The Leviathan

"You truly think you could defeat me? ME?! Do you even know who I am? I am the Great Empress of the Primordial Seas, master of all who dwells in the depths, one born of God's Might and the Endless Void. I am the one who was once worshipped by you mortals as divine figures of old. I AM THE LEVIATHAN! And I will make sure none of you fools would ever have the idea of taming me once more..."

- The Leviathan.

The Leviathan is the Primordial Beast of the Sea from Judeo-Christian lore and is, alongside the Ziz and the Behemoth, one of the Banes of Job.

Overview
The Leviathan is the primordial sea monster that was created by God and is one of the more well-known interpretations of the Chaoskampf. She is an ancient beast of the seas, originating from Jewish folklore and different versions of Christian Mythology. She is also the first entity to be known as a leviathan, a title also taken by many other large and powerful sea monsters, such as the Kraken, Cirein-cròin, Hafgufa and Moby Dick.

She is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, and the Book of Amos; it is also mentioned in the apocryphal Book of Enoch. She makes a major appearance in the Book of Job as one of God's first and mightiest of Earthly creatures that rules the seas on contrast to Behemoth who rules the Earth and Ziz who rules the skies. According to Judaic lore, the Behemoth and the Leviathan will do battle at the world's end, and kill each other, leaving their bodies to be feasted upon by the chosen peoples who survive.

Due to all being created by God at the same time, these three beasts treated each other as siblings. Leviathan's siblings are the Ziz of the Skies and the Behemoth of the Land. Even as the weakest, she is powerful enough to give some trouble to God, something even Lucifer can't do.

Leviathan also rules the underwater kingdom of Atlantis along with the Greco-Roman Deities of the Sea, Poseidon and Neptune. This is because Poseidon flirted with Leviathan which caused her to lose her temper and try to kill Poseidon until Zeus give her Atlantis to co-rule as a peace offering.

Appearance
The Leviathan usually appears as a serpent or any type of sea creature she desires. In truth, she is more a mix of many kinds of marine life into a singular all-powerful sea beast. Mortals are unable to fully comprehend its visage, so all they see is just its shade or a giant sea serpent. The Leviathan's features are both snake-like, kraken-resembling and with fish-like structure.

When the Leviathan takes human form, she appears as a beautiful young woman with a mature figure, very long sea-green seaweed-like hair and yellow eyes. Her hair is usually tied in a long ponytail, reaching all the way down to her neck with two strands sticking out from the top and sloping backward, with an sea-blue ribbon keeping it in place. While in human form the Leviathan's body measurements are [B58-W40-H89 cm]. Her body weight is [54 kg] while her height is 168 cm.

The Leviathan's main outfit appears as a sea-blue trench coat over a green buttoned-up shirt, dark green slacks (or a mini-skirt depending on her mood), dark purple stockings and dark blue high-heeled boots. Her secondary outfit consists of a blue kimono, a green obi, a set of golden beads, and an ornately detailed headband. The kimono features a green interior and it is open at her shoulders, giving view to her breasts. Her final outfit is a steel-refined dark blue bikini with a little purple skirt, all with aquatic additions.

However, the Leviathan has mainly appeared fully nude due to her complete apathy towards modesty, a completely human idea.

Personality
Being a Primordial being Leviathan is describe as very unstoppable ominous serpent sea monster, very aggressive and far more monstrous than any other creatures of the sea, and more frightening than her sea monster kin.

She is nearly an unstoppable monster that ready to devour everything in her sight, because of this she has an intense odds and rivalry towards her creator God, and always giving Him troubles whenever necessary. Yet she still respects His authority despite being regarded as the Great Sea-Serpent of the Sea, like her Norse counterpart, Jörmungandr.

During the time that she met the Greek Deity of the Sea, Poseidon, she showed to be rather annoyed by his persistence of courting her, and even going as far as to threaten to destroy the Atlantis if Poseidon angered her enough. Zeus have no choice but gives her co-rule over Atlantis along with Poseidon.

Despite her allegiance with the Greek Pantheon, her true loyalty lies only to her Creator; God. As she always respect, revered, and also fear Him despite their odds to each other, she along with her siblings: Behemoth and Ziz have a loyalty and respect to God despite being monsters, and God knowing that they will serve their purpose in time, and always keeping them at bay so that the Earth will not be threaten.

In recent times, she still retains her original personality, yet with some differences. She appears to be quiet serious, passive, and emotionless, radiating a cold, calm, and cautious composure. But she will show mercy and compassion to those who have earn it, particularly those who respect to her status and doesn't anger her patience. She wish to be left alone and valuing her privacy, not caring much to outside world, and she wants to live under the seas as peaceful and quiet as possible.

