Help understanding a number in a phrase

[kamonokintama]

Hello, I stumbled over the following phrase:
八千の巣をつついたような騒ぎ
I understand the meaning, but what I don't understand is why the author chose the number 8000. Can anyone spoon-feed me some wisdom?

 

[Toritoribe]

八 is a symbol of "large number." There are many expression using 八, e.g., 八百万の神 やおよろずのかみ "eight million gods and goddesses", which actually means "all the gods and goddesses."

 

[kamonokintama]

Ah, thanks. It seems, that the number originated from buddhist cosmology. It's just such a weirdly specific number. Until now I only knew, that 万 is used as a symbol of something large or for eternity like in 万里 or 万里の長城.