a creature without fear. He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud.”

Wow. That's some creature.

Matthew Henry wrote -- "The description of the Leviathan, is yet further to convince Job of his own weakness, and of God's almighty power. Whether this Leviathan be a whale or a crocodile, is disputed. The Lord, having showed Job how unable he was to deal with the Leviathan, sets forth his own power in that mighty creature."

Scientists have unearthed a fossil that is fairly complete and illustrates the skeletal attributes of the disputed but firmly described creature in Job. And guess what? They named him "Leviathan." [The sea creature is not 12M years old, as a literal creationist I believe that the creature is no older than 6000 years old]

'Sea monster' whale fossil unearthed

Researchers have discovered the fossilised remains of an ancient whale with huge, fearsome teeth. Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists have dubbed the 12 million-year-old creature "Leviathan". It is thought to have been more than 17m (56ft) long, and might have engaged in fierce battles with other giant sea creatures from the time. Leviathan was much like the modern sperm whale in terms of size and appearance. But that is where the similarity ends. While the sperm whale is a relatively passive animal, sucking in squid from the depths of the ocean, Leviathan was an aggressive predator. According to Dr Christian de Muizon, director of the Natural History Museum in Paris, Leviathan could have hunted out and fed on large sea creatures such as dolphins, seals and even other whales. "It was a kind of a sea monster," he said. "And it's interesting to note that at the same time in the same waters was another monster, which was a giant shark about 15m long. It's possible that they might have fought each other". The researchers speculate that Leviathan was able to feed on very large prey up to 8m long. It would catch the prey in its huge jaws and tear it apart quickly and effectively with its giant teeth.  Now, the discovery of the skull means that the Leviathan is not merely the stuff of myth and legend. "Finally we found it," said Dr Lambert. " It was a very exciting moment".

It is an exciting moment for many Christians too, who know that the bible is always right, all along! Please read the rest of the article at the headline-link. Good stuff!