Tannin_(monster)

Tannin (monster)

Tannin (monster)

Sea monster in Canaanite, Phoenician, and Hebrew Faiths

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]

The Tannin (Dragon), by al-Qazwini (1203–1283).

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 sometimes conflated with the related sea monsters Leviathan and Rahab by Christians.[19][clarification needed] 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]

See also

Notes

  1. [n 1]
    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

  1. [1]
    Day (1985), p. 5.
  2. [2]
    Heider (1999), p. 836.
  3. [3]
    Herrmann (1999), p. 135.
  4. [4]
    Heider (1999), p. 135.
  5. [5]
    Gen. 1:21.
  6. [6]
    Exodus 7:9–10:12.
  7. [7]
    Deut. 32:33.
  8. [8]
    Heider (1999), p. 135–136.
  9. [9]
    Ps. 74:13, 91:13, 148:7, and possibly 44:20.[8]
  10. [10]
    Job 7:12.
  11. [11]
    Ezek. 29:3 & 32:2.
  12. [12]
    Isa. 27:1 & 51:9.
  13. [13]
    Jer. 51:34.
  14. [14]
    Gen. 1:21 (KJV).
  15. [15]
    Isa. 27:1.
  16. [16]
    Isa. 27:1 (KJV).
  17. [17]
    Barker (2014), p. 152.
  18. [18]
    Uehlinger (1999), p. 512.
  19. [19]
    Heider (1999), pp. 835–836.
  20. [20]
    Dictionary of the Old Testament. Intervarsity Press. 6 June 2008. p. 46. ISBN 9780830817832. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  21. [21]
    "Morfix Dictionary - תנין". www.morfix.co.il. Retrieved 2022-03-12.

Bibliography
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