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By William Van Zyl (November 2021)
Table of Contents
Listen to the podcast of the article/short story while reading it:
The yellow coloured speckle – at 5000 fathoms under the surface of the South China Sea – was filming. The umbilical cord of the small motorised submarine sent images to the mother ship from the yellow seeker — ‘The Beast–tamer.’
“That’s it, that’s it! It is the full frame of the beast!” shouted the archaeologist.
On the monitor of the large explorer ship – The Voyager 3 – the giant skeleton of a beast suddenly appeared. The small remote-controlled submarine sending the images to the surface was stunned – its rudder flipped a couple of times – the cameras zoomed in and out. What a find! The 3-meter long sub is at the stunning depth of 9, 144 meters (5000 fathoms) under the sea. At a staggering 9.1 km below the surface – the hi-tech submarine is moving slowly to get the best images – it had been designed and tested to withstand the destructive pressure of the China Sea. It has a mind of its own – computer programmed to find the ancient beast.
“It’s the most significant find for almost 3000 years!”
“We’ve found it; I can’t believe it; we have found it!”
The scientist – Bruce Benson – an experienced marine scientist and archaeologist grabbed his head in both hands. He stares at the x-ray images. The new technology – just like the x-ray drone technology, which is being used worldwide to uncover what is below the ground today – penetrates several layers of the ocean floor. The deep secrets of the ocean – thousands of years old – are given up.
It is the year 2039. The captain of The Voyager 3 has his Bible open – several different colour markings highlight the words Leviathan and the main features of the beast. The large black book is opened at Job 41:
1 “Can you pull in Leviathan with a fishhook
or tie down its tongue with a rope?
2 Can you put a cord through its nose
or pierce its jaw with a hook?
3 Will it keep begging you for mercy?
Will it speak to you with gentle words?
4 Will it make an agreement with you
for you to take it as your slave for life?
5 Can you make a pet of it like a bird
or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?
6 Will traders barter for it?
Will they divide it up among the merchants?
7 Can you fill its hide with harpoons
or its head with fishing spears?
8 If you lay a hand on it,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!
9 Any hope of subduing it is false;
the mere sight of it is overpowering.
10 No one is fierce enough to rouse it.
Who then is able to stand against me?
11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.12 “I will not fail to speak of Leviathan’s limbs,
its strength and its graceful form.
13 Who can strip off its outer coat?
Who can penetrate its double coat of armour?
14 Who dares open the doors of its mouth,
ringed about with fearsome teeth?
15 Its back has rows of shields
tightly sealed together;
16 each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.
17 They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.
18 Its snorting throws out flashes of light;
its eyes are like the rays of dawn.
19 Flames stream from its mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.
20 Smoke pours from its nostrils
as from a boiling pot over burning reeds.
21 Its breath sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from its mouth.
22 Strength resides in its neck;
dismay goes before it.
23 The folds of its flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm and immovable.
24 Its chest is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.
25 When it rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before its thrashing.
26 The sword that reaches it has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.
27 Iron it treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.
28 Arrows do not make it flee;
slingstones are like chaff to it.
29 A club seems to it but a piece of straw;
it laughs at the rattling of the lance.
30 Its undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.
31 It makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.
32 It leaves a glistening wake behind it;
one would think the deep had white hair.
33 Nothing on earth is its equal—
a creature without fear.
34 It looks down on all that are haughty;
it is king over all that are proud.”
Bruce is looking at a large map of the China Sea. A raft of sketches and illustrations of different types of dragons – Leviathans – is also lying on the Lab table. He compares the examples to the images of the beast he had just discovered. He is writing in his journal:
It has an 8-foot-long skull. Yes, palaeontologists were correct; they believed that Leviathan measured upwards of 80 m from head to tail and weighed as much as 60 tons, about the same size as a modern sperm whale…
The textures of the scales are visible from the sophisticated x-rays. The shapes and forms of Leviathan have many curls and scrolls — just as expected.
“There is only one head!”
Then the sophisticated computer software created a 3-D view of the beast. The pro-edition of Adobe Suite software rendered Leviathan in detail from the archaeological x-ray shapes – it is busy creating a real-life image of Leviathan. All the photographs are processed into a rich three-dimensional view of the spectacular primaeval animal. Like a gigantic dragon from the World of Warcraft computer game, the creature rotated on the large computer screen in the ship’s laboratory.
“Amazing! Absolutely amazing!”
“What a stunning creature!”
