This page catalogs notable Ugaritic inscriptions, organized by KTU/CAT number with cross-references to other standard editions. Additional texts, commentary, and bibliography will be added as the catalog expands.
KTU/CAT 1: Literary and Religious Texts
KTU 1.1 (RS 3.361; UDB 1.1; CTA 1) = Baˁlu Cycle
KTU 1.1 Description
This Ugaritic myth recounts a story of the storm god Baˁlu (Hbr. Baˁal), including his rise to power, struggle with the god Yammu (Sea), construction of his palace, confrontation with the god Môtu (Death), and resurrection. The Baˁlu Cycle encompasses themes of divine kingship, cosmic conflict, and the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth. According to Pardee, “The Baꜥlu myth constitutes, by its length and relative completeness, the most important literary work preserved from those produced by the West Semitic peoples in the second millennium BCE” (COS 1.86). Although broken across seven existing fragments (CAT 1.1-6 + 1.8) of an original six multi-column tablets, the tablets include some 2,350 lines in 1,500 poetic verses written by the scribe Ilimilku. CAT 1.1-1.2 concern Baˁlu and Yammu; CAT 1.3-1.4 cover Baˁlu’s palace; CAT 1.5-1.6 concern Baˁlu and Môtu. The provenance of all the fragments is the House of the High Priest. CAT 1.1-2 and 1.5-6 are housed in the Louvre, whereas CAT 1.3-4 and 1.8 are in Aleppo. Bibliographically, see esp. Smith, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle, vol. 1 (1994) and vol. 2 (2009). For a brief introduction and translation, see Wyatt 2002, RTU, part 1; Pardee 2003, “The Baʿlu Myth (COS 1.86)”. See also CAT 1.2-6, 1.8 below. On the join of CAT 1.8 with CAT 1.3, see Pardee 2009, “A New Join of Fragments of the Baal Cycle”.
KTU 1.1 Transliteration (KTU3: pp. 1-5)
I
…
…
II
…
1 [ḥšk . ʿṣk . ʿbṣk . ʿ]my . pʿnk
[tlsmn . ʿmy . twt]ḥ . išdk
[tk . ḫršn 4) ]r . [t]ḥmk . w št
[ ]l ẓr . rdyk
5 [ i]qnim
[ y]šu . b qrb
[ ]x . asr
[ ]tm . ymtm
[ np]š[h ]. w [ i]ṯl
10 [ ḥr]šm . ʿdb . l arṣ
[ ]x . špm . ʿdb
[ ] . tʿtqn
[ ]šb . ilk
[ ]in{.}bb . b alp ḥẓr
15 [ l p]ʿn . ʿnt
[ybhr . w yql . yšt]ḥwyn . w y
[kbdnh . yšu . gh . w y]ṣḥ . tḥm
[ṯr . il . abk . hwt . l]ṭpn . ḥtkk
[qryy . b arṣ . mlh]mt . št b ʿp
20 [rm . ddym . sk . šlm] . l kbd . arṣ
[arbdd . l kbd . š]dm . ḥšk
[ʿṣk . ʿbṣk . ʿmy . pʿ]nk . tlsmn
[ʿmy . twtḥ . išd]k . tk . ḫršn
[ ]bdk . spr
25 [ y]mnk
[ ]x
[ ]x
. . .
rev.
III
. . .
Transliteration to be continued.
