Creationists often point to Leviathan and Behemoth as descriptions of dinosaurs in the Hebrew Bible.
Many scholars believe they are references to mythical beings, drawing on imagery from the worldview of the Ancient Near East to bring up a point of Yahweh's power over the things the ancient world feared most.
The Leviathan is mentioned several other places in Job. It clearly describes a fire breathing dragon:
12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,
its strength and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
Who can penetrate its double coat of armor?
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,
ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has[c] rows of shields
tightly sealed together;
16 each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Flames stream from its mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils
as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath sets coals ablaze, (Job 41:12-21)
Compare to the Genesis 3 account of the Serpent and this one from the Revelation:
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12:9 )
Creationists do not agree. They are literal creatures being discussed. The Bible would not use ANE imagery and mythology because it is not true - therefore to use it would make the Bible untrue.
The Bible does use figurative language to describe various things, that much is true. I don't think Job had a dinosaur in mind when he spoke of the 'leviathan'.
Fair enough. Truth can be a difficult thing to determine where lines should be drawn in literature - we all need lines and boundaries, otherwise anything the Bible says becomes entirely subjective and can potentially lose connection with the real world and real history.
What really stands out in my statement is how you are using 'anything'. By that do you mean the incarnation or would that be taking it to far?
But is this a fair place to draw the line? If the Bible is not allowed to draw on ANE imagery to depict Yahweh to the people, then who is Rahab?
1. The word Rahab occurs twice in the book of Job, it's a reference to Egypt:
If he snatches away, who can stop him?
Who can say to him, "What are you doing?"
God does not restrain his anger;
even the cohorts of Rahab cowered at his feet. (Job 9:12-13)
By his power he churned up the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.
By his breath the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the gliding serpent. (Job 26:12-13)
Other biblical passages:
to Egypt, whose help is utterly useless.
Therefore I call her Rahab the Do-Nothing. (Isaiah 30:7)
I will record Rahab and Babylon
among those who acknowledge me --
Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush --
and will say, "This one was born in Zion." (Psalm 87:4)
You rule over the surging sea;
when its waves mount up, you still them.
You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;
with your strong arm you scattered your enemies. (Psalm 89:9-10)
Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength,
O arm of the Lord;
awake, as in days gone by,
as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster through?
was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made a road in the depths of the sea
so that the redeemed might cross over? (Isaiah 51:9-10)
The Job passage especially seems to draw heavily from the arc-type storm god vs sea/chaos deity at the dawn of creation.
You missed the whole point. Job is talking in highly figurative language and God answers Job from the whirlwind using the same language.
If you are ever interested in an actual exposition of the text just let me know.
your my favorite strawman. Sometimes I think you secretly want to promote creationism by making bad arguments to make us look good. You just make it too easy.
