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KTU

Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit

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Baal Cycle

KTU 1.6 VI

[…] drove him off,
[…] expelled him.
[…]
[…]
[…] Mot
Mot, the Powerful One,
Divine Mot ate his seven divine assistants.
Divine Mot cried:
“Look! It is my brothers whom Baal has given me for my meal,
my mother’s sons for my consumption!”
He returned to Baal in the recesses of Sapan.⁠
He lifted up his voice and cried:
“It is my brothers you have given me, Baal, for my meal,
my mother’s sons for my consumption!”
They glowered at each other like burning coals.
Mot was strong;⁠ Baal was strong.
They gored like wild bulls. Mot was strong; Baal was strong.
They bit like serpents.
Mot was strong; Baal was strong.
They tugged like hunting-dogs. Mot fell. Baal fell on top of him.
Shapshu cried to Mot:
“Listen, pray, O divine Mot!
How can you fight with Valiant Baal?
How will Bull El your father not hear you?
He will surely pull down the pillars of your dwelling,
he will surely overturn the throne of your kingship,⁠
he will surely break the scepter of your rule!”
Divine Mot was afraid; the Beloved of El, the hero, was in dread.
Mot started at her voice and lifted up his voice and cried:
“Let Baal be installed on the throne of his kingship,
on the back-rest, on the siege of his dominion!”
of his dominion […]
[…]
[…]
[…] year […]
[…] El of mercy
[…]
[…]
“Come, pray, to the fresh meat; yes, eat the offering-bread;
[…] fresh; indeed you shall eat
pray drink the libation-wine.
Shapshu, you rule the saviors; Shapshu, you rule the chthonian gods.⁠
the Rephaim are under you;
Shapshu, under you are the divine ones;⁠
Your company are the gods; lo, mortals are your company.
Kothar is your associate, and Hasis is your companion.
and Hasis is your friend.
In the sea of Arsh and the dragon,
Kothar-wa-Hasis, steer the bark!
Pilot the ship, Kothar-wa-Hasis!”
Scribe: Ilimilku the Shubbanite,
pupil of Attenu the diviner, chief
of the priests, chief of the herdsmen,
official of Niqmaddu, king of Ugarit,
lord of Yrgb, master of Trmn.

Texts in conversation

Compare KTU 1.6 VI:28 and Proverbs 8:15

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

Proverbs 8 describes wisdom as a power that guides kings, following ancient Near Eastern tradition that divine order organizes political authority. This wisdom represents the same role connected to the god El, who shaped politics in heaven and earth.

Passages

KTU 1.6 VI:28

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Shapshu cried to Mot: “Listen, pray, O divine Mot! How can you fight with Valiant Baal? How will Bull El your father not hear you? He will surely pull down the pillars of your dwelling, he will surely overturn the throne of your kingship, he will surely break the scepter of your rule!” Divine Mot was afraid; the Beloved of El, the hero, was in dread. Mot started at her voice and lifted up his voice and cried: “Let Baal be installed on the throne of his kingship, on the back-rest, on the siege of his dominion!”
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

Proverbs 8:15

Hebrew Bible
13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride and the evil way and perverse utterances. 14 Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me; I possess understanding and might. 15 By me, kings reign, and by me, potentates decree righteousness; 16 by me, princes rule, as well as nobles and all righteous judges. 17 I will love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.
600–201 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in Proverbs

References

"... El’s wisdom was in knowing how the cosmos ought to function and how to facilitate this end. This is suggested by the appointment of gods and kings to their offices. Mot, Yam, Baal, and human rulers owed their positions to El. In the inconclusive battle between Baal and Mot, it was El who decided the outcome of the fray ... in the texts there is an acknowledged recognition of El’s wisdom in carrying on the business of the gods and human rulers. The assembly of the gods (from the little that is known about its make-up, organization, and function) is presented as having been under the formal rule of El ..."
Lowell K. Handy, Among the Host of Heaven: The Syro-Palestinian Pantheon as Bureaucracy (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1994), 80–81.

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 1.6 VI:28 and Proverbs 8:15

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