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According
to Wikipedia, Bahamut is a mythical beast of Arabic origins. He is usually
described as a giant fish. Bahamut carries the earth and heaven on his
back, among other things such as Kujata, a giant bull, a giant ruby, a
great desert etc. The specifics vary from tradition to tradition. Bahamut
is referred to in one of the stories in 1001 Arabian Nights. In
it, Jesus sees him in the ocean and falls into unconsciousness. TIAMAT IN MYTHOLOGY Tiamat figures in the Mesopotamian creation myth, Enuma elish. The written version of this myth dates to the first millennium BCE. Tiamat is the origin of all life, giving birth to the first Gods in the salt waters of Apsu, her husband. Eventually, her children begin to bother her with their noisome ways. Apsu suggests that they kill them; Tiamat refuses. Apsu plots to kill them regardless. When news
spreads of Apsu's intentions, Ea kills him and steals his regalia. Ea's
first born, Marduk, continues to harass Tiamat as he plays with dust storms.
At this point, the Pantheon of Gods splits into two factions: those who
support Tiamat and those who follow Marduk. A war ensues. In an epic battle,
Marduk defeats Tiamat. Her remains are used to shape the earth; for example
her tail becomes the Milky Way, her pierced eyes become the sources of
the Euphrates and the Tigris etc. Jacobsen, Thorkild. "Second Millennium Metaphors. World Origins and World Order: The Creation Epic." The Treasures of Darkness: A History of Mesopotamian Religion. New Haven: Yale UP, 1976. 167-91. |