Texts in Conversation
In 1 Kings 3, Solomon's dream shares Kirta's scene of a god offering help to a king, using an older royal story pattern to explain why wisdom matters more than wealth or power.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
KTU 1.14 I:38
Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Ancient Near East
He enters his cubicle, he weeps, an inner chamber and cries. His tears drop like shekels to the ground. His bed was soaked by his weeping, and he slept a slumber in his crying. Sleep prevails (over him?) and he lies, slumber and he reclines. And in his dream El descends, in his vision the Father of Man (Adam). And he approaches asking Kirta: "What ails you, Kirta, that he weeps, that he cries, Naaman the Lad of El? Is it the kingship of Bull his father that he desires, or authority like the Father of Man (Adam)?" [ ? ] [Here El doubtless offers Kirta 'silver and gold and perpetual slaves,' etc. (cf. ll. 53 ff.; 126 ff.; 137 ff.; 250 ff.; 269 ff.; 282 ff.). But Kirta replies: "What need] [have I of silver and yellow-glittering]
1 Kings 3:5
Hebrew Bible
5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served you faithfully, properly, and sincerely. You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne. 7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced. 8 Your servant stands among your chosen people; they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind so he can make judicial decisions for your people and distinguish right from wrong. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”
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Notes and References
“... KIRTA (KTU 1.14–1.16)66
At the outset, Kirta loses his wife and children (1.14 I), as
suggested by his name (*krt, “to cut”) and much like the figure
of Job in Job 1–2. Kirta laments to his patron-god El that he
needs an heir (cf. Absalom’s lack of an heir in 2 Sam. 18:18).
In a dream vision (1.14 I), El asks him what he wants (cf.
Solomon’s dream in 1 Kings 3:5–15), and the god instructs
him to go on a military march to besiege the city of Udm ...”
Smith, Mark S.
"Ugarit and the Ugaritians" in Arnold, Bill T.; Strawn, Brent A. (ed.) The World around the Old Testament
(p. PDF 219) Baker Academic, 2016
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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