Sin: Spira's Leviathan

To anyone familiar with the Final Fantasy series, 'Leviathan' conjures up the image of a sea-colored Chinese water dragon. Historically, however, Leviathan is the name of a great sea beast from the Hebrew book of Job; the book related the story of Job, a man tested by Shatan in his faith in God. In the writings, Leviathan is one of many layered symbols: the beast symbolizes God, God's power and God's control. In these ways, Leviathan is the ancient equiviant of Spira's Sin. From its physcial appearence to its more lofty functions, Sin is Spira's Leviathan.

[The beast cometh]
In Job 41, the beast is described as being covered in scales which are so closely fitted together than "no air can come between them." (v.16) His hide is impenetrable by all weapons since his skin is like rock, like shields bound together. The leviathan is huge, with firebrands pouring from his mouth and eyes like rays of the dawn. He causes everyone which comes before to cower in fear. These physical descriptions could have just as easily been attributed to Sin; especially the lengthy description of hide/skin and its armoured properties.

[God's power]
The leviathan was created by God and is only subject to his will while humans must bow to the fearsome beast. In rabbinic texts, the leviathan is seen as a symbol of God himself -- one of his beast faces -- as well as a symbol of his almighty power, especially in regards to creation. The Leviathan destroys and is the "king" over the humans who must fear him but the monster is completely subject to God's power because it was God who created him. The same can be said to be true for Sin in FFX. Sin is indeed created by Yevon and Yunalesca, both of whom have reached divine proportions in Spira; it to them that the people supplicate themselves in order to destroy. The Yevonites believe that only with Yevon's blessings in the form of the aeons can Sin be defeated. Like Leviathan, Sin is created and destroyed only by the will of God; humans must bow both to saint and beast until their prayers are answered. Sin, as that which protects Yu-Yevon and continues to renew people's need to worship, is the ultimate symbol of his power.

[Sources]
The quotes are taken from the Scofield Reference Bible, King James Version. For more discussions on the nature of leviathan, try Carl Jung's "Answer to Job," or Thomas Hobbes' allegorical work on the beast and its connections to government.

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