The captain – Donovan Fernsby – turns to the book of Isaiah. He reads:
In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his well-tempered, fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the fleeing, gliding serpent, Leviathan the winding, coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea. (Isaiah 27:1)
“We can use the scriptures to guide us, there are many descriptions and keywords which are invaluable.”
Yes, let’s write them down.”
————0————–
The team of scientists are excited. The onboard Lab is a beehive of activity.
“We have to wait with the news; we have to prepare accurate images before we break the news.”
“The world will be stunned! People had been waiting for this discovery for probably hundreds of years.”
“We have to make sure that our facts are accurate and that our illustrations are exact.”
“We have to give the beast a name.”
“I have the perfect name,” said Bruce.
“Livyatan is Hebrew, and it comes from a root word that means “to twist, turn, wind, or coil.” The name is often used to refer generally to a sea monster or to any gigantic powerful thing.”
“Wow, that is a great name. Livyatan. Liv – Yatan,” said Stephen Bradford – the assistant scientist in the ship Lab.
———–0————
The little Beast-tamer is working away like a busy bee. Snapping and recording details of the long-dead Leviathan. The umbilical is pushing all the information to the surface. The two scientists in the Lab are monitoring every image and the video footage on a large screen. All the data is stored on the hard drive of the extravagant computer.
“Look, look! What is that?”
“That looks like a large fishing hook! Can it be?”
“People must have been around! The hook looks man-made. See the hole on the one end – they probably threaded a rope or something similar through the hook.”
Bruce Benson is on his feet in front of the computer – moving his eyes as close as he can to see the hook in the mouth of Livyatan.
The captain walked from his desk to the Lab when he overheard the word ‘hook.’
“Did I hear the word hook?
“Yes, you’ve heard right. There is a hook in the mouth of the creature.”
“Look here, I have done some research on the oldest fishing hooks,” said Bruce.
He displayed several hooks on the screen and points to them.
“Here is the Oldest Fish Hooks and Evidence of Paleolithic Offshore Fishing. See, the fish hooks are made of shells. It was found in the Jerimalai Cave in East Timor. “The team also found more than 38,000 fish bones at the site, dating the oldest back to 42,000 years ago.”
“Amazing!”
“Most probably, that large hook is made of a seashell.”
“Estimating, I think that hook measures about 50 cm across.”
“We need more data on that hook! It’s going to go viral! I can’t wait to hear all the comments of the scientists out there.”
“Imagine the headings: Ancient fishing hook found in primaeval Livyatan’s mouth.”
“We are going to make headlines!”
“Let’s prepare our presentations.”
————–0—————-
“Job was right,” said the captain as he opened his black book.
“Let me read it to you.”
‘Yes, please read it again.”
“I will paraphrase it.”
“Will you be able to pull the mighty Leviathan up from the deep with a large fishook made of shell? It has a jawbone as hard as tunsten! How will the hook enter it’s jaw bone?
Do you think you could tie it up with a strong rope? It is stronger than Samson of old. Nothing can tie it down! You can’t coucil this beast; it just won’t listen.
There is no way you will be able to thread a cord through it’s nose to control it. It is way mightier as a hundred wild horses! Leviathan owes nobody anything. It will never beg anyone for mercy. You cannot make an agreement with it. Leviathan cannot be enslaved – it refuses to listen to man. Never will Leviathan go on a leash, it will never ever be anyone’s pet.”
“Whoever endeavoured to catch this Leviathan were unsuccessful.”
“Livyatan must have snapped the cord tied to the large hook like inferior flax.”
“Nobody – except Jehovah – could tame the fire-breathing and smoke-spewing monster,” said captain Donovan confidently.
“Yeah, it is possible that we could find the remains of a simple ship close to the fossil of Livyatan. What do you think?”
“You mean Livyatan sank the ship and destroyed the fishermen?”
“Yes, that is exactly my thinking.”
“Well, let’s get the Beast-tamer at work.”
————–0—————-
The next day the Beast-tamer is searching away.
A couple of beeps raise the alarm. The research team is at the screen.
“There, there is the shape of a ship or boat of some kind!”
The yellow Beast-tamer sends clear images to the surface.
“Look! Look, there are the shapes of 3 large hooks – similar to the one in the jaw of Livyatan!”
“Yes! You are right.”
“Our story is going to be over the top! “
“Unbelievable!”
The 3 men are speechless. They stared at the screen in disbelief.
The Beast-tamer – like a modern-day investigator – sends detailed images to the screens of the scientists.
“Three large seashell-type fishing hooks are lying next to the boat! How lucky are we?”
