What is the Behemoth described in Job 40:15, and does it exist today? Biblical Text (Job 40:15-24) “Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you. He eats grass like an ox. See the strength of his loins and the power in the muscles of his belly. His tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are tightly knit. His bones are tubes of bronze; his limbs are like rods of iron. He ranks first among the works of God; only his Maker can approach him with His sword. The hills yield him their produce, while all the beasts of the field play nearby. He lies under the lotus plants, hidden among the reeds of the marsh. The lotuses conceal him in their shade; the willows of the brook surround him. Though the river rages, he is unafraid; the Jordan rushes against his mouth, yet he remains secure. Can anyone capture him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare?” Traditional Explanations Reviewed 1. Hippopotamus: fits the marsh habitat and herbivorous diet but fails the “tail like a cedar.” A hippo’s tail is scarcely 18 in. 2. Elephant: powerful frame, but likewise possesses a rope-like tail, does not lurk in river reeds undisturbed by torrent, and is scarcely “hidden” by lotus plants. 3. Mythical Composite: contradicts Job’s purpose—Yahweh appeals to tangible, observable realities to humble Job (cf. 38:31-41). Evaluating the Scriptural Criteria • Eats grass like an ox (herbivore). • Hips/loins of tremendous strength and a massive belly. • Tail compared to a cedar—an 80-100 ft Lebanese cedar, the largest tree known to the ancient Near East. • Bones likened to bronze and iron, implying unusual density and size. • “Chief of the ways of God” (v. 19) suggests the largest land creature. • Swamp-river dwelling, able to stand unflinching while the “Jordan” floods. No modern land mammal satisfies all six criteria. A long-necked, long-tailed sauropod dinosaur such as Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, or Argentinosaurus does. Sauropod Identification and Empirical Corroboration • Cedar-sized tail: sauropods possessed tails exceeding 40 ft. • Gigantic weight: estimates of 30–70 t make them the “chief” of land animals. • Tracks and fossils on every continent, including the Middle East (Shimsan Quarry, Yemen; Atlas Mountains, Morocco). • Sauropod vertebrae with “pneumatic” structures account for “tubes of bronze” strength yet internal lightness. • Soft tissue and collagen discovered in Tyrannosaurus rex (Science 307:1952-1955, Schweitzer et al., 2005) and hadrosaur bones (PNAS 104:7399-7404, Schweitzer 2007) demonstrate that large dinosaur remains can persist thousands, not millions, of years—consistent with a post-Flood, young-earth timeframe. • Human–dinosaur coexistence indicators: Paluxy River limestone tracks of man and large tridactyl prints (Glen Rose, TX); Ancestral Pueblo petroglyph resembling a sauropod in Natural Bridges National Monument, UT; a clear sauropod bas-relief at Ta Prohm Temple, Cambodia (ca. AD 1200); Ica stones of Peru depicting long-necked dinosaurs. Theological Purpose Yahweh’s challenge centers on His creative supremacy (Job 38–41). Behemoth, created “along with” man on Day Six (Genesis 1:24-27), is wielded as courtroom evidence that Job’s finite wisdom cannot rival God’s. If Behemoth were mythical, the argument would collapse; the impact derives from physical reality. Extinction or Survival Today? Post-Flood climate change (rapid Ice Age, reduced antediluvian vegetation) and human hunting pressure likely drove most sauropods to extinction. Fossil charcoal deposits suggest catastrophic burial during the Flood, while biblical post-Flood longevity decline (Genesis 11) parallels animal gigantism fading. Contemporary cryptid reports—Mokele-Mbembe of the Congo Basin, Ropen of Papua, Burrunjor of Arnhem Land—remain unverified but intriguing; yet no definitive evidence places Behemoth alive today. Extinction, therefore, is the most parsimonious conclusion. Practical Application Contemplating Behemoth redirects focus from personal struggle to divine grandeur, prompting humility and worship. “He ranks first among the works of God” (Job 40:19) nudges every reader to bow before the Creator who alone “approaches him with His sword.” Conclusion Behemoth is best understood as a giant sauropod dinosaur created on Day Six, witnessed by Job, and now extinct. Its biblical portrait harmonizes with paleontological data, young-earth chronology, and intelligent design, vividly showcasing the majesty of the Lord who “spoke, and it came to be” (Psalm 33:9). |
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