#ugaritic texts

[nerdy-grrl79]

The Ugaritic texts, found in Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra, Syria), date back to the late Bronze Age. They offer insights into the religion of the Canaanites, who lived at the same time as early Israelites. These texts include myths & rituals similar to those in the Bible, mentioning gods like El & Baal Hadad. For instance, Baal's story as a storm god parallels Yahweh in the Psalms, & Baal's battle with the sea god Yam is like Yahweh defeating chaotic waters. These similarities suggest biblical writers were influenced by Canaanite mythology.

[i-love-comparative-religion]

“The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel's Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts” by Mark S. Smith is in my wish list.

[ishtargates]

"The ancient Canaanite city-state of Ugarit is of utmost importance for those who study the Old Testament. The literature of the city and the theology contained therein go a very long way in helping us to understand the meaning of various Biblical passages as well as aiding us in deciphering difficult Hebrew words. Ugarit was at its political, religious and economic height around the 12th century BCE and thus its period of greatness corresponds with the entry of Israel into Canaan. Why should people interested in the Old Testament want to know about this city and its inhabitants? Simply because when we listen to their voices we hear echoes of the Old Testament itself. Several of the Psalms were simply adapted from Ugaritic sources; the story of the flood has a near mirror image in Ugaritic literature; and the language of the Bible is greatly illuminated by the language of Ugarit. For instance, look at M. Dahood’s brilliant commentary on the Psalms in the Anchor Bible series for the necessity of Ugaritic for accurate Biblical exegesis. (N.B., for a more thorough discussion of the language of Ugarit, the student is advised to take the course titled “Ugaritic Grammar” offered by this institution). In short, when one has well in hand the literature and theology of Ugarit, one is well on the way to being able to comprehend some of the most important ideas contained in the Old Testament. For this reason it is worthwhile that we pursue this topic."