Texts in Conversation
Genesis extends the fertility blessing known from Kirta's royal wedding to all humanity, making the hope for descendants part of God's purpose for every family.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
KTU 1.15 II:23
Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Ancient Near East
in his house sets. Going in he puts [in] it, and going out he puts. [The]n came the companies of the gods. [Then] spoke Valiant Baal: "[So] come, O Kindly One [El Be]nignant! May you bless [Kirta] the Noble, may you beatify Naaman, [the Lad of] El."—A cup [El] takes [in] (his) hand, a flagon in (his) [right hand]. Indeed he blesses [his servant]. El blesses Kirta, [beatifie]s Naam[an] the Lad of El: "The wo[man that you ta]ke, O Kirta, the woman that you take into your house, the maid you bring into your court, shall bear seven sons to you, yes, eight shall she produce for you. She will bear Yassib the heir: he will drink the milk of Athirat; he will drain the breast of Virgin Rahmay; the suckling of goddesses.
Genesis 1:28
Hebrew Bible
25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the cattle according to their kinds, and all the creatures that creep along the ground according to their kinds. God saw that it was good. 26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, after our likeness, so they may rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move on the earth.” 27 God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply! Fill the earth and subdue it! Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that moves on the ground.”
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Notes and References
“... Might the command, “be fruitful and multiply” (peru urbu) in v. 28 also echo the verb *br’, “to create,” in the preceding verse? ... Compare the god El blessing king Kirta and his wife upon their marriage in KTU 1.15 II 18–26; see Greenstein, “Kirta,” 25. The Ugaritic texts attribute the role to the god, but the iconography also shows female figures offering the gesture of blessing. ...”
* 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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