UDB 1.1 Transliteration
UDB1_1 I:0 (00) • …
[a] (00) • …
UDB1_1 II:0 (00) • …
UDB1_1 II:1 (00) • [ ḥšk . ʿṣk . ʿbṣk . ʿ]my . pʿ̊n̊k̊
UDB1_1 II:2 (00) • [ tlsmn . ʿmy . twt]ḥ̊ . išdk
UDB1_1 II:3 (R1) • [ tk . ḫršn —-]r . [ – ]ḥmk . w št
(00) • [ tk . ḫršn… ] r . [… ]ḥmk . w št
UDB1_1 II:4 (R1) • [ ———- ] ẓ[ — ] . rdyk
(00) • [… ] ẓ[… ] . rdyk
UDB1_1 II:5 (R1) • [ ———— i]qnim
(00) • [… i]qnim
UDB1_1 II:6 (R1) • [ ————- ]šu . b qrb
(00) • [… ]šu . b qrb
UDB1_1 II:7 (R1) • [ ———— ] – . asr
(00) • [… ] – . asr
UDB1_1 II:8 (R1) • [ ———— ] -m . ymtm
(00) • [… ] -m . ymtm
UDB1_1 II:9 (R1) • [ ————-̊ ] k iṯl
(00) • [… ] -[… ] k iṯl
UDB1_1 II:10 (R1) • [ ———– ] m[ . ] ʿdb . l arṣ
(00) • [… ] m[ . ] ʿdb . l arṣ
UDB1_1 II:11 (R1) • [ ———– ] špm . ʿdb
(10) • [… ] .̊ špm . ʿdb
(00) • [… ] špm . ʿdb
UDB1_1 II:12 (R1) • [ ———– ] tʿtqn
(00) • [… ] tʿtqn
UDB1_1 II:13 (R1) • [ ———- ] ʿ/šb . idk
(00) • [… ] š̊b . ilk( idk )
UDB1_1 II:14 (R1) • [ l ytn . pnm . ʿm /// tk ] inbb . b alp ḥẓr
(00) • [… ] i̊n.bb . b alp ḥẓr
UDB1_1 II:15 (00) • [… l p]ʿ̊n . ʿnt
UDB1_1 II:16 (R1) • [ yhbr . w yql . yšt]ḥwyn . w y
(00) • [ yhbr . w yql . yšt]ḥwyn . w y
UDB1_1 II:17 (R1) • [ kbdnh . yšu . gh . w y]ṣḥ . tḥm
(00) • [ kbdnh . yšu . gh . w y]ṣḥ . tḥm
UDB1_1 II:18 (00) • [ ṯr . il . abk . hwt . l]ṭpn . ḥtkk
UDB1_1 II:19 (R1) • [ qryy . b arṣ . mlḥ]m̊t . št b ʿp
(00) • [ qryy . b arṣ . mlḥ]m̊t . št b ʿp
UDB1_1 II:20 (R1) • [ rm . ddym . sk . šlm ] . l kbd . arṣ
(00) • [ rm . ddym . sk . šlm ] . l kbd . arṣ
UDB1_1 II:21 (00) • [ arbdd . l kbd . š]dm . ḥšk
UDB1_1 II:22 (00) • [ ʿṣk . ʿbṣk . ʿmy . pʿ]n̊k . tlsmn
UDB1_1 II:23 (00) • [ ʿmy . twtḥ . išd]k̊ . tk . ḫršn
UDB1_1 II:24 (R1) • [ ———– ] b̊dk . spr
(00) • [… ] b̊dk . spr
UDB1_1 II:25 (R1) • [ ———– ] m̊nk
(00) • [… ] m̊nk
UDB1_1 II:26 (00) • [… ]
[a] (00) • …
UDB1_1 III:0 (00) • …
UDB1_1 III:1 (00) • [ kpt]r̊ . ksů[ . ṯbth . ḥkpt . arṣ . nḥlth ]
UDB1_1 III:2 (00) • b̊ alp . šd . r̊[bt . kmn . l pʿn . kṯr ]
UDB1_1 III:3 (00) • hbr . w ql . t̊[štḥwy . w kbd . hwt ]
UDB1_1 III:4 (00) • w . rgm l kṯ̊[r . w ḫss . ṯny . l hyn ]
UDB1_1 III:5 (00) • d ḥrš . y[dm . tḥm . ṯr . il . ab ]
UDB1_1 III:6 (R1) • hwt . lṭpn[ . ḥtk ——— ]
(00) • hwt . lṭpn[ . ḥtk… ]
UDB1_1 III:7 (R1) • yh . kṯr . b[ ————– ]
(00) • yh . kṯr . b[… ]
UDB1_1 III:8 (R1) • št . l skt . n̊[ ————- ]
(00) • št . l skt . n̊[… ]
UDB1_1 III:9 (R1) • ʿdb . b ǵrt . ṯ[ ———— ]
(00) • ʿdb . b ǵrt . ṯ[… ]
UDB1_1 III:10 (00) • ḥšk . ʿṣk . ʿb̊[ṣk . ʿmy . pʿnk . tlsmn ]
UDB1_1 III:11 (00) • ʿmy tẘtḥ . iš̊[dk . tk . ḫršn… ]
