Bar Juchne
Encyclopedia
Bar Juchne or Bar-Yuchnei is a colossal legendary bird
from Jewish mythology
which was believed to have a wingspan
large enough to block out the sun.
The first mention of the creature comes from the Talmud
(Bekhorot
, fol. 57 col. 2) which tells of a Bar Juchne egg falling from its nest and destroying 300 cedars and flooding 60 villages/cities. The Talmud says of the event: 'The question therefore arose, "Does the bird generally throw out its eggs?" Rav Ashi replied, "No; that was a rotten one."'
It is said that it would be roasted, along with Leviathan
and Behemoth
, and served at a banquet for the Children of Israel at the coming of the Messiah
.
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
from Jewish mythology
Jewish mythology
Jewish mythology is generally the sacred and traditional narratives that help explain and symbolize the Jewish religion, whereas Jewish folklore consists of the folk tales and legends that existed in the general Jewish culture. There is very little early folklore distinct from the aggadah literature...
which was believed to have a wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
large enough to block out the sun.
The first mention of the creature comes from the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(Bekhorot
Kodashim
Kodashim or Qodhashim is the fifth Order in the Mishna . Of the six Orders of the Mishna, it is the third longest...
, fol. 57 col. 2) which tells of a Bar Juchne egg falling from its nest and destroying 300 cedars and flooding 60 villages/cities. The Talmud says of the event: 'The question therefore arose, "Does the bird generally throw out its eggs?" Rav Ashi replied, "No; that was a rotten one."'
It is said that it would be roasted, along with Leviathan
Leviathan
Leviathan , is a sea monster referred to in the Bible. In Demonology, Leviathan is one of the seven princes of Hell and its gatekeeper . The word has become synonymous with any large sea monster or creature...
and Behemoth
Behemoth
Behemoth is a mythological beast mentioned in the Book of Job, 40:15-24. Metaphorically, the name has come to be used for any extremely large or powerful entity.-Plural as singular:...
, and served at a banquet for the Children of Israel at the coming of the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
.
See also
- Angha
- Roc
- ThunderbirdThunderbird (mythology)The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a "supernatural" bird of power and strength...
- ZigZig (Judaism)In the Babylonian Talmud, Zig is a giant rooster which stands with its foot on the earth and touches heaven with its head. Legend has it that when it spreads its wings it causes a total eclipse of the sun....
- ZizZizThe Ziz is a giant griffin-like bird in Jewish mythology, said to be large enough to be able to block out the sun with its wingspan. It is considered a giant animal/monster corresponding to archetypal creatures. Rabbis have said that the Ziz is comparable to the Persian Simurgh...