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This article presents the full text of CT 13.33-34, a myth which describes a battle between Tishpak, the chief god of Eshnunna, and a dragon/serpent creature of immense proportions. It further explores the nature of this composite creature having both leonine and serpentine characteristics (with its iconographic representations).
The Canaanite background of the divine battle with the tannin-dragon creature found in Ezekiel 32 is also investigated. A review of the history of scholarship shows that many have perceived the two parallel descriptions of Pharaoh as a lion and a dragon/serpent to be incompatible. This paper argues that there is considerable textual and iconographical justification for associating these two creatures together as symbols of terrifying power.
The paper concludes by comparing and contrasting the two texts.
CT 13.33-34 AND EZEKIEL 32: LION-DRAGON MYTHS*
INTRODUCTION
THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES TWO COMBAT myths often left out of discussions of divine-conflict stories, discussions which tend to favor the better-known Mesopotamian tale of Marduk fighting Tiamat and the Canaanite tale of Baal, Anat, and Yahweh fighting the likes of Yamm, Lotan/ Leviathan, and Mot.
One of these neglected tales, about the deity Tishpak, comes from the Mesopotamian sphere and reflects mythology older than Enuma Elish; the other is much later, from Judah's exilic period, and reflects West Semitic developments of the combat myth. The nature of the beasts with whom the deities battle in these stories is singled out for special attention. These two texts show, in conjunction with other literary sources and iconography, that ancient Near Eastern writers and artists used composite animal imagery-in particular, the juxtaposition of lions and dragons-to demonstrate the preeminence of warriors both human and divine. After examining these two myths individually, this article will conclude by addressing them from a comparative perspective.
I. CT 13.33-34
The Deity Tishpak
Tishpak succeeded Ninazu as the chief god of Eshnunna (Tell Asmar).1 Remarkably, there has been little attention devoted to this deity in the standard treatments of Mesopotamian religion, even though he may have been a prototype of Marduk. Tishpak has been thought to be a god of thunderstorms;2 Jacobsen even connected him with the Hurrian god Teshup.3 It is clear that he does act in the manner of a storm god in his battle with the...