UDB1_1 III:12 (00) • ǵr . ks . dm . rg̊[m . iṯ . ly . w argmk ]
UDB1_1 III:13 (00) • hwt . w aṯnyk̊[ . rgm . ʿṣ . w lḫšt . abn ]
UDB1_1 III:14 (00) • tunt . šmm . ʿm[ . arṣ . thmt . ʿmn . kbkbm ]
UDB1_1 III:15 (00) • rgm . l tdʿ . nš̊[m . w l tbn . hmlt . arṣ ]
UDB1_1 III:16 (00) • at . w . ank . ibǵ̊̊[yh… ]
UDB1_1 III:17 (00) • w yʿn . kṯr . w ḫss . [ lk . lk . ʿnn . ilm ]
UDB1_1 III:18 (00) • atm . bštm . w an̊[ . šnt . kptr ]
UDB1_1 III:19 (00) • l rḥq . ilm . ḥkp[t . l rḥq . ilnym ]
UDB1_1 III:20 (00) • ṯn . mṯpdm . tḥt . [ ʿnt . arṣ . ṯlṯ . mtḥ ]
UDB1_1 III:21 (00) • ǵyrm . idk . l yt[n . pnm . ʿm . lṭpn ]
UDB1_1 III:22 (R1) • il d pid . tk ḫrš̊[n — tk ///ʿm . ǵr . ks ]
(00) • il d pid . tk ḫrš̊[n… . ǵr . ks ]
UDB1_1 III:23 (00) • ygly ḏd . i[l . w ybu . qrš . mlk ]
UDB1_1 III:24 (00) • ab . šnm . l̊[ pʿn . il . yhbr . w yql ]
UDB1_1 III:25 (R1) • yštḥwẙ[ . w ykbdnh —— ]
(00) • yštḥwẙ[ . w ykbdnh… ]
UDB1_1 III:26 (R1) • ṯr . il̊ . å[bh ———— ]
(00) • ṯr . il̊ . å[bh… ]
UDB1_1 III:27 (00) • ḥš b̊[htm . tbnn . ḥš . trmmn . hklm ]
UDB1_1 III:28 (R1) • b tk . [ —————- ]
(00) • b tk . [… ]
UDB1_1 III:29 (R1) • bn . [ —————– ]
(00) • bn . [… ]
UDB1_1 III:30 (R1) • a-[ —————- ]
(00) • a-[… ]
[a] (00) • …
UDB1_1 IV:0 (00) • …
UDB1_1 IV:1 (R1) • [… ] m . {ẙt̊r̊[… ] /// ẙp̊r̊[… ] /// ṣ̊t̊r̊[… ] /// ṣ̊p̊r̊[… ] }
(00) • [… ] m . ṣ̊/ẙt̊/p̊r̊[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:2 (R1) • gm . ṣḥ . l qb̊[… ]
(10) • g̊m . ṣḥ . l qb̊[ṣ . ilm ]
(00) • gm . ṣḥ . l q[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:3 (00) • l rḥqm . l p[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:4 (00) • ṣḥ . il . yṯb . b m̊[rzḥ… ]
UDB1_1 IV:5 (00) • b̊ṯ̊t . ʿllmn . -[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:6 (00) • ilm . bt . bʿlk . [… ]
UDB1_1 IV:7 (00) • d l . ylkn . ḥš . b å[rṣ… ]
UDB1_1 IV:8 (00) • b ʿpr . ḫbl ṭtm . -[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:9 (00) • šqy . rṯån̊ . tnmy . ytn̊[ . ks . b yd ]
UDB1_1 IV:10 (00) • krpn . b klat yd . -[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:11 (R1) • k mll . k ḥṣ . tusp̊[… ]
(00) • k mll . k ḥṣ . tusp̊[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:12 (00) • tgr . il . bnh . ṯr[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:13 (R1) • w yʿn . lṭ[p]n . il . d p̊[id… ]
(00) • w yʿn . lṭpn . il . d p̊[id… ]
UDB1_1 IV:14 (00) • šm . bny . yw . ilt[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:15 (00) • w pʿr . šm . ym[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:16 (00) • tʿnyn . l zntn . [… ]
UDB1_1 IV:17 (R1) • at . adn . tpʿr̊[… ]