Powers and Abilities
Leviathan is one of the most powerful beings in Creation with its sheer presence being enough to make even the bravest of men tremble at the spot. According to the Book of Job, no creature in the depths of the oceans is its equal and looks down upon those who are proud and arrogant. The only two beings that rival the Leviathan's power are the Behemoth and Ziz, of which were created alongside the Leviathan at the dawn of creation. Much like her fellow primordial beasts, the Leviathan holds total dominion over the ocean's inhabitants as it was witnessed being surrounded and flanked by a multitude of fish and other marine creatures.

The Shepherd of the Illuminati also states that among the beasts, the Leviathan is the most difficult to tame with its tablet piece. Rabbi Johana writes that if he would put his head into Paradise no living creature could endure the odor of him. The Leviathan is so powerful and dangerous that even Lucifer is fearful to anger it.

The Leviathan's hide is indestructible, being as durable as the Behemoth and Ziz, with her hide unable to even be pierced by Dante's own sword. It is said that no weapon of any earthly or even supernatural caliber can penetrate it. The Leviathan's skin is like a double-coat of mail, with overlapping scales as large as shields on its back, and as sharp and hard as broken pottery on its underparts. Swords, harpoons, and even bullets will simply bounce off such protection. It was able to completely shrug off attacks from Illuminati's own country-class fast attack sub pods, was unhindered from Klaus' Brain Grid Blood Battle attacks and Julius Belmont's Grand Cross attack, the latter of which broke off pieces of Castlevania from miles away. Only a sufficiently powerful high-powered missile, such as the DF-45, was enough to actually deter it from its original course and draw its attention to its attackers.

The Leviathan is capable of projecting "burning lights" that can destroy almost any man-made structure. Its fins are known to radiate a brilliant light with its eyes like the glimmering light of the dawn. The Leviathan is shown to perform this through the use of innumerable bioelectric feelers around its mouth which collect the photokinetic energy of the sun from the water's surface and through its own body to produce extremely powerful blasts of energy that can destroy cruise ships in a single blast. The Leviathan can even create smaller versions of these attacks by having various patches of only several conjoined feelers. Even then the force of these miniature blasts were enough to have greatest of magicians working together to shield an entire area from the attacks which barely prevented them from inflicting damage. Even just charging the attack makes the Leviathan's area of space fatally deadly as the water becomes extremely superheated.

It's size was immense to the point where the very sea boils when it swims on the surface. The Book of Job even goes so far as to say that nothing on Earth is its equal and looks down upon those who are proud and arrogant. When the Leviathan is hungry, reports Rabbi Dimi in the name of Rabbi Johana, he sends forth from his mouth a heat so great as to make all the waters of the deep boil, and if he would put his head into Paradise no living creature could endure the odor of him. His abode is the Mediterranean Sea; and the waters of the Jordan fall into his mouth. It ruthlessly and fearlessly rules over all creatures of the sea.

Even with all of that, Leviathan is still the weakest of the three Primordial Beasts of Earth, though only barely.
 * Aquatic Life Manipulation: As Ruler of the Seas and Sea Life, Leviathan can control all sea life that dwell in the water, even those such as prehistoric sea life.


 * Photogenesis: Leviathan can generate intense light from his body that can blind individuals, such as Archangels or above them, for a short period of time.


 * Pyrokinetic Breath: The Leviathan can generate a special type of fire within her body and then spray it out from her mouth. This fire is even more powerful and dangerous than the infamous Hellfire of the Infernal Realm.


 * Thalassokinesis: As ruler of the seas, Leviathan can manipulate the Earth's oceans without effort and even all forms of seas across the universe.

Origins
While the Leviathan and her siblings' true origins are a mystery, one theory is that the Leviathan and the other two were born by a resulting shockwave brought by the battle between God and Khaos. The Leviathan was perhaps the first beast to come into being, followed by the Behemoth and the Ziz, as the embodiment of the chaotic waters that cannot be tamed by man and only by God. At the time, however, the Leviathan did not dwell within the Earth but resided in the Abyss until she was tamed by God after the creation of the Heavens and Earth. It is said that the Leviathan was not too fond of being under God's power and would express its frustration by thrashing violently in the abyssal waters, threatening to flood the Earth and devour the moon and stars but would be stopped by God each time.

It is even suggested that the Leviathan was envious of God's dominion over the Heavens (like the demon prince Leviathan) with the beast wanting to have a domain of equal value and vastness. And so, God gave it the Earth's oceans knowing that the Earth was, in His eyes, His greatest prize to be given to His greatest creation that being humanity. Afterwards, the Leviathan became content and more so in regards to living alongside her cohorts who dwell within their own respective realms; Behemoth having the lands and the Ziz having the sky.

