Texts in Conversation
Isaiah uses the language of birth announcements also found in Ugaritic stories, giving its promised ruler's arrival the significance of a divine birth.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
KTU 1.10 III:35
Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Ancient Near East
[…] the bull […] […] the bull […] She goes and soars […] among the lovely, among the [beautiful]. A cow, a cow […] she bears a bull […] and a wild ox for […] She embraces the [cow], she embraces the cow […] and covers him with her breast. He goes up […] […] […] she goes up on the mountain, […] on the mountain of victory, and she goes up […] to Arar, into Arar and into Sapan, into the pleasant place, on the mountain of victory. Aloud to Baal she proclaims: “Good news, El! Good news, Baal! And good news, scion of Dagan: a bull is born to Baal, and a wild ox to the Rider on the Clouds.” Mighty Baal rejoices.
Isaiah 9:6
Hebrew Bible
6 For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called Wonderful Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His dominion will be vast, and he will bring immeasurable prosperity. He will rule on David’s throne and over David’s kingdom, establishing it and strengthening it by promoting justice and fairness, from this time forward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will accomplish this. 8 The Lord decreed judgment on Jacob, and it fell on Israel. 9 All the people were aware of it, the people of Ephraim and those living in Samaria. Yet with pride and an arrogant attitude, they said, 10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will rebuild with chiseled stone; the sycamore fig trees have been cut down, but we will replace them with cedars.”
Search:
Notes and References
“... 57. Ug. kyld.bn.ly. This can be translated in one of two ways. 'For a son will be
born to me', as future (thus, e.g., Gaster 1961: 338; Jirku 1962: 118; Aistleitner
1964: 69; Gibson 1978: 105; del Olmo 1981a: 372; de Moor 1987: 231; Margalit
1989a: 146; Aitken 1990: 35; Pardee 1997c: 345); or 'for a son is (or has been)
born to me' as past (thus, e.g., Virolleaud 1936d: 198; Driver 1956: 51; Ginsberg
1969: 150; Caquot and Sznycer 1974: 425; Husser 1996: 90). As Husser points out,
this is a well-known birth formula. He cites KTU 1.10 iii 36-37, Jer. 20.15, Isa. 9.5,
and similar wording in KTU 1.23.52-53; Job 3.3; Lk. 2.10-11. Cf. Parker (1988).
Husser notes (p. 91) that the 'love-scene' narrative would have occurred in the
lacuna between cols. i and ii, and so would the event of the hirth. ...”
* 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,