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]

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 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]

See also

• Chaoskampf
• Illuyanka
• Lotan
• Makara

Notes

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.