Читать книгу The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A–Z of Fantastic Beings from Myth and Magic - John Matthews - Страница 217

Behemoth is a monstrous creature said to be the male mate of Leviathan in the biblical books of Enoch and Job. So large is it, the bones of its upper body are the full extent of the Dendain desert. In one gulp it can swallow acres of land and the river Jordan itself. On the Day of Judgement, in Jewish tradition, the coming of the Messiah would herald the combat of Behemoth and Leviathan to the death. The flesh of their corpses would become the food for the righteous after the judgement. In medieval Christian tradition, Behemoth was understood to be in the form of an elephant who was under the command of the devil; he tempted humans into the sin of greed. In Muslim tradition, Behemoth is cognate with Bahamut, the monster that supports the Earth.