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KTU

Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

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Baal Cycle

KTU 1.2 IV

[…]
If I see and with Yamm is the sieve of destruction.
By Yamm I shall be worm-eaten
and thanks to Nahar, devoured by maggots. There, with a sword I shall destroy. I shall knock down his houses.
Into the underworld will fall my strength, and into the dust my power.
From his mouth his speech barely went forth, from his lips his word, and he gave forth his voice in groaning
beneath the throne of Prince Yamm. And Kothar-wa-Hasis spoke:
Indeed I say to you, O Prince Baal, I repeat, O Charioteer of the Clouds,⁠ now your foe, Baal,⁠
now your foe you must smite; now you must destroy your adversary.⁠
Take your everlasting kingdom, your eternal dominion.⁠
Kothar fashioned two maces, and he pronounced their names: You, your name is “Expeller”.
Expeller, expel Yamm, expel 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 shoulders of Prince Yamm,⁠ the chest of Ruler Nahar!
The mace leapt from the hand of Baal, like a falcon from his fingers.
It struck the shoulders of Prince Yamm, the chest of Ruler Nahar.
But Yamm was strong, he did not flinch. His joints did not tremble; his visage was not discomposed.
Kothar fashioned two maces, and he pronounced their names.
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]
our captive is Ruler Nahar. And […] goes out […]
Valiant Baal dries him up, and […]⁠
Yamm is surely dead! Baal shall [reign]
[…] And [he answers]
he answers: Yamm is surely dead! […]
[…] And [she answers]
Baal […]
[…]
on his head […]
his enemy […]
between his eyes […]

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.2 IV:26 and Psalm 17:15

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Psalm 17 uses Ugarit's language for a visible divine form, even though Deuteronomy 4 says Israel saw no form of God, preserving a view of God as physically recognizable within a prayer for protection.

Passages

KTU 1.2 IV:26

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Kothar fashioned two maces, and he pronounced their names. 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!
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Psalm 17:15

Hebrew Bible
9 Protect me from the wicked men who attack me, my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 10 They are calloused; they speak arrogantly. 11 They attack me, now they surround me; they intend to throw me to the ground. 12 He is like a lion that wants to tear its prey to bits, like a young lion crouching in hidden places. 13 Rise up, Lord! Confront him. Knock him down. Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man. 14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, from the murderers of this world. They enjoy prosperity; you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. They have many children, and leave their wealth to their offspring. 15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; when I awake you will reveal yourself to me.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Psalms

References

“... The second stage occurred from the eighth to the sixth centuries. Earlier works such as the “Yahwist” show, in the words of H. Bloom, “uninhibited anthropo- morphism,” but later works further mute anthropomorphism. Two brief examples may illustrate the point. First, Yahweh had no “form” according to Deuteronomy 4:12, 15.72 The language of divine “form” is found explicitly in Psalm 17:15, and it has been traced to the use of the divine“form” in the story of Baal’s battle against Yamm (CAT 1.2 IV 26).73 Second, the vision of the divine in Ezekiel 1 deliberate attempts to stress the transcendent character of Yahweh by reducing the anthro- pomorphic presentation of Yahweh in the heavenly divine council. The second stage did not hold sway generally in Israelite culture, as many Second Temple and rabbinic texts, especially apocalyptic literature, indicate the popularity of myth throughout the history of ancient Israel. ...”
Mark S. Smith, The Origins of Biblical Monotheism: Israel's Polytheistic Background and the Ugaritic Texts (New York: Oxford University Press, 2001), 176.

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 1.2 IV:26 and Psalm 17:15

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