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KTU

Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

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Ritual for the Month of Rishu-Yeni

KTU 1.41

In the month of [Rishu-Yeni, on the day of the new moon]:
cutting [of a cluster of grapes for El as peace offerings].
On the thir[teenth, the king washes himself clean].
On the four[teenth, the best of the tribute]
and two rams for [the Lady of the Houses; birds for the people of]
the gods, and a ram […]
He sits clean, […]
[…]
[…]
and a do[ve of the town] he sets out [for Anat],
and a bu[ll and a ram for] El, and in the [window]
[…] a cow for the gods; for Thu[kamuna-wa-Shunama]
a ewe; for Rashap a ewe as a burnt offering, and as pe[ace offerings two ewes].
For the god; a bull and a ram for the gods; a co[w];
Baal, a ram; Athirat, [a ram; Thuka]muna-[wa-Shunama, a ram];
Anat, a ram; Rashap, a ram; [the circle of El and the assembly of Baal]
a cow; Shalim, [a cow] […]
roasted for the god[s and for the Baals; and the full measure of]
emmer: thirty; […] and the entry offer[ing]
which the house of the [ki]ng takes; a sacrifice […]
scented oil, honey, kidneys, [and a dove of the town],
and two (measures) of wheat, and on the mountain four[teen]
jars of wine, a half-measure of flour, […].
At the altars of the house of the goddess, bird[s; for Sapan a ram];
for Ghalmatu a ram, and for […] [for Yarih]
a co[w]; for Nikkal […] [a cow for the Lady of the Houses];
bir[ds] for the people of [the gods; a cow for]
the go[ds]; a ewe for Sha[pshu] […]
as a burnt offering, and as pe[ace offerings the same, two ewes];
for the god; a cow for the gods; [a cow for the gods]; […]
a ewe; Thukamuna-wa-Shu[nama, a ewe];
[the goddess of the] house, two ewes; […]
[as peace offerings] the same; a cow for Ba[al of Sapan];
a ewe for Sapan; a cow for [Baal of]
Ugarit; a ram for Ilib; […] [for Athirat];
and birds for […]
and [the hou]se of the Lady of the [High] Houses […]
[the al]tars, on the fifth […]
[of silver]; a liver, and a sacri[fice] […]
for Athirat, birds; [for the people of the gods];
[…] the altar of Baal: a co[w for Baal];
a ewe for Sapan, and a ewe [for Baal of Ugarit];
twenty-two times […]
a ram, a jar of oil, a cow, and [the king is clean];
the word is returned. On the sixth, two [jars of oil]
upon it, a cow. The word is retu[rned]; [the king is clean].
On the seventh, at sunset, the day is free; the sun sets,
and the king [is free]. And on the day of the new moon, two rams
for [Athtar]t.
When the king [sac]rifices to Prgl-Sqrn on the roof:
four by four seats of branches on it; a ram as a burnt offer[ing];⁠
a bu[ll] and a ram as peace offerings, seven times, as his heart wishes.
The king spe[aks]. At sunset the king is free,
[…]
in the ho[use]; and when […] he li[fts] his han[d to] the heavens.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.41:51 and Leviticus 23:42

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

In Leviticus 23, the branch shelters at Ugarit's autumn festival may share a custom with the Feast of Booths, placing Israel's festival within an older tradition of celebrating the harvest.

Passages

KTU 1.41:51

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
a ewe for Sapan, and a ewe [for Baal of Ugarit]; twenty-two times […] a ram, a jar of oil, a cow, and [the king is clean]; the word is returned. On the sixth, two [jars of oil] upon it, a cow. The word is retu[rned]; [the king is clean]. On the seventh, at sunset, the day is free; the sun sets, and the king [is free]. And on the day of the new moon, two rams for [Athtar]t. When the king [sac]rifices to Prgl-Sqrn on the roof: four by four seats of branches on it; a ram as a burnt offer[ing]; a bu[ll] and a ram as peace offerings, seven times, as his heart wishes. The king spe[aks]. At sunset the king is free, […] in the ho[use]; and when […] he li[fts] his han[d to] the heavens.
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Leviticus 23:42

Hebrew Bible
40 On the first day you must take for yourselves branches from majestic trees—palm branches, branches of leafy trees, and willows of the brook—and you must rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You must celebrate it as a pilgrim festival to the Lord for seven days in the year. This is a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you must celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You must live in temporary shelters for seven days; every native citizen in Israel must live in shelters, 43 so that your future generations may know that I made the Israelites live in shelters when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”
750–400 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Leviticus

References

“... The text goes on to describe rites in the month after Raʾšu yêni. Although the text does not name the month, it presumably intends Nql (September– October, the month of the fall equinox and New Year). The text prescribes a one-day ritual occurring at the new moon. The king makes a sacrifice on the roof (KTU 1.41 = RS 1.003:50–51) b. gg ʾar[bʿ .] ʾarbʿ . mṯbt ʾazmr . bh, “on the roof, where there will be dwellings of branches, fo[ur] on one side, four on the other.” [...] De Moor concludes that this is a clear allusion to the later Hebrew Festival of Sukkot. ...”
Bryan C. Babcock, Sacred Ritual: A Study of the West Semitic Ritual Calendars in Leviticus 23 and the Akkadian Text Emar 446, BBRSup 9 (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2014), 32–33.

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 1.41:51 and Leviticus 23:42

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