———————0——————-
The beast-tamer stops. It scans and zooms. It moves closer to the seabed. It zooms to its maximum. It beeps and beeps.
The two scientists on the ship heard the beeps. They’re at the screen.
They see how the probe of the beast-tamer digs into the seabed. A long probe of 2 metres wriggles and wriggles into the loose silt and sand. It scans with precision when it is fully extended – like an earthworm digging for its treat, head down.
“What is that?”
“It looks like 6 stones.”
“Press the analyse the materials function.”
“How on earth?”
“Yes, it is 6 different gemstones!”
“A Topaz, Carbuncle, Diamond, Sapphire, Amethyst, and Onyx.”
The scientists are perplexed. They run their quantum computer in research mode.
—————0—————
The captain has heard of the find – 6 dove egg size gemstones – in the boat. They are grouped together in a bag of some sort.
“If I may make a comment, those are 6 of the gemstones represented in the breastplate of the High Priest in ancient Israel.”
“Are you sure? Captain, what do you think? Why take these the stones on a voyage to capture Livyatan?”
The captain took a large book with illustrations from his shelf. He opens it.
“Here is an image of the breastplate and the different stones.”
The Stones on the Breastplate of the High Priest.
“Why would you refer to the breastplate and the stones?”
“I know the stones very well. I analyse my own dreams and my wife’s dreams. We write down our dreams and analyse them. They all have meaning. That is why those stones got my attention.”
“Do you think there could be more stones down there?”
“Maybe, why don’t we go back to Livyatan and do a close-up scan of the beast. Just maybe there are some stones next to it?”
“Mmmhhhhh, are you serious?”
“Yes, I am.”
————————0————————-
The next day the little tamer was at work. It moved closer to the surface, its belly is flat on the seabed, its probe wriggles and wriggles. Then there is a couple of beeps.
“There is something!”
“Quickly come see!”
The scientists are at the screen.
“That is a gemstone – close to the tummy of Livyatan!”
“Look at the data; it is an emerald!”
The captain overheard the conversation and said: “The emerald is also on the priest’s breastplate.”
—————————0—————————
The next day the captain listened to the scientists’ theories about the how and the why of the gemstones found at Livyatan and the boat.
“I have an idea why the stones are there,” said the captain.
“Please share your thoughts?”
“You will think I am crazy. However, I will tell you what came to mind. I had a dream last night.”
“Did you dream about the gemstones?”
“Indeed, I did.”
“Tell us, tell us!”
The captain asked the two scientists to sit down. He wanted their undivided attention.
“I dreamt of creation – as described in the Bible – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. He continued to add living and teeming things to the earth. You probably know this description:”
And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning–the fourth day. And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”
I saw the back of God as He spoke. Visible Hebrew words went forth from His mouth. I have completed some studies in Hebrew, and I could recognise some of the words. The Almighty stretched out his hand over the ocean and said:
“Twenty-four sea dragons, come forth!”
The words swirled and twirled and shaped 24 white seadragons as we know them today – like those dragons the Chinese people use in their celebrations and festivals. The spectacular sea creatures moved about in the sea in front of Him. Then, God said:
“Breathe fire!”
It looked like the ocean in front of me was set on fire. Fire and sparks flew everywhere. A spectacular and scary sight unfolded. I marvelled.
God was standing on the beach facing the dragons. I was located behind God. The beach was littered with small gemstones – the size of dove eggs. Beautiful and colourful precious stones were everywhere.
Then something astonishing happened. Jehovah knelt down and picked up a variety of 24 small stones in his left hand – from pale yellow to reddish-orange colour – a range of stones. He stood up and placed 2 stones – of the same colour in His right hand. You will not believe what happened next. He wrote with his giant finger on the first tiny two stones the name Rueben. He took the set of 2 stones – of the same colour – in his right hand and aimed at the two dragons. He then threw the stones at the first two dragons.
The dragons weren’t hurt; in fact, they turned to the flying stones, grabbed it in their mouths – one each – and swallowed it. Then the unexpected happened. They instantly turned into the colour of the stones. The first two dragons turned into the Sardius stone colour – the first stone on the High Priest’s breastplate. He then continued to throw 11 sets of stones at the dragons. They caught it with their mouths, and they swallowed it. And, you have guessed it, they turned into the colour of the stones. Twelve pairs of different coloured dragons were created – male and female. I was stunned in my dream. The most spectacular beasts flew about above the sea, arcing with outstretched wings, each as brilliant as stained glass. I held my breath for a moment, eyes widening. They were free as kites without strings; they celebrated their power and freedom with each rhythmic beat. It was an intimidating sight! That was my dream.”
