Ziz

The Ziz (Hebrew: זיז) 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, while modern scholars compare the ziz to the Sumerian Anzu and the Ancient Greek phoenix. Behemoth, Leviathan and Ziz were traditionally a favorite decoration motif for rabbis living in Germany.