Disturbance
After the War in Heaven, the very fundamental nature of creation itself shifted dramatically and among these disturbances was the animal kingdom turning against one another for the sake of survival as well against their former masters that being Adam and Eve. This also affected the three primordial beasts; Behemoth, Ziz, and the Leviathan itself. The effect caused them to turn against one another thereby spurning the three layers of what makes up the Earth as well as those that dwell within them into chaos. As a result, God was forced to temporary separate these three mighty beasts as to calm them down lest they caused untold natural destruction upon the planet and its inhabitants.

Prophesied Death
It is prophesied that during the End Times, Leviathan and its brethren shall be slain and its flesh will be served to all those deemed as righteous. This essentially means that when the time comes, God will slay these monsters to save His creations but only His followers will be allowed to feast. According to the Talmud, the Leviathan's skin will be flayed and cover the tent where the feast takes place and if one does not consume its flesh they will be given clothing made from its skin. The remaining skin will be spread across the walls of New Jerusalem where its brightness is said to illuminate the world.

Myths and Legends
In the Book of Job, Leviathan is described as a creature in the form of a sea serpent that has the ability to shoot fire. Example being, "Out of his mouth comes burning lights. Sparks of fire shoot out." In Job, it is a sea monster and a symbol of God's power of creation. The Leviathan is generally described by many Hebrew followers as a gigantic serpent, lurking deep in the Red Sea. Others believe he is a huge sea worm or perhaps a variation of the legendary Kraken, who hunts down foreign invaders (i.e. non-Jews who try to invade the lands of Israel by crossing the Red Sea).

Islamic culture also made references to the Leviathan in its texts that it is said to be a female creature while the Behemoth is a male creature. In the Old Testament, Leviathan appears in Psalms 74:14 as a multi-headed sea serpent that is killed by God and given as food to the Hebrews in the wilderness.

In Isaiah 27:1, Leviathan is a serpent and a symbol of Israel's enemies, who will be slain by God. In Job 41, it is a sea monster and a symbol of God’s power of creation.

The mention of the Tannins in the Genesis creation narrative (translated as "great whales" in the King James Version) and Leviathan in the Psalm do not describe them as harmful but as ocean creatures who are part of God's creation. The element of competition between God and the sea monster and the use of Leviathan to describe the powerful enemies of Israel may reflect the influence of the Mesopotamian and Canaanite legends or the contest in Egyptian mythology between Apep and the sun god Ra. Alternatively, the removal of such competition may have reflected an attempt to naturalize Leviathan in a process that demoted it from deity to demon to monster.

Sea serpents feature prominently in the mythology of the Ancient Near East. They are attested by the 3rd millennium BC in Sumerian iconography depicting the god Ninurta overcoming a seven-headed serpent. It was common for Near Eastern religions to include a Chaoskampf: a cosmic battle between a sea monster representing the forces of chaos and a creator god or culture hero who imposes order by force. The Babylonian creation myth describes Marduk's defeat of the serpent goddess Tiamat, whose body was used to create the heavens and the earth.

Judaism
Later Jewish sources describe Leviathan as a dragon who lives over the sources of the Deep and who, along with the male land-monster Behemoth, will be served up to the righteous at the end of time. The Book of Enoch describes Leviathan as a female monster dwelling in the watery abyss (as Tiamat), while Behemoth is a male monster living in the desert of Dunaydin, which is east of Eden.

When the Jewish midrash (explanations of the Tanakh) were being composed, it was held that God originally produced a male and a female leviathan, but lest in multiplying the species should destroy the world, he slew the female, reserving her flesh for the banquet that will be given to the righteous on the advent of the Messiah. Rashi's commentary on Genesis 1:21 repeats the tradition.

The final "yud", which denotes the plural, is missing, hence the implication that the Leviathan did not remain two, but that its number was reduced to one. According to Abraham Isaac Kook, the Leviathan – a singular creature with no mate, "its tail is placed in its mouth" (Zohar) "twisting around and encompassing the entire world" (Rashi on Baba Batra 74b) – projects a vivid metaphor for the universe's underlying unity. This unity will only be revealed in the future, when the righteous will feast on the Leviathan.

In the Zohar, the Leviathan is a metaphor for enlightenment. The Zohar remarks that the legend of the righteous eating the skin of the leviathan at the end of the days is not literal, and merely a metaphor for enlightenment. The Zohar also specifies in detail that the Leviathan has a mate. The Zohar also associates the metaphor of the leviathan with the "tzaddik" or rightious in Zohar 2:11b and 3:58a. The Zohar associates it with the "briach" the pole in the middle of the boards of the tabernacle in Zohar 2:20a. Both, are associated with the Sefira of Yesod.

