Isaiah 51:9,10..Job 26:12-13...Psalm 89:9,10...Isaiah 27:1...Psalm 74:13,14...Psalm 77:16 and possibly other verses refer to a sea monster who is vanquished (split in two)by Yahweh. The contexts show application to creation and/or judgement of enemies. I'm hoping this sparks a discussion.
Rahab the Dragon
by peacefulpete 5 Replies latest watchtower bible
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peacefulpete
Alright I guess I'm on my own. This motif of a God defeating a sea monster or the sea itself is of ancient Sumerian origin. Originally it was a creation story, it evolved into a story of rivalry between competing deities. A storm god verses Chaos the sea often portrayed as a sea monster. The Babylonian version called the Enuma Elis has Marduke the war god defeating Tiamat (tehom in Genesis meaning watery chaos is Hebrew varient of Tiamat). He splits the body in half and forms the heavens and earth from it's parts. It is an interesting study to compare the steps of creation of this myth with the Genesis version, they coincide. But this is another topic. The Ugarit version has Baal defeating Lotan also called Leviathan in Hebrew. The writers of the most ancient parts of the OT found this myth compelling and used it both in their creation story as well as a symbol of deliverence ie:new life. Even though by the time these verses were written the Jews had separated theologically from the Babylonians and Sumerians they retained elements of antiquity that betray their true heritage. From then on a simple motif of slaying a sea monster (Leviathan or Rahab; meaning thrashing, stormy) or dividing water served to symbolize a new start.This is why 4 times Yahweh divides the sea or rivers at the beginning or finale (Ex 14, Josh 3, 2 Kings 2;8 and 14)of a tale. This is the standard scholarly view not my opinion. Countless other examples of the Bible's incorporating mythological themes and imagery can be researched by anyone desiring to know.
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onacruse
peacefulpete: You certainly present some interesting alternative perspectives! I've quickly reviewed my copies of The Lost Books of The Bible, The Forgotten Books of Eden, and The Apocrypha, and find no references to this myth. Your hypothesis is compelling. I'm currently investigating the derivation of the Biblical cannon, and am very interested in the historical/mythological/sociological background that may lay at the roots of OT theology. Would you care to expand on your thoughts, providing source info?
Craig
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peacefulpete
onacruse...This particular thought is in a number of books but two I will recommend are Canaanite Myth and Hebrew Epic by Frank Moore Cross and a more recent book, Secret Origins of the Bible by Tim Callahan a modest man whom I had the pleasure of sharing dinner with last week. He and I disagree on some points but this book does address these and other issues of origins.
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justhuman
There are many things that personally makes me question the Old testament. For example: Numbers 31:17-19 Moses commands hes souldiers to KILL every male but keep alive the females and virgins, all the rest, male babes, old, non virgins should be killed. In some other occasions the order was to kill all, from babes to old people.
This tactic of killing the males and keep the women it is exactly the same thing that the Othoman empire(Turks)were doing during their domination untill 1922, in order to keep and expand the population of their empire. The bigisted slautering was in 1912-1916 were 1.5 Armenians were slautered by the Turks(even until now they don't accept that they have done this killings although many European Countries have recognized this)and at least 0,5 million Greeks living in Turkey(ex-Byzantine Land)during those dark years.
The killing of innocend Human people it is something that I cannot aceppt. There is NO EXCUSE to take human life and specially a baby's life. And that makes me question what kind of God is the God of the Old Testament. And the old testament it is one of the most violent and immoral books to read...
One the other hand:
1. There is no Historical proove that the Hebrews were living in Egypt as slaves during the time 1450 b.c.
2. Simiral story of Moses exists in the Egyptian mythology
3. There are religious books that were written long time ago before the old testament,(something that the WT does not accept) The indian sanscritic language and the Book of Vedes is at least 5000 years old.(only 50 years after the dead of Adam) And Egyptians have a record History of 7000 years old(1000 years before Adam was created!!!) and the Sumerians have books going back 4000 years.
4. We(Greeks) we have the book of the Orphean Songs(Greek God)that shows Astronomical Observations and events that took place at least 12,000 years old. (By the way we knew that the earth was round long before the Jews came to excistence as a nation).
5. And last Pyramids were build 50 years before the world wide "flood"and Sphynx is about 10.000 years old. So if there was a flood(which i believe is the History of the Melting of the Ice age) and that was 10.000 years ago.
This are just few things to mention. I believe that manking has lost it's Hisrtory and some how it is hidden behind legents and mythology...
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peacefulpete
I have two more refernces that deal with this specific issue. THE BABYLONIAN GENESIS:THE STORY OF CREATION, by Alexander Heidel (1942 old but detailed) and FAMILIAR MYSTERIES by Shirley Lowry.(1982) Check abe.com I bet you can find these books cheap.
Edited by - peacefulpete on 31 January 2003 0:0:34