Go to Related Reading
About this book

KTU

Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

About this book

Baal, Anat and the Birth of a Bull

KTU 1.10 III

[…] the cows give birth […]
a bull for the Maiden Anat,
and […] for the In-law of the Peoples.
And Mighty [Baal] answers:
“[…] as our creator […]
like the eternal one who formed […]”⁠
Baal strides […]
the god Haddu […]
the Maiden, yes the Maiden [Anat],
and the loveliest of the sisters of [Baal].
Baal goes up on the [mountain],
and the son of Dagan on […]
Baal sits on the throne of [his kingship],
the son of Dagan on the seat of [his dominion].
[…] 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.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.10 III:35 and Job 3:3

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

Share:

Summary

Job reverses the birth announcement familiar from Ugaritic stories, making the usual celebration of a son a way to question whether his own life should have begun.

Passages

KTU 1.10 III:35

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
[…] 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.
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Job 3:3

Hebrew Bible
1 After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day he was born. 2 Job spoke up and said: 3 “Let the day on which I was born perish, and the night that said, ‘A man has been conceived!’ 4 That day—let it be darkness; let not God on high regard it, nor let light shine on it! 5 Let darkness and the deepest shadow claim it; let a cloud settle on it; let whatever blackens the day terrify it. 6 That night—let darkness seize it; let it not be included among the days of the year; let it not enter among the number of the months! 7 Indeed, let that night be barren; let no shout of joy penetrate it! 8 Let those who curse the day curse it—those who are prepared to rouse Leviathan.
500–401 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Job

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. ...”
N. Wyatt, Religious Texts from Ugarit, 2nd ed. (London: Sheffield Academic, 2006), 264.

References are not endorsements of their contents. Read each reference in full to understand its author's intentions in using these texts.

Your feedback

KTU 1.10 III:35 and Job 3:3

Leave a comment

Your questions and comments are welcome!

Comments

Glossary

Search the Library