So after thinking about Leviathan while writing Day 148.5, I decided that I wanted to try Behemoth tonight, even though he is not technically a dragon, nor even draconic in description, although there is mild evidence that could suggest that he is a dinosaur or other large reptile.
“Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.
Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.
He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.
His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.”
-Job 40.15-18; KJV
Behemoth is big and powerful with a thick, heavy tail, making me think of Ankylosaurus (it’s also interesting to note that Behemoth is a herbivore).
“He taketh it [the water of the River Jordan] with his eyes: his nose pierceth through snares.”
-Job 40.24; KJV
The last line suggests that Behemoth has a horn or other sharp protrusion on his nose. A few seconds of reading Wikipedia reveals that he has horns and lives in an an invisible desert east of the garden of Eden. While the second is interesting, the first is obviously more immediately applicable- a giant hebivorous desert-dwelling reptile (even an endothermic one, as most dragons are assumed to be) might have a more adaptive structure, but I didn’t feel like going into that tonight.
At any rate, since there is not much more to be found in the Good Book and I need to get to bed, I’ll leave you with this sketch tonight, and perhaps pick up draconic Behemoth tomorrow:
