Figure EUR-ita-065. The Jerusalem Temple's golden menorah with its double octagonal base's facets, depicting the ichtyomorphic (and possibly ophiomorphic?) composite aquatic creatures: leocampus, capricorn (?), ketos, or even the sea-monsters Leviathan or Behemoth (?), the subject referred to in the Bible (Old Testament), NRSV as follows: ◆ "Let those curse it who curse the Sea, those who are skilled to rouse up Leviathan [לִוְיָתָן, Livyathan = "aquatic monster/dragon/crocodile" in Hebrew]." (Job 3: 8);
◆ "“Look at Behemoth [בְּהֵמוֹת, Behemoth, "aquatic bovine monster" ("hippopotamus"?) in Hebrew], which I made just as I made you; it eats grass like an ox. Its strength is in its loins, and its power in the muscles of its belly. It makes its tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are knit together. Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like bars of iron. “It is the first of the great acts of God - only its Maker can approach it with the sword. For the mountains yield food for it where all the wild animals play. Under the lotus plants it lies, in the covert of the reeds and in the marsh. The lotus trees cover it for shade; the willows of the wadi surround it. Even if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened; it is confident though Jordan rushes against its mouth. Can one take it with hooks or pierce its nose with a snare? “Can you draw out Leviathan [לִוְיָתָן, Livyathan] with a fishhook, or press down its tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in its nose, or pierce its jaw with a hook? Will it make many supplications to you? Will it speak soft words to you? Will it make a covenant with you to be taken as your servant forever? Will you play with it as with a bird, or will you put it on leash for your girls? Will traders bargain over it? Will they divide it up among the merchants? Can you fill its skin with harpoons, or its head with fishing spears? Lay hands on it; think of the battle; you will not do it again! Any hope of capturing it will be disappointed; were not even the gods overwhelmed at the sight of it? No one is so fierce as to dare to stir it up. Who can stand before it? Who can confront it and be safe? - under the whole heaven, who? “I will not keep silence concerning its limbs, or its mighty strength, or its splendid frame. Who can strip off its outer garment? Who can penetrate its double coat of mail? Who can open the doors of its face? There is terror all around its teeth. Its back is made of shields in rows, shut up closely as with a seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. Its sneezes flash forth light, and its eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. From its mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap out. Out of its nostrils comes smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. Its breath kindles coals, and a flame comes out of its mouth. In its neck abides strength, and terror dances before it. The folds of its flesh cling together; it is firmly cast and immovable. Its heart is as hard as stone, as hard as the lower millstone. When it raises itself up the gods are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves. Though the sword reaches it, it does not avail, nor does the spear, the dart, or the javelin. It counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make it flee; slingstones, for it, are turned to chaff. Clubs are counted as chaff; it laughs at the rattle of javelins. Its underparts are like sharp potsherds; it spreads itself like a threshing sledge on the mire. It makes the deep boil like a pot; it makes the sea like a pot of ointment. It leaves a shining wake behind it; one would think the deep to be white-haired. On earth it has no equal, a creature without fear. It surveys everything that is lofty; it is king over all that are proud.”" (Job 40: 15-24; 41: 1-34);
◆ "I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said: Strike the capitals until the thresholds shake, and shatter them on the heads of all the people; and those who are left I will kill with the sword; not one of them shall flee away, not one of them shall escape. Though they dig into Sheol, from there shall my hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, from there I will search out and take them; and though they hide from my sight at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the sea-serpent [נָחָשׁ, nahash = "snake/serpent" in Hebrew], and it shall bite them." (Amos 9: 1-3);
◆ "Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the earth. You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the dragons [תַּנִּין, tannin = "aquatic monster/dragon" in Hebrew] in the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan [לִוְיָתָן, Livyathan]; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You cut openings for springs and torrents; you dried up ever-flowing streams." (Psalm 74: 12-15);
◆ "O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan [לִוְיָתָן, Livyathan] that you formed to sport in it." (Psalm 104: 24-26); and
◆ "On that day the Lord with his cruel and great and strong sword will punish Leviathan [לִוְיָתָן, Livyathan] the fleeing serpent [נָחָשׁ, nahash], Leviathan [לִוְיָתָן, Livyathan] the twisting serpent [נָחָשׁ, nahash], and he will kill the dragon [תַּנִּין, tannin] that is in the sea." (Isaiah 27: 1).
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