ULeviyathani yisidalwa okukhulunywa ngaso eBhayibhelini, ku Incwadi kaJobe. Sichazwa njengesilo sasolwandle esikhulu, esesabekayo okungekho muntu ongasinqoba. Kukholakala ukuthi yisidalwa esikhulu kunazo zonke olwandle futhi limbozwe izimfihlakalo nezinsumansumane. Sekungamakhulu eminyaka abantu beqagela ngobukhona bayo, kodwa akekho oseke wathola ubufakazi obuqinisekile bokuba khona kwayo.
Enye yezincazelo ezidume kakhulu ngeLeviyathani ivela eBhayibhelini, lapho ichazwa ngokuthi “inezikali njengensimbi”, “inhliziyo elukhuni njengetshe”, kanye “nomoya ovutha amalahle”. Kuthiwa futhi inamandla kangangokuthi namaqhawe anamandla ayayesaba. IBhayibheli lichaza uLeviyathani njengesidalwa esesabekayo nesinamandla, esikwazi ukubangela ukubhujiswa okukhulu nezinxushunxushu.
ITestamente Elidala likhuluma ngempi ebhubhisayo phakathi kukaNkulunkulu nalesi silo sasolwandle esingaqondakali - uLeviyathani. Kodwa amanye amasiko amaningi nawo anezinguqulo zawo zeLeviyathani. EGrisi yasendulo, yayaziwa ngokuthi Kraken, ngenkathi kusezinganekwaneni zamaNorse, yayibizwa ngokuthi i-Jǫrmungandr, noma “Miðgarðsormr”. Ngisho nemibhalo egciniwe yaseBhabhiloni ithi impi phakathi kwabo UNkulunkulu Marduk kanye nenyoka enamakhanda amaningi noma udrako obizwa Tiamat. Futhi, umKhanani ovulekile waseSiriya lasendulo ukhuluma ngempi phakathi UNkulunkulu uBali kanye nesilo uLeviyathani. Kuzo zonke lezi zimo, kwakuyisidalwa esasihlala olwandle futhi kwakungenakwenzeka ukusinqoba.
Ngokokulandisa kwamaNorse (inganekwane yaseNordic noma yaseScandinavia), lenyoka yasolwandle enkulukazi yazungeza umhlaba wonke, futhi kunezindaba zendlela amanye amatilosi acabanga ngayo ukuthi iwuchungechunge lweziqhingi futhi alahlekelwa ukuphila kwawo. Ngezinganekwane zaseJapane, Yamata no-Orochi iyinyoka enkulu enamakhanda ayisishiyagalombili enamehlo abomvu akhazimulayo kanye nesisu esibomvu. Kukhona enye inganekwane ethokozisayo evela eGibhithe lasendulo - izinyoka ezinkulu ezihlakaniphile ezibulawa i-Death Star endizayo.
Naphezu kwezinganekwane eziningi nezindaba mayelana neLeviyathani, akekho owaziyo ukuthi ikhona ngempela yini. Abanye abantu bakholelwa ukuthi kungaba a ingwane enkulu or ingwane, kuyilapho abanye becabanga ukuthi kungaba uhlobo lwesilo sasolwandle sangaphambi komlando esingakatholakali. Kuye kwaba nemibiko eminingi yokubonwa kwezidalwa zasolwandle ezinkulu phakathi neminyaka edlule, kodwa akukho nesisodwa kuzo esiye saqinisekiswa ngokuthi kungenzeka sibone iLeviyathani.
Naphezu kokuntuleka kobufakazi obuphathekayo, umqondo weLeviyathani uye wathatha umcabango wabantu amakhulu eminyaka. Ivezwe kumafilimu, ezincwadini, ngisho nasemidlalweni yevidiyo, futhi isalokhu iyisihloko esidumile kuma-mythologists kanye ne-cryptozoologists. Imfihlakalo kaLeviyathani cishe iyoqhubeka ikhuthazela iminyaka eminingi ezayo.
Ekuphetheni, uLeviyathani usengenye yezimfihlakalo ezinkulu zolwandle. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyisidalwa sangempela noma imane nje iyinganekwane, iyaqhubeka ithakazelisa abantu ngamandla aso asabekayo nobukhulu obumangalisayo. Ukufuna uLeviyathani kungase kungapheli, kodwa ifa layo izoqhubeka nokusigqugquzela futhi kusithathe ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane.
