Texts in Conversation
Job 9 gives God sole power to walk on Sea, the enemy fought by Baal in the Baal Cycle, making control of this threatening force a reason that no human can challenge him.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
KTU 1.2 IV:25
Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Ancient Near East
You, your name is 'All-Driver' All-Driver, drive Yamm away, drive Yamm from his throne, Nahar from the siege of his dominion! You must leap from the hand of Baal, like a falcon from his fingers. Strike the skull of Prince Yamm (Ocean), the brow of Ruler Nahar (River)! Let Yamm collapse in a heap, and let him fall to the ground!' Then the mace leapt from the hand of Baal, like a falcon from his fingers. It struck the skull of Prince Yamm, the brow of Ruler Nahar. Yamm collapsed in a heap; he fell to the ground. His joints trembled, and his visage was discomposed. Baal gathered Up and drank Prince Yamm to the dregs, he exterminated Ruler Nahar. By name Athtart chided him Dry him Up, O Valiant Baal! Dry him up, O Charioteer of the Clouds! For our captive is Prince [Yamm], [for]
Job 9:8
Hebrew Bible
4 He is wise in heart and mighty in strength—who has resisted him and remained safe? 5 He who removes mountains suddenly, who overturns them in his anger, 6 he who shakes the earth out of its place so that its pillars tremble, 7 he who commands the sun, and it does not shine and seals up the stars, 8 he alone spreads out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea. 9 He makes the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the constellations of the southern sky; 10 he does great and unsearchable things, and wonderful things without number. 11 If he passes by me, I cannot see him; if he goes by, I cannot perceive him. 12 If he snatches away, who can turn him back? Who dares to say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ 13 God does not restrain his anger; under him the helpers of Rahab lie crushed.
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Notes and References
“... Ugaritic texts (KTU 1.3 III 38–42; KTU 1.5 I 1–8; and KTU 1.83) refer
ence Baʿlu and ʿAnatu defeating Yammu and/or Lōtanu. Within the bibli
cal anthology, many texts emphasize Yahweh’s authority over the sea (Ps
93:1–5; Ps 29:3; Ps 65:8; Nah 1:3b–5; Ps 104; Ps 33; Job 7:12 Job 9:8; Job 38:4a,
8–11, 16); some use the conflict motif to promote Yahweh’s royal author
ity (Ps 93 and Ps 29); several describe battles against Rahab, Leviathan,
dragon/s, Sea, and/or the sea (Ps 89:6–15, Ps 74:12–17, Job 26:10–13),
though we also have descriptions of Leviathan as Yahweh’s plaything (Ps
104 and Job 40–41); and many passages interweave the conflict motif with
creation themes in order to portray Yahweh’s dominion as universal (Ps
89:6–15, Ps 74:12–17, Ps 104:2–6; Job 38). Ugaritic and biblical literatures
promote the prowess of Baʿlu and Yahweh, respectively, through reference
to their defeat of Lōtanu/Leviathan, a multi-headed serpent. Judean and
Mesopotamian combat traditions share use of the conflict motif to sup
port the claim that the victorious warrior deity is incomparable. Mari letter
A.1968 preserves reference to Adad defeating the sea as well. Though we
have no full narratives of Yahweh or Adad defeating divine enemies, these
victorious warrior deities, along with Baʿlu, Ninurta, Marduk, and Aššur,
attained their kingship and dominion through combat with their enemies.
I describe examples of the conflict motif that focus primarily on the status
of the victorious deity as primary application of the motif. ...”
Ballentine, Debra Scoggins
The Conflict Myth and the Biblical Tradition
(p. 124) Oxford University Press, 2015
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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