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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:47 and 1 Samuel 28:13

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Hebrew Bible

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Summary

In 1 Samuel 28, Samuel's description as a divine being shares the Baal Cycle's language for the dead, showing that the dead could hold a place among beings called gods.

Passages

KTU 1.6 VI:47

Ancient Near East, Ugaritic · Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
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!
1350–1185 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in KTU

1 Samuel 28:13

Hebrew Bible
11 The woman replied, “Who is it that I should bring up for you?” He said, “Bring up for me Samuel.” 12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out loudly. The woman said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” 13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid! But what have you seen?” The woman replied to Saul, “I have seen a divine being coming up from the ground!” 14 He said to her, “What about his appearance?” She said, “An old man is coming up! He is wrapped in a robe!” Then Saul realized it was Samuel, and he bowed his face toward the ground and kneeled down.
600–501 BCE (scholarly estimate) Read in 1 Samuel

References

“... Like 1 Samuel 28:3, Psalm 106:28 and Numbers 25:2 have been taken as early criticisms of cult practices pertaining to the dead. Psalm 106:28 reads: “They yoked themselves to Baal Peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead” (zibhê mētîm). This verse is dependent on Numbers 25:2,630 which does not condemn practices associated with the dead; rather, it forbids “sacrifices of their gods” (zibhê ’ělōhêhen). Psalm 106:28 condemns the sacrifices intended for the dead. Elsewhere the dead are called ’ělōhîm, “gods,” as in 1 Samuel 28:3 and Isaiah 8:19. KTU 1.6 VI 45-49 illustrates this usage. In these four lines, rp’im, “rephaim,” is parallel with ’ilnym, “divinities,” and ’ilm, “gods,” is parallel with mtm, “the dead.” The second and third terms are etymologically related to Hebrew ’ělōhîm, “gods.” Similarly, Akkadian ilu and Phoenician ’ln are used for the dead. Numbers 25:2 does not address the issue of sacrifices to the dead; only Psalm 106:28 does so. Psalm 106:40-47 refers to the Exile, indicating that this psalm was exilic or later. To be sure, it could be argued that verse 28 predates the Exile; nonetheless, it is unlikely that this verse is historically pertinent for examining practices with respect to the dead before the seventh century. ...”
Mark S. Smith, The Early History of God: Yahweh and the Other Deities in Ancient Israel, 2nd ed., The Biblical Resource Series (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), PDF 162.

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:47 and 1 Samuel 28:13

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