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KTU

Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

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Sacrifices for the Month of Ibaalat and Prayer for Ugarit

KTU 1.119

In the month of Ibaalat, on the seventh day,
a ram for Baal of Rkt, in […]
and the house of Baal of Ugarit […]
When the sun sets, the king is free. On the seven-
teenth day, the king washes himself clean:⁠
a cow, holy to El; a cow for the Baals;
a cow for the lad; two ewes and a cow
for the two maidens. In the house […], he sacrifices,
and […] behind the house of Baal
of Ugarit: a lamb and a city dove
as a gift offering. On the eighteenth day of Ibaalat,
a bull for the […] of Baal of Ugarit,
both a burnt offering and an elevation offering. There shall sacrifice
the king in the house of El: a neck for [Ushkhara],
a neck for Baal […]
and a donkey for […]
[…]
[…] two […]
[…]
On the fourth day, birds; on the fifth day, birds
and a liver, and a ram as a burnt offering for Baal
of Ugarit, in the house. On the seventh day […]
[…]. When the sun sets,
the king is free. Here is the oil of well-being
of Baal, […]
When the mighty one attacks your gate,⁠
the warrior, your walls, you shall lift up your eyes to Baal.
O Baal: If you drive the mighty one from our gate,⁠
the warrior from our walls: A bull, O Baal, we will consecrate;
a vow, Baal, we will fulfill;⁠
a firstborn, Baal, we will consecrate;
a flesh sacrifice, Baal, we will fulfill. A feast, Baal, we will prepare;
the sanctuary, Baal, we will ascend; the path of Baal’s temple, we will walk.
Then Baal will listen to your prayer.
He will drive the mighty one from your gate,
the warrior from your walls.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.119:5 and Leviticus 16:4

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Leviticus assigns to priests the washing required of Ugarit's king before worship, showing a shared concern for bodily preparation with a different person in charge.

Passages

KTU 1.119:5

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
In the month of Ibaalat, on the seventh day, a ram for Baal of Rkt, in […] and the house of Baal of Ugarit […] When the sun sets, the king is free. On the seven- teenth day, the king washes himself clean: a cow, holy to El; a cow for the Baals; a cow for the lad; two ewes and a cow for the two maidens. In the house […], he sacrifices, and […] behind the house of Baal of Ugarit: a lamb and a city dove as a gift offering. On the eighteenth day of Ibaalat, a bull for the […] of Baal of Ugarit, both a burnt offering and an elevation offering. There shall sacrifice the king in the house of El: a neck for [Ushkhara], a neck for Baal […]
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Leviticus 16:4

Hebrew Bible
4 He must put on a holy linen tunic, linen leggings are to cover his body, and he is to wrap himself with a linen sash and wrap his head with a linen turban. They are holy garments, so he must bathe his body in water and put them on. 5 He must also take two male goats from the congregation of the Israelites for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering. 6 Then Aaron is to present the sin-offering bull which is for himself and is to make atonement on behalf of himself and his household. 7 Next he must take the two goats and stand them before the Lord at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, 8 and Aaron is to cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and one lot for Azazel.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Leviticus

References

“... KTU 1.119, a ritual calendar describing cultic activities in a specific month of the year, can serve to illustrate the primacy of the Ugaritic king in ritual. In this text the king must undergo a purifying rite of washing (yrtḥṣ mlk brr), and when he is finished with his cultic obligations he returns to a profane state (√ḥll). Such actions in the biblical sphere are associated with the priesthood (e.g., Lev 16:4, 23–​24) rather than with the cultic actions of kings. In KTU 1.119, the offering of sacrifice is the central activity in the ritual and the king is specifically described as sacrificing in the temple of the god ʾIlu (ydbḥ mlk bt ʾil). Another monthly rite known to us from two texts (KTU 1.41, 1.87) also describes the king washing himself and being in a clean/​pure state when engaging in cultic acts and in a pro- fane state when free from his cultic obligations. As for his specific cultic acts, in addition to sacrifice (at one point on a roof), the king also pours libations (√ntk) and makes recitations while in a state of purity (mlk brr rgm yttb). Elsewhere we have descriptions of so-​called entry rituals where the king (and other members of the royal family) would take part in processions of divine images (cf. KTU 1.43; 1.112). ...”
Theodore J. Lewis, The Origin and Character of God: Ancient Israelite Religion through the Lens of Divinity (New York: Oxford University Press, 2020), 498.

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

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KTU 1.119:5 and Leviticus 16:4

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