In 2 Esdras
In 2 Esdras, Behemoth and Leviathan are named and separated because the watery part cannot hold both of them. The text gives Behemoth the dried land to live in, while Leviathan receives the watery part.
In Apocalypse of Abraham
In Apocalypse of Abraham, the speaker sees Leviathan alongside the sea, its islands, its cattle and its fish. The vision shows Leviathan's realm, bed and lairs, together with the world lying upon him. The speaker also sees Leviathan's movements and the destruction that he causes to the world.
In Psalms
In Psalms, one passage describes Leviathan's heads being broken into pieces and his being given as food. The people and desert animals receive him as food in this account of his broken heads. Another passage places leviathan where ships sail and describes him as made to play there.
Where Leviathan appears
- 1 EnochIn 1 Enoch, Leviathan is a female sent to live in the deep ocean above the fountains of the waters. · The Complete Books of Enoch
- 2 EsdrasIn 2 Esdras, Leviathan receives the watery part after being separated from Behemoth. · The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible
- Apocalypse of AbrahamApocalypse of Abraham shows Leviathan's realm and lairs, the world upon him, and the destruction he causes. · The Complete Books of Enoch
- PsalmsPsalms describes Leviathan's broken heads and also places leviathan at play where ships sail. · The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible
- Ladder of JacobLadder of Jacob calls Leviathan the sea-dragon and says the Lord will pour His wrath upon him. · The Complete Books of Enoch
- IsaiahIsaiah calls Leviathan the winding snake in a passage that also speaks of killing the sea monster. · The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible
- Meqabyan 1Meqabyan 1 names Leviathan and Behemoth as enormous beasts put into the sea among other creatures. · The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible
What the texts say, in their own words
“One, a female named Leviathan, was sent to live in the deep ocean above the fountains of the waters.”
“The one you called Behemoth, and the other you called Leviathan. You separated them; for the 7th part, where the water was gathered, couldn’t hold both of them.”
“And I saw there the sea and its islands, and its cattle and its fish, and Leviathan and his realm and his bed and his lairs, and the world which lay upon him, and his motions and the destruction he caused the world.”
“You broke Leviathan’s heads into pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert animals.”
Questions
Who is Leviathan?
Leviathan is a female dwelling in the deep ocean in 1 Enoch, and a sea-dragon in Ladder of Jacob.
Where does Leviathan live?
In 1 Enoch, Leviathan lives in the deep ocean above the fountains of the waters. In 2 Esdras, Leviathan receives the watery part, while Behemoth receives the dried land.
How are Leviathan and Behemoth connected?
In 2 Esdras, Leviathan and Behemoth are separated because the gathered waters cannot hold both. Meqabyan 1 describes both as enormous beasts put into the sea among other living creatures.
Where is Leviathan mentioned in the lost texts?
Leviathan appears in 1 Enoch, Apocalypse of Abraham and Ladder of Jacob, in The Complete Books of Enoch; 2 Esdras, Psalms, Isaiah and Meqabyan 1, in The Complete 88-Book Ethiopian Bible.
