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KTU

Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

About this book

Ritual of Atonement for Ugarit

KTU 1.40

[…] and the well-being of […]
[…] [and] the well-being of [Ugarit] […]
[…], or by the word of […]
[…], or [by the word of]
[…]
[…] [This is the gift offering we offer.]
[This is the victim that is slaughtered. May it be lifted up to the father of the sons of El, may it be lifted up to the] circle of the sons of [El],
[to the assembly of the sons of El, to Thukamuna-wa-Shunama. Here is a ram.]
[And present the ram of uprightness of the sons of Ugarit, and the well-being of] […], and the well-being of
[…] [and the well-being] of Ugarit
[…] [whether you have sinned, or by the word of the Qatian, or by the word of the Dadmian,]
[or by the word of the Hurrian, or by the word of the Hittite, or by the word of the Alashian, or by the word of] […]
[or by the word of] […], [or by the word of] […], [or by the word of] […]
[whether you have sinned in your anger, or in your impatience, or in] […]
[…] [whether you have sinned regarding the sacrifices or regarding the gift offering, the sacrifice we make.]
[This is the gift offering we offer. This is the victim that is slaughtered.] May it be [lifted up to the father of the sons of El,]
[may it be lifted up to the circle of the sons of El, to the assembly of the sons of El, to Thukamuna-wa-Shunama.] Here is a ram.
[…] [and the well-being of the stranger within the walls of Ugarit, and the well-being of]⁠
[…], and the well-being of […]: whether you have sinned, [or by the word of the Qatian,]
or by the word of the Dadmian, or by the word of the [Hurrian], or by the word of the Hittite, or by the word of the [Alashian], [or by the word of] […],
or by the word of […], or by the word of […], or by the word of […],
whether you have sinned in your anger, or in your impatience, [or in] […]
[…], whether you have sinned regarding the sacrifices or regarding the gift offering, the sacrifice [we make].
This is the gift offering we offer. This is the victim that is slaughtered. May it be lifted up [to the father of the sons of El,]
may it be lifted up to the circle of the sons of El, to the assembly of the sons of [El, to Thukamuna-wa-Shunama]. Here is a ram.
And present the donkey of uprightness, the uprightness of the sons of Ugarit, and the well-being of Ugarit,
and the well-being of Yman, and the well-being of Rmt, and the well-being of […],
and the well-being of Niqmaddu: or […], or by the word of the [Qatian], [or by the word of the Dadmian],⁠
or by the word of the Hurrian, or by the word of the Hittite, or by the word of the Alashian, or [by the word of] […], or by the word of
[…], or by the word of […], or by the word of […], or […],
or in your anger, or in your impatience, or in […],
or […] regarding the sacrifices or regarding the gift offering, the sacrifice we make. This is the gift offering we offer.
This is the victim that is slaughtered. May it be lifted up to the father of the sons of El, may it be lifted up to the circle
of the sons of El, to the assembly of the sons of El, to Thukamuna-wa-Shunama. Here is a donkey.
And return to the recitation: [the uprightness], the uprightness of the daughters of Ugarit, and the well-being of the stranger⁠
within the walls of Ugarit, and the well-being of […], or […], or by the word of the Qatian,
or by the word of the Dadmian, or [by the word of] the Hurrian, or by the word of the Hittite, or by the word of the Alashian,
or by the word of […], or by the word of […], or by the word of […], or by the word of […],
[…], in your [anger], [or in] your impatience, or in […],
[…], or […] [regarding the sacrifices] or regarding the gift offering, the sacrifice
we make. This is the gift offering we [offer]. [This is the victim that is] slaughtered. May it be lifted up to the father of the sons of El,
may it be lifted up to the [circle of the sons of El, to] the assembly of the sons of El,
to Thukamuna-[wa-Shunama]. Here is a [donkey].

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.40:18 and Numbers 15:26

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Numbers shares Ugarit's provision for forgiveness of both citizens and foreign residents, treating shared guilt as a problem that requires a response from the whole community.

Passages

KTU 1.40:18

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
[…] [and the well-being of the stranger within the walls of Ugarit, and the well-being of] […], and the well-being of […]: whether you have sinned, [or by the word of the Qatian,] or by the word of the Dadmian, or by the word of the [Hurrian], or by the word of the Hittite, or by the word of the [Alashian], [or by the word of] […], or by the word of […], or by the word of […], or by the word of […], whether you have sinned in your anger, or in your impatience, [or in] […] […], whether you have sinned regarding the sacrifices or regarding the gift offering, the sacrifice [we make].
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Numbers 15:26

Hebrew Bible
24 then if anything is done unintentionally without the knowledge of the community, the whole community must prepare one young bull for a burnt offering—for a pleasing aroma to the Lord—along with its grain offering and its customary drink offering, and one male goat for a purification offering. 25 And the priest is to make atonement for the whole community of the Israelites, and they will be forgiven, because it was unintentional and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord, and their purification offering before the Lord, for their unintentional offense. 26 And the whole community of the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives among them will be forgiven, since all the people were involved in the unintentional offense.
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Numbers

References

“... As in the Ugaritic text the expiation of sins in Leviticus applies to the Israelites as well as to the alien residents (Lev. 16:29). Another text that is pertinent to the Ugaritic ceremony is Numbers 15:22-26 where after an expiation offering brought on behalf of the people (vv. 24-25) we read: “The whole Israelite community and the foreigner residing among them shall be forgiven”. ...”
Moshe Weinfeld, Social Justice in Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East (Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995), 212.

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 1.40:18 and Numbers 15:26

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