page_title: Dragon
section_title: Levant
hierarchical_section_title: Dragon / Asia / West Asia / Ancient West Asia / Levant
caption_attribution_description: Български: Убиването на Левиатан Čeština: Zničení Leviatana Deutsch: Die Vernichtung des Leviathan Dansk: Tilintegørelsen af Leviathan. Fra Esajas bog 27:1. English: Destruction of Leviathan Español: La destrucción de Leviatán Suomi: Leviatanin tuho Français&#160;: Destruction du Léviathan Italiano: Distruzione di Leviatano 日本語: ギュスターヴ・ドレ製作の彫刻画 Македонски: "Уништувањето на Левијатан". Резбата го претставува Господ како го убива легендарното морско чудовиште Левијатан. Português: A Destruição de Leviatã Русский: Убийство Левиафана Slovenčina: Zničenie Leviatana Svenska: "Leviatans förgörelse". I bilden slaktar Gud det legendariska sjöodjuret, ett motiv konstnären hämtat från Jesaja 27:1. Български: Гравюра от Густав Доре, 1865 г. Čeština: rytina Gustave Doré z roku 1865 Deutsch: Gravur von Gustave Doré, 1865 English: 1865 engraving by Gustave Doré. Español: un grabado hecho en 1865 por Gustave Doré. Français&#160;: gravure de Gustave Doré 1865 Suomi: Gustave Dorén puupiirros vuodelta 1865. Italiano: Incisione del 1865 di Gustave Doré. 日本語: ギュスターヴ・ドレ 1865 Македонски: резба направена во 1865 од страна на Густав Доре Português: gravura de Gustave Doré (1865) Slovenčina: rytina Gustave Doré z roku 1865 Svenska: gravyr av Gustave Doré från 1865
context_page_description: A dragon is a large, serpentine legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures around the world. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as winged, horned, four-legged, and capable of breathing fire. Dragons in eastern cultures are usually depicted as wingless, four-legged, serpentine creatures with above-average intelligence.
  The earliest attested reports of draconic creatures resemble giant snakes. Draconic creatures are first described in the mythologies of the ancient Near East and appear in ancient Mesopotamian art and literature. Stories about storm-gods slaying giant serpents occur throughout nearly all Indo-European and Near Eastern mythologies. Famous prototypical draconic creatures include the mušḫuššu of ancient Mesopotamia; Apep in Egyptian mythology; Vṛtra in the Rigveda; the Leviathan in the Hebrew Bible; Grand'Goule in the Poitou region in France, Python, Ladon, Wyvern, and the Lernaean Hydra in Greek mythology; Jörmungandr, Níðhöggr, and Fafnir in Norse mythology; and the dragon from Beowulf.
context_section_description: In the Ugaritic Baal Cycle, the sea-dragon Lōtanu is described as "the twisting serpent/ the powerful one with seven heads." In KTU 1.5 I 2–3, Lōtanu is slain by the storm-god Baal, but, in KTU 1.3 III 41–42, he is instead slain by the virgin warrior goddess Anat. In the Book of Psalms, Psalm 74, Psalm 74:13–14, the sea-dragon Leviathan, whose name is a cognate of Lōtanu, is slain by Yahweh, the national god of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, as part of the creation of the world. In Isaiah 27:1, Yahweh's destruction of Leviathan is foretold as part of Yahweh's impending overhaul of the universal order:
  Job 41:1–34 contains a detailed description of the Leviathan, who is described as being so powerful that only Yahweh can overcome it. Job 41:19–21 states that the Leviathan exhales fire and smoke, making its identification as a mythical dragon clearly apparent. In some parts of the Old Testament, the Leviathan is historicized as a symbol for the nations that stand against Yahweh. Rahab, a synonym for "Leviathan", is used in several Biblical passages in reference to Egypt. Isaiah 30:7 declares: "For Egypt's help is worthless and empty, therefore I have called her 'the silenced Rahab'." Similarly, Psalm 87:3 reads: "I reckon Rahab and Babylon as those that know me..." In Ezekiel 29:3–5 and 32:2–8, the pharaoh of Egypt is described as a "dragon" (tannîn). In the story of Bel and the Dragon from the apocryphal additions to Daniel, the prophet Daniel sees a dragon being worshipped by the Babylonians. Daniel makes "cakes of pitch, fat, and hair"; the dragon eats them and bursts open (Daniel 14:23–30).
caption: The Destruction of Leviathan (1865) by Gustave Doré
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