Providing context for the now-maligned name co-opted by American cult

By Timothy Page

In the vast pantheon of mythological creatures, few are as enigmatic yet significant as the Ziz, a colossal bird-like entity from Jewish tradition that has captured imaginations for millennia. Despite its profound importance in Jewish mythology, the Ziz remains less well-known than its counterparts, the Behemoth and Leviathan, making its history all the more intriguing to unravel.

Most recently, Ziz has been the name for the leader of a violent California-based cult implicated in the shooting death of Border Patrol Agent David Maland January 20 in Coventry.

The earliest documented mention of the Ziz appears in the Hebrew Bible, specifically in Psalm 50:11, where the term “ziz sadai” (זיז שדי) emerges. Biblical scholar Mitchell Dahood, in his work “Psalms I: 1-50” (Anchor Bible, 1965), suggests this reference marks the first textual evidence of what would later develop into the full mythological figure, though he acknowledges the ongoing debate over its interpretation (Dahood 306).

The most detailed early descriptions come from the Babylonian Talmud, as translated by I. Epstein in “The Babylonian Talmud: Seder Nezikin” (Soncino Press, 1935). In Baba Batra 73b, the Ziz is portrayed as a bird of such immense proportions that while standing in the ocean’s depths, its head would pierce the heavens themselves. The text describes its wings as so vast they could eclipse the sun, creating a cosmic spectacle that emphasizes its role as a guardian of the sky realm (Epstein 294-295).

Medieval Jewish literature significantly expanded the Ziz’s mythological role. The Perek Shirah, analyzed in detail by Malachi Beit-Arié in “Perek Shirah: Critical Edition” (The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, 1967), elevates the Ziz’s status by depicting it as one of God’s divine choir. This 10th-century CE text marks a crucial development in the Ziz’s mythological role, incorporating it into the broader framework of Jewish angelology and mystical tradition (Beit-Arié 78-80).

Joseph Heinemann, in his seminal work “Aggadah and Its Development” (Keter Publishing House, 1974), draws attention to the remarkable parallels between the Ziz and other mythological birds from neighboring cultures. The Persian Simurgh and the Arabian Roc share similar characteristics, suggesting a possible common ancestral myth or mutual influence during the medieval period when these cultures frequently intersected (Heinemann 156-158).

Louis Ginzberg’s comprehensive “The Legends of the Jews” (The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1909) provides one of the most thorough compilations of Ziz-related traditions. Ginzberg meticulously traces how the Ziz, along with the Behemoth and Leviathan, forms part of a crucial triumvirate representing the three domains of creation: air, land, and sea respectively (Ginzberg 23-28).

Modern scholarship, as represented in Alan Unterman’s “Dictionary of Jewish Lore and Legend” (Thames and Hudson, 1991), has increasingly recognized the Ziz’s significance in understanding ancient Near Eastern concepts of cosmic order. Unterman emphasizes how this tripartite division offers insight into how ancient cultures conceptualized the organization of the natural world (Unterman 216-217).

Howard Schwartz’s “Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism” (Oxford University Press, 2004) explores the Ziz’s role in Jewish eschatological thought, particularly its destined role in the messianic banquet at the end of days. This enduring presence in religious tradition underscores the Ziz’s importance not just as a mythological figure, but as a symbol of divine power and cosmic order (Schwartz 182-184).

The continuing scholarly interest in the Ziz is evident in recent works such as David Calabro’s “Ritual in the Biblical World” (Society of Biblical Literature, 2020), which examines its connections to other ancient Near Eastern mythological traditions and its role in early Jewish cosmology. Each new study adds another layer to our understanding of this remarkable figure that has survived in religious and cultural memory for thousands of years (Calabro 156-158).

Modern appropriation and symbolism

The appropriation of religious and mythological symbols by extremist movements represents a complex phenomenon that scholars have extensively studied. Understanding how ancient symbols like the Ziz could be recontextualized requires examining the broader patterns of mythological appropriation in extremist ideologies.

Bruce Lincoln, in “Gods and Demons, Priests and Scholars: Critical Explorations in the History of Religions” (University of Chicago Press, 2012), explains how religious symbols can be repurposed to justify radical action: “Ancient mythological figures, particularly those associated with cosmic upheaval or world-transformation, often appeal to groups seeking to present themselves as agents of fundamental change” (Lincoln 156).

The Ziz’s particular characteristics make it a potentially appealing symbol for those drawn to apocalyptic ideologies. As David Cook notes in “Contemporary Muslim Apocalyptic Literature” (Syracuse University Press, 2008), apocalyptic symbols often derive power from their association with both destruction and renewal. The Ziz, as one of the three primordial creatures destined for the end times, fits this pattern perfectly (Cook 22-23).

Mark Juergensmeyer’s “Terror in the Mind of God” (University of California Press, 2017) examines how religious symbols can be divorced from their original context: “Sacred symbols, when appropriated by violent movements, undergo a transformation where their traditional religious meanings are subordinated to new, politically charged interpretations” (Juergensmeyer 167).

The relative obscurity of the Ziz compared to other mythological figures may enhance its appeal. As Jeffrey Kaplan argues in “Radical Religion and Violence” (Routledge, 2015), “Lesser-known religious symbols often attract extremist appropriation precisely because their meanings are less fixed in public consciousness, allowing for greater interpretative flexibility” (Kaplan 89).

The Ziz’s dual nature as both destroyer and protector reflects what Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke describes in “Black Sun” (New York University Press, 2002) as the “paradoxical appeal” of mythological figures to extremist ideologies: “Figures that combine protective and destructive aspects can be particularly attractive to those who view their actions as simultaneously destructive of an existing order and protective of their chosen group” (Goodrick-Clarke 213).

David Frankfurter’s “Evil Incarnate” (Princeton University Press, 2006) explains how ancient religious symbols can be recontextualized in modern frameworks: “The process of appropriating religious symbols involves selectively emphasizing certain aspects while downplaying others, often focusing on elements that can be aligned with contemporary ideological goals” (Frankfurter 129).

As with many other co-opted symbols by people opposed to the original meanings, such as the Wiccans co-opting the Triquetra, or the Nazi corruption of the Sky-wheel or Swastika, it is critical to remember that the symbol does not belong to those who twist it. Instead, it is important that these symbols be reclaimed for their original, uplifting, and spiritual significance. Those who originated the Ziz are not to be equated with those who perverted the concept.