The following list highlights important Ugaritic tablets. These are listed according to the CAT number with cross-references in parentheses. Catalogue in progress.
CAT 1: Literary and Religious Texts (Myths, Epics, Rituals, Hymns, Medical Texts, etc.)
–CAT 1.1 (RS 3.361; UDB 1.1; CTA 1) = Baˁlu Cycle. 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”.
–CAT 1.2 (RS 3.367 + 3.346; UDB 1.2; CTA 2) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.). For description, see CAT 1.1 above.
–CAT 1.3 [+ CAT 1.8 below] (RS 2.[014] + 3.363 + 3.364 [formerly CAT 1.8 below]; CTA 3) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.). For description, see CAT 1.1 above.
–CAT 1.4 (RS 2.[008] + 3.341 + 3.347; CTA 4) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.). For description, see CAT 1.1 above.
–CAT 1.5 (RS 2.[022] + 3.[565]; CTA 5) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.). For description, see CAT 1.1 above.
–CAT 1.6 (RS 2.[009] + 5.155; CTA 6) = Baˁlu Cycle (cont.). For description, see CAT 1.1 above.
–CAT 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.
–CAT 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.
–CAT 1.9 (RS 5.229; UDB 1.9; CTA 9) = Fragment of a myth concerning Baˁlu or his son. Description forthcoming.
–CAT 1.10 (RS 3.362+) = Baal and Anat. Description forthcoming.
–CAT 1.12 (RS 2.[012]) = The Devourers. Description forthcoming.
–CAT 1.13 (RS 1.006) = Hymn to Anat. Description forthcoming.
–CAT 1.23 (RS 2.002) = The Gracious Gods. Description forthcoming.
–CAT 1.24 (RS 5.194) = Nikkal and the Kotharat. Description forthcoming.
–CAT 1.100 (RS 24.244) = Shapsh and the Mare. Description forthcoming.
–CAT 1.114 (RS 24.258) = El’s Banquet. Description forthcoming.
Bibliography of Text Editions and Translations
- CTA: Herdner. Corpus des tablettes en cunéiformes alphabétiques découvertes à Ras Shamra-Ugarit de 1929 à 1939. Paris, 1963.
- UDB: Cunchillos, Vita, and Zamora. Ugaritic Data Bank: The Texts. Madrid 2003.
- CAT (= KTU3): Dietrich, Loretz, and Sanmartin. The Cuneiform Alphabetic Texts from Ugarit, Ras Ibn Hani and Other Places. Münster 2013.
- 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.
- 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.
- COS: Hallo and Younger, eds. The Context of Scripture. Leiden-Boston, 2003.
- RTU: Wyatt, The Religious Texts from Ugarit, 2nd edition. 2002.