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KTU

Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

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Baal Cycle

KTU 1.4 I


[…]
In lament, he calls out to Bull El, his father.
He speaks to El, the King who gave him life.
He cries out to Athirat and her offspring
The goddess and her clan.
[and the brood of] her [kin]:
He laments that Baal has no home like the other gods
No court like the sons of Athirat.
The dwelling of El is the refuge of his children
The dwelling of Lady Athirat of the Sea.
The dwelling of the Noble Brides
The dwelling of Pidray, Daughter of Light
The refuge of Tallay, Daughter of Showers
The dwelling of Arsay, Daughter of the Wide World.
Now, I bring up a second matter
Please prepare a gift for Lady Athirat of the Sea
A present for the Creator of the Gods.
The Skilled One approaches the bellows⁠
With tongs held by Hasis.
He molds silver, he pours gold
He molds silver in the thousands
Gold he pours by the myriads.
by the myriads […]
He molds a grand canopy and couch
A grand dais two myriads in weight
A grand dais coated in silver
Covered with fluid gold.
A grand throne with a seat of gold
A grand footstool overlaid in electrum.
that is spread […]
Grand laced sandals
With gold poured over them.
A grand table adorned with figures
Creatures from the Earth's foundation.
of the foundations of the earth.
A grand bowl with flocks like Amurru's
Carved like the beasts of Yaman
With buffalo by the myriads.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.4 I:23 and Exodus 31:3

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

In the Baal Cycle the craftsman god Kothar fashions silver and gold furnishings for the gods. Exodus gives that role to a human, Bezalel, whom God fills with skill, understanding, and knowledge to build the Tabernacle.

Passages

KTU 1.4 I:23

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Now, I bring up a second matter Please prepare a gift for Lady Athirat of the Sea A present for the Creator of the Gods. The Skilled One approaches the bellows With tongs held by Hasis. He molds silver, he pours gold He molds silver in the thousands Gold he pours by the myriads. by the myriads […] He molds a grand canopy and couch A grand dais two myriads in weight A grand dais coated in silver Covered with fluid gold. A grand throne with a seat of gold A grand footstool overlaid in electrum. that is spread […] Grand laced sandals With gold poured over them. A grand table adorned with figures Creatures from the Earth's foundation. of the foundations of the earth. A grand bowl with flocks like Amurru's Carved like the beasts of Yaman With buffalo by the myriads.
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Exodus 31:3

Hebrew Bible
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God in skill, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds of craftsmanship, 4 to make artistic designs for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze,
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Exodus

References

... 1.4 I 29-43 describes a canopied area with silver and gold furnishings made by a craftsman. Exodus 31 likewise describes a craftsman creating a tented area with items made of the same metals (Exodus 31:1-5; 35:10-19, etc.). Functionally the throne mentioned explicitly in 1.4 I corresponds to the ark, upon which Yahweh is enthroned (1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2; Exodus 37:1-9). Closely connected to the ark is the idea of Yahweh's footstool (compare 2 Chronicles 28:2, which mentions the ark, 'and the footstool of our God.'). A table is also made in both cases (compare Exodus 25:23-30). Van Selms compares further the juxtaposition of the table and bowl in Athirat's gifts with the golden flagons and bowls made for the table for the bread of the presence (Exodus 25:29; Numbers 4:7; see also Cassuto 1967:340). Although Bezalel, the craftsman chosen to make the objects for the tabernacle, is not divine, he is described in this following manner in Exodus 35:31: 'He (God) has filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge and in every kind of work.' This is certainly a reasonable analogue or substitute for Kothar. ...
Mark S. Smith and Wayne T. Pitard, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle: Introduction with Text, Translation and Commentary of KTU/CAT 1.3–1.4 (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 2:425–426.

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 1.4 I:23 and Exodus 31:3

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