The Wild

A meditation

I have long been interested in the story of Leviathan. It is a tale that has been around for a very long time, and as such has seen many interpretations.

In all of them the leviathan is a mighty beast of the sea. Often described as having many heads, an impenetrable scale hide, and breath of fire. The image of Leviathan has found itself into many facets of our culture.

The particular interpretation I like is the one that sees leviathan as a creature of God. Not good or evil, but rather a beast of creation, with a special part to play. In my favorite stories the Leviathan is used as a means to punish hubris, especially among those who hold a great deal of power.

The story hearkens back to a time before our modern separation of the Church and State, to a time when religious leaders often held supreme power as divinely chosen leaders. Whatever your opinion of theocracy, a simple truth remains. Even the most laudable institutions have always been made of human beings. And if history has taught us anything, it is that human beings are fallible.

Like individuals, over time our institutions become ever more prone to corruption. Where once an order might have been created on lofty ideals and selfless service, over time there is a tendency for less savory objectives to emerge. The pursuit of power, wealth, and fame are some of the more common.

As such institutions evolve, and power becomes increasingly concentrated and sought after, there is a tendency for the holders thereof to fall into hubris. It is a natural consequence of allowing people to grow overly powerful. As they say, goodness and greatness can rarely exist in the same person.

The modern definition of hubris is normally associated with excessive pride, but in a more archaic context its specific meaning was to “show excessive pride or defiance towards God.”

This is where Leviathan comes in. As a creature of God, it was the Leviathans purpose and calling to hold to account those who succumbed to hubris.

From Job 41

יז  מִשֵּׂתוֹ, יָגוּרוּ אֵלִים;    מִשְּׁבָרִים, יִתְחַטָּאוּ.	17 When he raiseth himself up, the mighty are afraid; by reason of despair they are beside themselves.
יח  מַשִּׂיגֵהוּ חֶרֶב, בְּלִי תָקוּם;    חֲנִית מַסָּע וְשִׁרְיָה.	18 If one lay at him with the sword, it will not hold; nor the spear, the dart, nor the pointed shaft.
יט  יַחְשֹׁב לְתֶבֶן בַּרְזֶל;    לְעֵץ רִקָּבוֹן נְחוּשָׁה.	19 He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.
כ  לֹא-יַבְרִיחֶנּוּ בֶן-קָשֶׁת;    לְקַשׁ, נֶהְפְּכוּ-לוֹ אַבְנֵי-קָלַע.	20 The arrow cannot make him flee; slingstones are turned with him into stubble.
כא  כְּקַשׁ, נֶחְשְׁבוּ תוֹתָח;    וְיִשְׂחַק, לְרַעַשׁ כִּידוֹן.	21 Clubs are accounted as stubble; he laugheth at the rattling of the javelin.
כב  תַּחְתָּיו, חַדּוּדֵי חָרֶשׂ;    יִרְפַּד חָרוּץ עֲלֵי-טִיט.	22 Sharpest potsherds are under him; he spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mire.
כג  יַרְתִּיחַ כַּסִּיר מְצוּלָה;    יָם, יָשִׂים כַּמֶּרְקָחָה.	23 He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a seething mixture.
כד  אַחֲרָיו, יָאִיר נָתִיב;    יַחְשֹׁב תְּהוֹם לְשֵׂיבָה.	24 He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.
כה  אֵין-עַל-עָפָר מָשְׁלוֹ;    הֶעָשׂוּ, לִבְלִי-חָת.	25 Upon earth there is not his like, who is made to be fearless.
כו  אֵת-כָּל-גָּבֹהַּ יִרְאֶה;    הוּא, מֶלֶךְ עַל-כָּל-בְּנֵי-שָׁחַץ.	26 He looketh at all high things; he is king over all the proud beasts.

Today, in a world overflowing in hubris, I cannot help but look upon the Leviathan of antiquity with a welcoming eye. Far from being the devil, or some demonic creature – it is but a manifestation of justice – a part of the natural order. My Leviathan is a force of nature, justice and balance.

Image source:

© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2020 IMAGES
Also available online—brill.com/ima DOI:10.1163/18718000-12340134
BORIS KHAIMOVICH
LEVIATHAN: THE METAMORPHOSIS OF A MEDIEVAL IMAGE