Gnosticism
The Church Father Origen accused a Gnostic sect of venerating the biblical serpent of the Garden of Eden. Therefore, he calls them Ophites, naming after the serpent they are supposed to worship. In this belief system, the Leviathan appears as an Ouroboros, separating the divine realm from humanity by enveloping or permeating the material world. We do not know whether or not the Ophites actually identified the serpent of the Garden of Eden with the Leviathan.

However, since the Leviathan is basically connoted negatively in this Gnostic cosmology, if they identified him with the serpent of the Book of Genesis, he was probably indeed considered evil and just its advice was good. Further, according to this Gnostic sect, after death, a soul must pass through the seven spheres of the Archons. If the soul does not succeed, it will be swallowed by a dragon-shaped archon, who holds the world captive and returns the soul into an animal body – a depiction resembling the Leviathan mentioned before.

In Mandaeism, Leviathan is regarded as being co-essential with a demon called Ur. In Manichaeism, an ancient religion influenced by Gnostic ideas, the Leviathan is killed by the sons of the fallen angel Samyaza. This act is not portrayed as heroic, but as foolish, symbolizing the greatest triumphs as transient, since both are killed by archangels in turn after boasting about their victory. This reflects Manichaean criticism on royal power and advocates asceticism.

Modern Usage
The word "leviathan" has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature. In Modern Hebrew, the name means simply "whale." Some 19th century scholars have pragmatically interpreted it as referring to large aquatic creatures, such as the crocodile. As a term for sea monster, it has also been used of great whales in particular, e.g. in Herman Melville's Moby-Dick

Equivalents
Its source is in prebiblical Mesopotamian mythology, especially that of the sea monster in the Ugaritic myth of Baal. The Leviathan of the Book of Job is a reflection of the older Canaanite Lotan, a primeval monster defeated by the god Baal Hadad. Parallels to the role of Mesopotamian Tiamat defeated by Marduk have long been drawn in comparative mythology, as have been wider comparisons to dragon and world serpent narratives such as Indra slaying Vrtra or Thor slaying Jörmungandr. Leviathan also figures in the Hebrew Bible as a metaphor for a powerful enemy, notably Babylon (Isaiah 27:1). Some 19th century scholars have pragmatically interpreted it as referring to large aquatic creatures, such as the crocodile. The word later came to be used as a term for "great whale", as well as for sea monsters in general.

Quotes

 * "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls?" - Job 41:1-34.


 * "You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness." - Psalm 74:13-14.


 * "Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it." - Psalm 104:25-26.


 * "In that day the Lord with his hard and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the twisting serpent, and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea." - Isaiah 27:1.


 * "The...sea monsters: The great fish in the sea, and in the words of the Aggadah (B.B. 74b), this refers to the Leviathan and its mate, for He created them male and female, and He slew the female and salted her away for the righteous in the future, for if they would propagate, the world could not exist because of them. הַתַּנִינִם is written" - Gen. Rabbah 7:4, Midrash Chaseroth V’Yetheroth, Batei Midrashoth, vol 2, p. 225.


 * "And that day will two monsters be parted, one monster, a female named Leviathan in order to dwell in the abyss of the ocean over the fountains of water; and (the other), a male called Behemoth, which holds his chest in an invisible desert whose name is Dundayin, east of the garden of Eden." - 1 Enoch 60:7-8.


 * "Once we went in a ship and saw a fish which put his head out of the water. He had horns upon which was written: 'I am one of the meanest creatures that inhabit the sea. I am three hundred miles in length, and enter this day into the jaws of the Leviathan'." - Johanan bar Nappaha.


 * "She could control every creature that lives in the sea. But I don't think either of you know what that really means. Do you know, do you understand, do you have any idea how much life there is in just one single square mile of sea? I don't think you do... and if you multiply that by lots of miles in every direction... I'd never seen anything like it in my whole life... and God as my witness, I hope to never see it again." - A Reaper about Leviathan.


 * "The Leviathan is not a god nor a demon, to even compare her with either title would be more of an insult than calling a first-generation magical a Mudblood. She is a primordial beast the resided in the seas since the Earth's conception. With power and strength greater than even the literal gods of those concepts. No man, mundane nor magical, with even wish to face her. She doesn't rule over all creatures in the waters with pacifism after all." - Orchid Euphemia Potter.