(00) • at . adn . tpʿr̊[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:18 (00) • ank . lṭpn . il[ . d pid… ]
UDB1_1 IV:19 (R1) • ʿl . ydm . pʿrt̊[… ]
(00) • ʿl . ydm . pʿrt̊[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:20 (00) • šmk . mdd . i[l… ]
UDB1_1 IV:21 (00) • bt . kspy . dt̊[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:22 (00) • bd . aliyn b̊[ʿl… ]
UDB1_1 IV:23 (R1) • kd . ynaṣn[… ]
(00) • kd . ynaṣn[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:24 (00) • gršnn . l k̊[si . mlkh . l nḫt . l kḥṯ ]
UDB1_1 IV:25 (00) • drkth . š-[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:26 (00) • w hm . ap . l[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:27 (00) • ymḫṣk . k[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:28 (00) • il . dbḥ . [… ]
UDB1_1 IV:29 (00) • pʿr . bt̊/n̊[… ]
UDB1_1 IV:30 (00) • ṭbḫ . alp[m . ap . ṣin . šql ]
UDB1_1 IV:31 (00) • ṯrm . w[ mri . ilm . ʿglm . dt . šnt ]
UDB1_1 IV:32 (R1) • i̊mr . [ qmṣ . llim… ]
(10) • i̊m̊r̊[ q]m[ṣ . llim ]
(00) • i̊mr . [ qmṣ . llim… ]
[a] (00) • …
UDB1_1 V:0 (00) • …
UDB1_1 V:1 (00) • [… ] b
UDB1_1 V:2 (00) • [… w ym . ym]m
UDB1_1 V:3 (00) • [ yʿtqn… ymǵy . ] npš
UDB1_1 V:4 (00) • [… h]d . tngṯnh
UDB1_1 V:5 (00) • [… ] . b ṣpn
UDB1_1 V:6 (00) • [… ] . nšb . bʿn
UDB1_1 V:7 (00) • [… ] b̊km yʿn
UDB1_1 V:8 (00) • [… ydʿ . l ] ydʿt
UDB1_1 V:9 (00) • [… t]asrn
UDB1_1 V:10 (R1) • [ ṯr il… ] trks -̊-̊
(00) • [ ṯr il… ] trks -( ? ) -( ? )
UDB1_1 V:11 (00) • [… ] – abnm . upqt
UDB1_1 V:12 (00) • [… ] l ẘ ǵr mtny
UDB1_1 V:13 (00) • [ at zd… ] rq . gb
UDB1_1 V:14 (00) • [… ] kl . tǵr . mtnh
UDB1_1 V:15 (00) • [… ] b . w ym ymm
UDB1_1 V:16 (00) • [ yʿtqn… ] – . ymǵy . npš
UDB1_1 V:17 (00) • [… ] t . hd . tngṯnh
UDB1_1 V:18 (R1) • [… ] ḥmk b ṣpn
(00) • [… ] ḥmk b ṣpn
UDB1_1 V:19 (00) • [… ] – išqb . aylt
UDB1_1 V:20 (R1) • [… ] g̊m . bkm . yʿn
(10) • [… ] g̊m . bkm . yʿn
(00) • [… ] . mbkm . yʿn
UDB1_1 V:21 (00) • [… ] . ydʿ . l ydʿt
UDB1_1 V:22 (R1) • [… ] tasrn . ṯr il
(00) • [… ] tasrn . ṯr il
UDB1_1 V:23 (00) • [… ] rks . bn . abnm
UDB1_1 V:24 (R1) • [… ] upqt . ʿrb
(00) • [… ] upqt . ʿrb
UDB1_1 V:25 (00) • [… w ] ǵ̊r . m̊tn̊y at zd
UDB1_1 V:26 (R1) • [… ] tʿrb . b ši
(00) • [… ] tʿrb . b ši
UDB1_1 V:27 (00) • [… ] -l tzd . l tptq
UDB1_1 V:28 (R1) • [… ] . g̊[… ] l årṣ
(00) • [… ] . g̊[… ] l årṣ
[a] (00) • …
KTU 1.1-1.6 Bibliography
Transliteration forthcoming.
KTU 1.2 (RS 3.367 + 3.346; UDB 1.2; CTA 2) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.)
KTU 1.2 Description
For description, see KTU 1.1 above.
