Behemoth and Sauropod

Here’s the big one. Job 40:15-24 describes a creature called a “behemoth,” usually identified as a hippopotamus or an elephant. Sure, those are pretty big animals, but they’re probably the last two megafauna that God would describe as having a “tail like a cedar” (v. 17). Really though, unless one rejects the possibility that humans and dinosaurs coexisted, only one credible candidate for “behemoth” rears its head (high, high above the ground…). 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJlmYh27MHg

Such a great scene. My second-favorite piece of John Williams music, behind pretty much all of the original Star Wars trilogy.

Leviathan = sarcosuchus?

Apologies for the delay in new posts! If you’ve read ANTEDILUVIAN – or the book of Job – you’re familiar with the topic of this post.

Leviathan is described in Job 41 as a fearsome, almost invincible creature, and it’s been the subject of much speculation. Some modern English Bibles give it a footnote identity of “crocodile.” Yeah, right. Yes, a saltwater crocodile is probably the living animal I’d least like to meet in person, but it’s not the pinnacle of marine monsters. Liopleurodon, anyone? Megalodon? Dunkleosteus? Mosasaur?

Those aren’t my top pick for Leviathan’s true identity, though. For one thing, a strictly water-bound animal wouldn’t have any use to breathe fire. Breathe fire? That’s sort of nuts, but we’ll get to it…

Obviously, since I did use a leviathan as the instigating threat in ANTEDILUVIAN, I couldn’t remain undecided. What’s my choice, then? I give you: SARCOSUCHUS.

One aspect of this enormous crocodilian that I find compelling is the bulla at the end of its snout. Its use is unknown. Sounds like a good candidate for a flamethrowing water-dwelling monster to me!