 * "If you lay a hand on it, you will remember the struggle and never do it again! Any hope of subduing it is false; the mere sight of it is overpowering. No one is fierce enough to rouse it. When it rises up, the mighty are terrified; they retreat before its thrashing. The sword that reaches it has no effect, nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin. Iron it treats like straw and bronze like rotten wood. Arrows do not make it flee; slingstones are like chaff to it. A club seems to it but a piece of straw; it laughs at the rattling of the lance." - Job 41:8-29.


 * "According to an ancient Akkadian tablet I found, despite being a monster embodies the watery abyss, the Leviathan possesses a significant authority over the land as well. Apparently, she likes to create islands in her free time, saying that it is "sooths her eternal hunger for the sun and the moon and the glistering stars in the horizon". One of these islands, fortunately, located close to where we're now. And if we're lucky, that's where that totem is kept." - Matt Wright to Diana Black.


 * "Fear is what, we fear the most. This time our fear has a name and we call it Leviathan."


 * "The watery incarnation of the isles is placid once more. It single-mindedly prays that its clear blue waters never be disturbed again." - A Notebook about the Leviathan.


 * "The incarnation of the deep has awakened, and emits a thunderous howl. It breaks the raging sea waves, and drags down even prayers for peace to the murky depths." - A Notebook about the Leviathan.

Trivia

 * The Leviathan's origin is never truly known in the mythos, and she is only briefly mentioned in the Hebrew books.
 * Leviathan has the most amount of children from the three primordial beasts.
 * She is also the only one to have a child that is well known, that being the Tarasque.
 * It is rumored that Leviathan was the one to destroy the RMS Titanic as a retort due to them saying that even God couldn't sink that boat.
 * The Demon Lord Leviathan took his name from the primordial beast as a show of power and might.
 * He also chose it as both represents the element of water.
 * In the Midrash there's a legend that states that the giant fish which swallowed Jonah narrowly avoids being eaten by Leviathan.
 * It is believed that in Ancient Semitic religion, the Leviathan (or its equivalent) was treated like a goddess.
 * It is believed to had eaten at least one whale a day.
 * It was revealed by Kyrclon that her "human" form was originally created while in the company of Barak, a former consort.
 * Leviathan has been identified as a crocodile, a plesiosaur, a whale or some unknown fish.

Image Sources

 * (Leviathan by sandara-dbhgn6q.jpg) Leviathan by sandara
 * (Destruction of Leviathan.png) The Destruction of Leviathan by Gustave Doré
 * (Coloured Leviathan.jpg) Coloured Destruction of Leviathan by Gustave Doré
 * (Leviathan MrNepa.jpg) Leviathan by mrNepa
 * (Leviathan_by_mirceanicula_ddxc62i-fullview.jpg) Leviathan by mirceanicula
 * (Dinosaur Leviathan.png) Leviathan by DreamTheorem
 * (Leviathan by osmar shotgun ddbagvs-fullview.jpg) Leviathan by Osmar-Shotgun
 * (GENZOMAN Leviathan.jpg) Leviathan by GENZOMAN
 * (Leviathan by unreal forever d7x4ri5-fullview.jpg) Leviathan by Unreal-Forever
 * (Sanskarans Leviathan.jpg) Leviathan by Sanskarans
 * (Leviathan (Disney).jpg) Leviathan from Disney's Atlantis the Lost Empire
 * (Livyathan.png) Livyathan by Creature13
 * (Leviathan girl by weepingcrown d94r70o-fullview.jpg)
 * (Leviathan Princess.jpg) :: Leviathan Princess :: by Sangrde
 * (Vyrhelle-VyrL Leviathan.jpg) Leviathan by Vyrhelle-VyrL
 * (Leviathan against a man.jpg) Leviathan against a man by ???
 * (The leviathan revisited by jefchangcomix d27tcn0-fullview.jpg) The Leviathan, revisited by jefchangcomix
 * (Leviathan-concept.jpg) Leviathan's concept art from The Leviathan
 * (Summon b 2030011000.png) Leviathan from Granblue Fantasy
 * (Summon b 2040028000.png) Leviathan Omega from Granblue Fantasy
 * (Summon b 2040028000 02.png) 4★ Art Leviathan Omega from Granblue Fantasy
 * (FFBE Leviathan Artwork 3.png) Leviathan from Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
 * (Leviathan and sea goddess by musane d8ieo5b-fullview.jpg) Leviathan and sea-goddess by musane
 * (Danger at sea by danrobart de0tsnd-fullview.jpg) Danger at Sea by DanRobArt
 * (Navel Battle - Illustration of Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld.jpg) Navel Battle - Illustration of Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
 * (Leviathan by third axis dc44j5q-fullview.jpg) Leviathan by Third-Axis