Always Two There Are? The Combined Dragon in Job 40:15–41:26 LXX

In this article, I examine the portrayal of Behemoth and Leviathan in the Septuagint version of Job 40:15–41:26, arguing that the translation merges the two creatures into a single entity: the δράκων (“dragon”). While traditionally, the term δράκων has been considered a reference only to the Hebrew text’s “Leviathan” pericope (Job 40:25–41:26), I contend that the translation seems to extend the δράκων into the preceding “Behemoth” passage in the Hebrew (Job 40:15–24), absorbing all its characteristics into the singular δράκων. Analysis of the key lines of the pericope in the Septuagint of Job (LXX Job) reveals certain features, such as syntactical uniformity, use of inclusios, and consistent descriptions of a serpentine creature, which align more with a single creature, the δράκων, than two different animals. Moving beyond LXX Job, the later portrayal of the δράκων in 3 Baruch may better reflect the unified δράκων of LXX Job. Overall, I challenge the traditional (dichotomous) reading of Behemoth and Leviathan in LXX Job, emphasizing the translation’s—and ultimately the creature’s—literary unity.