Tannin (mythology)

Tannin (Hebrew: תַּנִּין tannīn; Syriac: ܬܢܝܢܐ tannīnā plural: tannīnē; Arabic: التنين tinnīn, ultimately from Akkadian 𒆗𒉌𒈾 dannina) or Tunnanu (Ugaritic: 𐎚𐎐𐎐 tnn, likely vocalized tunnanu^[1]) was a sea monster in Canaanite and Hebrew mythology used as a symbol of chaos and evil.^[2]

Canaanite mythology

Tannin appears in the Baal Cycle as one of the servants of Yam (lit. 'Sea') defeated by Baʿal (lit. 'Lord')^[3] or bound by his sister, Anat.^[4] He is usually depicted as serpentine, possibly with a double tail.^[4]

Hebrew mythology

The tanninim (תַּנִּינִים) also appear in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis,^[5] Exodus,^[6] Deuteronomy,^[7] Psalms,^[9] Job,^[10] Ezekiel,^[11] Isaiah,^[12] and Jeremiah.^[13] They are explicitly listed among the creatures created by God on the fifth day of the Genesis creation narrative,^[5] translated in the King James Version as "great whales".^[14] The tannin is listed in the apocalypse of Isaiah as among the sea beasts to be slain by Yahweh "on that day",^[15] translated in the King James Version as "the dragon".^[16]^{[n 1]}

In Judaism, tannin is the term used for sea monsters such as Leviathan and Rahab.^[19] Along with Rahab, "Tannin" was a name applied to ancient Egypt after the Exodus to Canaan.^[2]

The word Tannin is used in the Hebrew Bible fourteen times. Aaron's staff becomes Tannin in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 7:9-12), it is used in the meaning "snake" in the Book of Deuteronomy (Deut 32:33) and Psalms (Psalm 91:13). It represents Nebuchadnezzar II (the king of Babylon) in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:34) and Pharaoh in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 29:3, 32:2). In the Book of Job (Job 7:12) the protagonist questions God "Am I the sea or the sea dragon that you have set a guard over me?"^[20]

The name has subsequently been given to three submarines in the Israeli Navy: the first, an S-class submarine formerly known as HMS Springer, was in commission from 1958 until 1972. The second, a Gal-class submarine, was in commission from 1977 until 2002. The third INS Tanin is a Dolphin-class submarine in commission since 2014.

Modern Hebrew

In modern Hebrew usage, the word tanin (תנין) means crocodile.^[21]

Notes

^ This passage in Isaiah directly parallels another from the earlier Baal Cycle. The Hebrew passage describing the tannin takes the place of a Ugaritic one describing "the encircler"^[17] or "the mighty one with seven heads" (šlyṭ d.šbʿt rašm).^[18] In both the Ugaritic and Hebrew texts, it is debatable whether three figures are being described or whether the others are epithets of Lotan or Leviathan.

References

Citations

^ Day (1985), p. 5.
^ ^a ^b Heider (1999), p. 836.
^ Herrmann (1999), p. 135.
^ ^a ^b Heider (1999), p. 135.
^ ^a ^b Gen. 1:21.
^ Exodus 7:9–10:12.
^ Deut. 32:33.
^ Heider (1999), p. 135–136.
^ Ps. 74:13, 91:13, 148:7, and possibly 44:20.^[8]
^ Job 7:12.
^ Ezek. 29:3 & 32:2.
^ Isa. 27:1 & 51:9.
^ Jer. 51:34.
^ Gen. 1:21 (KJV).
^ Isa. 27:1.
^ Isa. 27:1 (KJV).
^ Barker (2014), p. 152.
^ Uehlinger (1999), p. 512.
^ Heider (1999), pp. 835–836.
^ Dictionary of the Old Testament. Intervarsity Press. 6 June 2008. p. 46. ISBN 9780830817832. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
^ "Morfix Dictionary - תנין". www.morfix.co.il. Retrieved 2022-03-12.

Bibliography

Barker, William D. (2014), "Litan in Ugarit", Isaiah's Kingship Polemic: An Exegetical Study in Isaiah 24–27, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, pp. 151–167, ISBN 978-3-16-153347-1.
Day, John (1985). God's Conflict with the Dragon and the Sea: Echoes of a Canaanite Myth in the Old Testament. CUP Archive. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-521-25600-1.
Heider, George C. (1999), "Tannîn", Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, 2nd ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, pp. 834–836.
Herrmann, Wolfgang (1999), "Baal", Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, 2nd ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, pp. 132–139.
Uehlinger, C. (1999), "Leviathan", Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, 2nd ed., Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, pp. 511–515.

[19] This passage in Isaiah directly parallels another from the earlier Baal Cycle. The Hebrew passage describing the tannin takes the place of a Ugaritic one describing "the encircler"^[17] or "the mighty one with seven heads" (šlyṭ d.šbʿt rašm).^[18] In both the Ugaritic and Hebrew texts, it is debatable whether three figures are being described or whether the others are epithets of Lotan or Leviathan.

[FOOTNOTEDay19855-1] Day (1985), p. 5.

[FOOTNOTEHeider1999836-2] Heider (1999), p. 836.

[FOOTNOTEHerrmann1999135-3] Herrmann (1999), p. 135.

[FOOTNOTEHeider1999135-4] Heider (1999), p. 135.

[gen-5] Gen. 1:21.

[6] Exodus 7:9–10:12.

[7] Deut. 32:33.

[FOOTNOTEHeider1999135–136-8] Heider (1999), p. 135–136.

[9] Ps. 74:13, 91:13, 148:7, and possibly 44:20.^[8]

[10] Job 7:12.

[11] Ezek. 29:3 & 32:2.

[12] Isa. 27:1 & 51:9.

[13] Jer. 51:34.

[14] Gen. 1:21 (KJV).

[15] Isa. 27:1.

[16] Isa. 27:1 (KJV).

[FOOTNOTEBarker2014[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidcXRZJlN8BbwCpgPA152_152]-17] Barker (2014), p. 152.

[FOOTNOTEUehlinger1999512-18] Uehlinger (1999), p. 512.

[FOOTNOTEHeider1999835–836-20] Heider (1999), pp. 835–836.

[21] Dictionary of the Old Testament. Intervarsity Press. 6 June 2008. p. 46. ISBN 9780830817832. Retrieved 25 August 2019.

[22] "Morfix Dictionary - תנין". www.morfix.co.il. Retrieved 2022-03-12.

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