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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.
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.
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.
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?
The Job passage especially seems to draw heavily from the arc-type storm god vs sea/chaos deity at the dawn of creation.
The Bible does use figurative language to describe various things, that much is true.
From Answers in Genesis:
The Bible therefore paints a clear picture of Leviathan as a creature very much like a plesiosaur or other ancient marine reptilenot a whale.
From: News to Note, July 3, 2010 - Answers in Genesis
Consequently, the most reasonable interpretation (which also takes the whole passage into account) is that Behemoth was a large animal, now extinct, which had a large tail. Thus some type of extinct dinosaur should still be considered a perfectly reasonable possibility according to our present state of knowledge.
From: Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?
So, mark, do you think that AIG is clinging to a literal interpretation when both the text and God's other book, the real world, point to a figurative interpretation?
Papias
Was Job written pre- or post- Exodus?
If post, why is there practically no reference to God's covenant?
If pre, how can Rahab in Job be a post-Exodus reference?
I'm sure mark will write us a thrilling exposition on the book of Job - once he's finished with the half-baked copypasta he intermittently spews every time he feels the need to disinvite theistic evolutionists from Christianity.
Notice the question mark in the title, they are just exploring the possibility.
Consequently, the most reasonable interpretation (which also takes the whole passage into account) is that Behemoth was a large animal, now extinct, which had a large tail. Thus some type of extinct dinosaur should still be considered a perfectly reasonable possibility according to our present state of knowledge.
The fact is that the Leviathan is a dragon and of course you have completely ignored the fact that Satan is the Red Dragon of Revelations.
You do dabble in Biblical expositions right? I'm just asking because you seem obsessed with arguing against the Bible and those who believe it's historicity.
## Livyatan is the Ugaritic monster Lotan, "tyrant of the seven heads", & the "fleeing serpent" whom JHWH will slay.What do you make of the fact that we're told in the psalms that Leviathan has several heads?
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