Hello and welcome back to Life’s Biggest Questions, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey.
The Leviathan is widely seen as a giant sea monster, referenced in holy books, and described
in some detail in the book of Job.
While its depiction varies somewhat, it tends to be described as a giant, vicious sea creature
created by God and placed in the sea.
But what if we learned that this was not just a story, or a metaphor, but actually real?
Let’s explore.
If you want more What If videos, check out our “Biggest What Ifs” playlist on the
channel.
Now get ready, it’s time to ask the question: What if the Leviathan was real?
Of course, as with many aspects of the Bible, there are certain inconsistencies that make
it difficult to determine which descriptions of the Leviathan were meant to be taken literally,
or metaphorically.
Some believe that it was meant to represent those in power, while others believe it to
be a giant sea creature.
This video will focus on the latter interpretation, and will use mentions of the beast in holy
texts to determine its characteristics.
To be clear, this video is not claiming that the Leviathan absolutely does not exist; I
won’t be discussing the veracity of the Bible, but rather imagining a world in which
the literal interpretation of the Leviathan is true.
So let’s try to keep it civil in the comment section.
As always, let’s start with a brief description of the beast.
The Bible describes the leviathan as a giant aquatic creature, although the type of creature
is a subject of some debate.
Since the Hebrew word for Leviathan, at its root, can mean coiled or twisted, many view
it as a giant sea serpent.
Others, however, believe it could have been a plesiosaur, a large, now-extinct aquatic
reptile.
Most depictions, however, agree that it is a large and vicious creature that must be
avoided by humans, since God placed it on Earth to show off his power.
Of course, if this beast existed in the ocean, and had a habit of attacking ships, this would
make sea travel significantly more perilous.
If it became enough of a problem, people might avoid crossing the sea at all.
This would have huge effects on human history, since European colonialism would have been
greatly reduced, without travel across the ocean to the Americas or Australia.
It’s possible that these places that would have been colonialized, would have remained
solitary, and would still be the exclusive home of their native inhabitants.
This would work out rather well for the people living in those countries, but it could severely
hamper technological development.
It’s true that America has a rather violent history, but it is also the home of many incredible
inventors and innovative scientists.
Without the work of Thomas Edison or Alexander Graham Bell, we could be significantly less
advanced.
On the other hand, it could be that if European nations spent less time colonizing other countries,
they would ramp up invention, perhaps focusing on weaponry and air travel to counter the
Leviathan.
If this happened, we might actually find ourselves to be MORE advanced in certain areas.
Of course, if there was a giant beast destroying ships, some gutsy adventurers would certainly
try to capture and perhaps even tame the beast, particularly as technology improved.
But if the Book of Job is correct, this probably wouldn’t go so well.
The book of Job states that the leviathan cannot be tied down or tamed.
It cannot be caged, because it breaks iron like straw.
Again, in following a literal interpretation, this seems to imply that it couldn't be captured
or made to do anyone's bidding, as it would simply escape.
It's possible that the Bible didn't take into account tranquilizers and materials of the
modern day, but if the beast is as large as some stories say, it would take a lot more
than a Xanex to take that thing out.
However, when it comes to killing the Leviathan, we may be in more luck.
The Bible does paint a rather impressive picture of the beast, stating that it is well protected
with scales and has fearsome teeth.
It's said that death awaits anyone who approaches its mouth.
But here's where it gets interesting.
The book of Job states that No sword, spear, dart, javelin, arrow, stone, club, or lance
can defeat it.
But it doesn't say anything about guns or bombs.
Of course, this is because those things weren't invented when it was being written, but that
could mean that modern weaponry would be effective against the beast.
The Leviathan would likely be fairly durable, but gunfire and bombs would likely be able
to harm it, so if it decided to attack a ship, they could probably defeat it.
That said, some interpretations of certain lines lead some people to believe that God
is the only being that could ever defeat the Leviathan.
Of course, if this was the case, sea travel might be out of the question for the foreseeable
future.
And now we return to our question: What if the Leviathan was real?
Well, the presence of a giant sea monster in the ocean might make explorers think twice
before venturing out to other lands.
This could limit technological growth, since the United States wouldn’t come to pass,
but it could also accelerate it, if European countries buckled down and spent energy otherwise
spent colonising, on inventing.
While the beast likely couldn’t be captured or tamed, there’s a good chance that we’d
be able to defeat it, since the description in scripture doesn’t indicate that it could
survive blasts from bombs.
However, if the Leviathan was able to survive those, sea travel would probably go the way
of the dodo, since most people would fear the wrath of this great beast.
Thank you for watching Life’s Biggest Questions, I hope this was interesting and informative,
and maybe even inspired you to look into it further on your own.
If you liked this video, please thumbs up and subscribe to the channel down below.
While you’re down there, let me know if you’d be willing to go into the ocean if
the Leviathan was really down there.
Until next time, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey with Life’s Biggest Questions, wishing you
the best of luck, on your quest for answers.