William Blake illustration of biblical Behemoth and Leviathan
Biblical subject; only contextual artwork for Final Fantasy Behemoth, never an exact game depiction.
Overview
Behemoth appears in Job’s divine speech as a grass-eating creature with exceptional bodily strength. Its limbs and bones are compared with strong materials, while its tail receives a cedar comparison. The passage places it among shade, reeds, marshland and river water, and asks the reader to consider a creature that human power cannot readily master. These are poetic comparisons within a religious text, not measurements of an identified animal.
William Blake’s 1825–26 engraving gives Behemoth a massive four-legged body, tusk-like projections and a powerful lowered head. It occupies the land above a coiled, scaled Leviathan, beneath a divine figure pointing toward the creatures. That nineteenth-century interpretation is a specific artistic witness rather than the original anatomy of Job’s Hebrew text. The traditional profile therefore remains distinct from later game monsters named Behemoth, whose forms and abilities belong to separate fictional works.
Origins & earliest records
Primary scriptural witness: Book of Job, Job 40:15–24. The work’s composition and authorship are not precisely dated here. KJV first published 1611; selected hosted transcription is later.
Records & interpretation
The specified Job passage directly read, and Met object 383509, accession 17.17.1–15, individually inspected. Scriptural poetry and Blake’s later iconography are distinguished; animal identification is unresolved.
In the literature
“Behold now behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.”
Job 40:15 · King James Version translators
The creature of Job’s divine speech. This excerpt does not refer to Final Fantasy’s monster and does not settle identification with a real species.
“the fearsome Behemoth from Final Fantasy XIV!”
Opening main-article paragraph after author credit
Capcom identifies the specific Final Fantasy XIV guest creature in the Monster Hunter: World collaboration. The quotation is attached only to the Final Fantasy profile.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Book of Job
Job 40:15–24; paraphrased here rather than reproducing extended translation wording.
- 02
Behemoth and Leviathan, Illustrations of the Book of Job
Engraving; Met accession 17.17.1–15. Public-domain image confirmed in museum API.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Book of Job; William Blake’s Illustrations of the Book of Job
KJV English translation first published 1611; Blake engraving 1825–26. Job 40:15–24; Blake plate 15, Met accession 17.17.1–15
Primary passage directly read. A massive terrestrial quadruped occupies the upper half of the circular creature scene; its mouth has tusk-like projections. This is Blake’s interpretation of Job, not a scientific identification. Museum image public-domain status checked; KJV rights labels vary by jurisdiction, so the profile uses original paraphrase.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary religious text / selected English translationBook of Job — Job 40:15–24, KJV transcriptionResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Museum object record / primary religious iconographyBehemoth and Leviathan — Met object 383509Research access: 2026-10-05
- Primary illustrated interpretationBlake engraving — individually inspected public-domain imageResearch access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationWilliam Blake illustration of biblical Behemoth and Leviathan
Biblical subject; only contextual artwork for Final Fantasy Behemoth, never an exact game depiction.
