Taming the Beast: A Reception History of Behemoth and Leviathan

Mark R. Sneed

Published by De Gruyter 2021

Taming the Beast

A Reception History of Behemoth and Leviathan

Mark R. Sneed

Volume 12 in the series Studies of the Bible and Its Reception (SBR)

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110581591

Overview
Contents

About this book

Leviathan, a manifestation of one of the oldest monsters in recorded history (3rd millennium BCE), and its sidekick, Behemoth, have been the object of centuries of suppression throughout the millennia. Originally cosmic, terrifying creatures who represented disorder and chaos, they have been converted into the more palatable crocodile and hippo by biblical scholars today.

However, among the earliest Jews (and Muslims) and possibly Christians, these creatures occupied a significant place in creation and redemption history. Before that, they formed part of a backstory that connects the Bible with the wider ancient Near East. When examining the reception history of these fascinating beasts, several questions emerge.

Why are Jewish children today familiar with these creatures, while Christian children know next to nothing about them? Why do many modern biblical scholars follow suit and view them as minor players in the grand scheme of things? Conversely, why has popular culture eagerly embraced them, assimilating the words as symbols for the enormous? More unexpectedly, why have fundamentalist Christians touted them as evidence for the cohabitation of dinosaurs and humans?

Author / Editor information

Mark R. Sneed, Lubbock Christian University, USA.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Acknowledgments Publicly Available Download PDF	xi
List of Illustrations Publicly Available Download PDF	xiii
1. Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
2. The Need for a Reception Historical Approach Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	4
3. Monster Theory and the Beasts Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	13
4. Leviathan’s Ancestry.com Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	32
5. The Israelite Reconfiguration of the Canaanite Combat Myth: Leviathan Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	46
6. Intimations of a Monster in the Bible Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	57
7. Leviathan Gets a Side-Kick: Behemoth Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	84
8. The Beasts Become God’s Enemy Again and the Epitome of Evil Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	90
9. The Nodal Nuances of Negativity within Christianity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	104
10. Is It Roast Beast or a Meal for the Beast? Culinary Interpretations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	124
11. A Whale of a Tale: Jonah’s Dag as Leviathan and Its Reception Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	146
12. The Beasts as (De‐)Stabilizers: The Axis Mundi Tradition Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	163
13. From Fable to Fauna: The Monsters Become Natural Animals Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	183
14. Return of the Repressed: “Romantic” Perspectives Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	236
15. Taming the Beast: Conclusions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	252
Works Cited Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	256
Subject Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	278
Ancient Citations Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	284

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: Scholars, students, and libraries of biblical studies, ancient Judaism, and reception history.
Pages
- Front matter: 13
- Main content: 288
Keywords: Behemoth; Leviathan; reception history

eBook

Published: November 8, 2021
ISBN: 9783110581591

Hardcover

Published: November 8, 2021
ISBN: 9783110579314