“What a fascinating dream!”
“Yes, the fact that the pairs of dragons turned into the colours of the stones on the breastplate of the High Priest is remarkable!”
“I was astonished in my dream; however, when I woke up, I immediately remembered the 7 stones you have found at Livyatan and the boat.”
“What do you think is the relationship between the stones and the dragon?”
“Well, I think the Creator placed the different coloured stones in the tummy of the dragons so men could find it. Obviously, the dragons died when they came of age. Humans can’t kill dragons. They are too powerful.”
“Do you think the stones have special powers?”
“Yes, I do.”
“What type of powers do you think they have?”
“I think the flaws and weaknesses of the characters of the dragons are locked up into the stones. When you find one, and you hold it in your hand, you could see and experience the flaws of that specific dragon.”
“Where on earth did you get that idea from?”
“I know the ephod of the High Priest. My wife and I had been studying the stones and their meaning for many years.” There is a symbolism associated with many dreams and the colours in those dreams.”
“Do you relate to any of those stones?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Please tell us, which one?”
“Well, I have to be very vulnerable to tell the truth. In fact, in the early hours of the morning, I have made a sketch of an emerald coloured dragon in my sketchbook. Look, here it is.”
“Amazing!”
“So cool!”
“Please tell us about the weaknesses?”
“Firstly, let me tell you what the Emerald represents in the scriptures. The Emerald has long been thought of as the stone of compassion, unity and unconditional love. It has been used as a healing stone to bring freshness and to re-invigorate the spirit.”
“Positively, an emerald represents a sense of longevity, immortality, or durability that is all for yourself. Feeling good knowing that nothing can stop you or that something is permanently yours.”
“Negatively, an emerald may represent basking in arrogance, conceit, or pride. Knowing you’ll be better than someone else forever.”
“Which stone do you associate with?”
“I associate with the Emerald, and lately, I have been through a process of humiliation. I have been a very prideful and haughty person in the past – as if I was carrying an emerald stone in my pocket every day.”
“Wow, that is interesting! Thanks for sharing.”
“Have you changed?”
“Yes, after what I have been through, I am a changed man.”
“Do you mind sharing how you have changed?”
“No, certainly. I will share my story.”
The captain unbuttoned his shirt and pulled his right arm out of the sleeve. His arm, chest and shoulder were exposed. A giant dragon tattoo curled around his arm. The head was partially on his shoulder and the upper area of his chest.
“Wow, that is a great tattoo!”
“I had the black and grey-scale dragon tattooed when I was a young man in my twenties when I worked on several ships as a diesel mechanic. Then several years later – after being through a wilderness experience – I have added the green colour to the dragon’s eyes. It is a constant reminder to me to be humble.”
“Amazing!”
“Do you mind sharing – not in detail – your wilderness experience?”
“I was adopted by a wealthy family as a baby. I was brought up in a very affluent environment – I suppose just like Moses was brought up in the palaces of Egypt. I became arrogant, proud and haughty. I had everything I wanted. Spoilt! “
“At sea, in a massive storm, the large vessel I was on was hit by a rogue wave – the boat turned upside down just like the Poseidon – and sank like a rock. I was trapped inside. In the machine room, a large pocket of air formed, and I survived the first day. I knew my time was running out. I was frustrated. I shouted and banged on all the metal parts in the machine room where I was trapped. I cursed all day long. I cursed everyone, including God. On the morning of day 3, I was writing – scraping with a sharp screwdriver – my last messages to my family on the side of the hull.“
“Thank you for everything you have done for me. My family, I love you all. Donovan.”
“I was at breaking point. I fully broke down. I called upon the name of the Lord. It was my last resort.”
“God, please help me; I don’t want to die. If I die, I am sure I will go to hell. I was down and out, preparing to die. The oxygen levels in the pocket were running low. I knelt down beside the engine. I knew the sinner’s prayer – however, I always rejected all religion. Then an amazing thing happened, a light went on in the machine room for about a minute. I can’t explain how that happened. Maybe there was a switch or lever that were flipped by a current or something like that. Then a feeling of peace came over me; fear left my mind and heart. I accepted my fate. I was ready to die.”
“What a story! How were you rescued?”
“It was a miracle. At about 11 am on that same morning, day three, I heard soft banging noises reverberating through the thick metal hull. I could not believe my ears. I placed my ear against the cold hull and listened. There was definitely something. I knew it could be divers salvaging some valuables on the ship. I started banging with a large crescent against the side and shouted continuously: Help me, please help me, I am still alive!”