KTU 1.2 Transliteration (KTU3: pp. 5-10)
Transliteration forthcoming.
KTU 1.3 [+ KTU 1.8 below] (RS 2.[014] + 3.363 + 3.364 [KTU 1.8]; CTA 3) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.)
KTU 1.3 Description
For description, see KTU 1.1 above.
KTU 1.3 Transliteration (KTU3: pp. 10-18)
Description forthcoming.
KTU 1.4 (RS 2.[008] + 3.341 + 3.347; CTA 4) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.)
KTU 1.4 Description
For description, see KTU 1.1 above.
KTU 1.4 Transliteration (KTU3: pp. 18-24)
Transliteration forthcoming.
KTU 1.5 (RS 2.[022] + 3.[565]; CTA 5) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.)
KTU 1.5 Description
For description, see KTU 1.1 above.
KTU 1.5 Transliteration (KTU3: pp. 24-27)
Transliteration forthcoming.
KTU 1.6 (RS 2.[009] + 5.155; CTA 6) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.)
KTU 1.6 Description
For description, see KTU 1.1 above.
KTU 1.6 Transliteration (KTU3: pp. 27-31)
Transliteration forthcoming.
Forthcoming:
–KTU 1.8 [= now CAT 1.3 VI 1-17; UDB 1.7; CTA 7] (RS 3.364) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.). For description, see CAT 1.1 above. According to older literature, CAT 1.8 consisted of short excerpts or paraphrases, perhaps as a scribal exercise, of the same material found in CAT 1.3. In the most recent edition of CAT (2013), the editors have reassigned it as the sixth column of CAT 1.3. Cf. CAT 1.7 below.
–KTU 1.7 (RS 5.180 + 5.198) = Baˁlu Cycle (duplicate?). This extremely fragmentary text consists of two pieces and, according to Wyatt, “appears largely to duplicate parts of KTU 1.3 ii and iii” (1998: 148). He further conjectures that the tablet is probably a scribal exercise which has implications for understanding the transmission of the mythological tradition. Its provenance is Trench T IV of the Acropolis; it is currently housed in Aleppo. For an introduction and translation, see Wyatt, RTU, pp. 148-151.
–KTU 1.9 (RS 5.229; UDB 1.9; CTA 9) = Fragment of a myth concerning Baˁlu or his son. Description forthcoming.
–KTU 1.10 (RS 3.362+) = Baal and Anat. Description forthcoming.
–KTU 1.12 (RS 2.[012]) = The Devourers. Description forthcoming.
–KTU 1.13 (RS 1.006) = Hymn to Anat. Description forthcoming.
–KTU 1.23 (RS 2.002) = The Gracious Gods. Description forthcoming.
–KTU 1.24 (RS 5.194) = Nikkal and the Kotharat. Description forthcoming.
–KTU 1.100 (RS 24.244) = Shapsh and the Mare. Description forthcoming.
–KTU 1.114 (RS 24.258) = El’s Banquet. Description forthcoming.
Chronological Bibliography of Ugaritic Resources
- CTA: Herdner. Corpus des tablettes en cunéiformes alphabétiques découvertes à Ras Shamra-Ugarit de 1929 à 1939. Paris, 1963.
- RSO VII: Bordreuil, ed. Une bibliothèque au sud de la ville. Les textes de la 34e campagne (1973). Ras Shamra–Ougarit 7. Paris, 1991.
- RSO XIV: Yon, Marguerite and Daniel Arnaud, eds. Études ougaritiques, I. Travaux 1985–1995. Ras Shamra–Ougarit 14. Paris, 2001.
- RTU: Wyatt, The Religious Texts from Ugarit, 2nd edition. 2002.
- COS: Hallo and Younger, eds. The Context of Scripture. Leiden-Boston, 2003.
- UDB: Cunchillos, Vita, and Zamora. Ugaritic Data Bank: The Texts. Madrid 2003.
- RSO XVIII: Bordreuil, Pardee, and Hawley. Une bibliothèque au sud de la ville. Textes 1994–2002 en cunéiforme alphabétique de la maison d’Ourtenou. Ras Shamra–Ougarit 18. Paris, 2012.
- CAT (= KTU3): Dietrich, Loretz, and Sanmartin. The Cuneiform Alphabetic Texts from Ugarit, Ras Ibn Hani and Other Places. Münster 2013.