“What happened then?”
“After about half an hour, I saw a torchlight scanning in the murky water. It was moving closer to me. I was banging and shouting at the top of my voice at that point. The oxygen was so low that I felt how I was losing consciousness at times. At one point, I drifted off into a semi-sleep state. However, I was full of hope, and then I started to pray. God help me. Please send those rescuers to me, let them hear the banging and my voice.”
The two scientists were sitting on the edges of their chairs; their eyes were scanning the mouth of Donovan to ensure they didn’t miss a word.
“Suddenly, a frogman – covered in black – popped up right in front of me. I fainted.”
————0————
“I woke up in a hospital bed days later. I pinched myself; my first thought was that I was in heaven because everything in the room was white.”
“Thank goodness you did not see flames!”
The men laughed.
“Later, I was told that the divers placed me in a special sarcophagus-capsule – just like those coffins used to bury the mummies in Egypt – and they transported me slowly to the surface. Equalising every 10 metres to prevent me from getting the bends. But, they told me I did get the bends, and I was placed in a decompression chamber for a full day. I survived, and here I am today! A changed man.”
“What an ordeal!”
“I got the dragon tattoo in my twenties – I was a rebel and believed I was bullet-proof. After the near-death experience, I learned about the stones of the High Priest and their meanings. I dreamt of the colour green – continuously. In the process, I recognised my arrogance and the meaning of the emerald coloured stone. I also acknowledged my flaws, weaknesses, and iniquities. Then I had the eyes of the dragon filled with a green colour –reminding me always of my flaws and sins of the past. Since then, I have been forgiven, my sins have been plunged into the deepest parts of the ocean, and God remembers it no more.”
“What a story! Thank you for sharing so many personal things. These are powerful life lessons!”
—————-0——————
The next day the men were drinking coffee around the table in the Lab.
“Do you believe that there is a gemstone in every dragon that ever lived?”
“Yes, I am absolutely convinced. Let’s do a test.”
Donovan opened his notebook with a picture of the twelve stones on the breastplate and placed it on the table.
“Choose a stone, place your finger on the stone in the book, close your eyes and think of a dragon of the same colour of the stone? Then you will see your flaws.”
“What, are you serious!”
The two scientists chose a stone on the page and placed their fingers on one of them. They closed their eyes and imagined a sea dragon. They saw their weaknesses and flaws instantly.”
————0——————-
Dear reader, now it is your turn. To uncover your weaknesses and flaws go to the image of the breastplate, choose a stone, place your finger on it (on the screen), close your eyes. Imagine a dragon of your choice; that dragon will whisper in your ear and tell you all about your weaknesses and flaws. Accept them, make a decision to work on it. Live humble, knowing you have work to do. Ask God to help you. Ask for His forgiveness. He will never let you down. He knows your iniquities. He has your back!
Some images that relates to this story:
A Greek merchant ship dating back more than 2,400 years has been found lying on its side off the Bulgarian coast.
The 23m (75ft) wreck, found in the Black Sea by an Anglo-Bulgarian team, is being hailed as officially the world’s oldest known intact shipwreck. Credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45951132
Steve Edges found this dragon fossil:
( Carla Cook/Etches Collection/PA). A two-metre-long fossil of a new type of prehistoric “sea dragon” has been discovered on a Dorset beach.
Amateur fossil hunter Dr Steve Etches found the ichthyosaur fossil buried head-first in limestone. Credit: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/sea-dragon-fossil-dorset-ichthyosaur-b1768883.html
The Livyatan fossil is enormous compared to the small Etches Sea Dragon.
Research on ancient fishing hooks:
An archaeologist from The Australian National University (ANU) has uncovered the world’s oldest known fish-hooks placed in a burial ritual, found on Indonesia’s Alor Island, northwest of East Timor. Credit: https://phys.org/news/2017-12-archaeologist-world-oldest-funereal-fish.html
Credits: Ebook/Article Covers
Front and back cover of the eBook/article: Ancient fishing hooks. Credit: https://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2011/11/worlds-oldest-fishing-hook-found/
Copyright © 2021 by William Van Zyl
Ancient Leviathan finally rolls over – 5000 fathoms under the sea – and reveals its secrets.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion
thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner
whatsoever without the express written permission of the
publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Five House Publishing (New Zealand)
First Publishing, 2021
More eBooks and articles are available at https://fivehousepublishing.com/
More about the author at http://williamvanzyl.com/
