Word of Tree and Whisper of Stone, and Other Papers on Ugaritian Thought (Gorgias Ugaritic Studies)

This volume is a collection of selected essays on specific themes in Ugaritic literature. Included are eight unique contributions to understanding the religious life and thought of Ugarit, including detailed studies and essays covering broader issues for grasping the worldview of ancient Syria. Table of Contents..............................v......Page 8 Preface....................................................vii......Page 10 Acknowledgments ........................................... ix......Page 12 Abbreviations ........................................................ xi......Page 14 1 A New Look at Ugaritic Šdmt........................................1......Page 20 2 The Titles of the Ugaritic Storm-God ................................7......Page 26 3 The Pruning of the Vine in KTU 1.23 ..........................................41......Page 60 Introduction ............................................................................47......Page 66 The Experience of Polytheism ...................................................................49......Page 68 The Experience of Divine Images.............................................................57......Page 76 Polytheism as a Religious Norm ................................................................59......Page 78 Dynamics of the Pantheon .........................................................................62......Page 81 Terms for the Pantheon of Ugarit, and Possible Divisions within it...63......Page 82 The Existence of Demons in a Polytheistic Culture...............................79......Page 98 The Theory of a “Crisis of Polytheism” ...................................................81......Page 100 The Problem of the Origins of Monotheism...........................................83......Page 102 1 Introduction .........................................................................................85......Page 104 2 Cosmology............................................................................................87......Page 106 3 Theology ...............................................................................................93......Page 112 4 Mythology...........................................................................................106......Page 125 5 The Royal Ideology of Ugarit..........................................................115......Page 134 6 Ritual ..................................................................................................119......Page 138 7 Family Life and its Religious Expression.......................................123......Page 142 8 Other Religious Manifestations.......................................................125......Page 144 9 Sickness ...............................................................................................131......Page 150 10 Death and its Rites ............................................................................133......Page 152 11 Non-Literary Dimensions in Ugaritian Religion ..........................136......Page 155 12 Conclusion ...................................................................................141......Page 160 Introduction ................................................................................................143......Page 162 Poems concerning Baal .............................................................................145......Page 164 The Story of Keret .......................................................................................147......Page 166 The Story of Aqhat .....................................................................................149......Page 168 Ilimilku’s Motives .......................................................................................150......Page 169 7 “May Horon Smash Your Head!”: a Curse Formula from Ugarit..........155......Page 174 I Introduction .......................................................................................167......Page 186 II The Oracle in Keret (Kirta) ................................................................170......Page 189 III An Oracular Formula in Baal and its Implications for Ugaritian and Biblical Thought .......................................................181......Page 200 Bibliography of Works Cited.............................................................................193......Page 212 Index......Page 246 This Flagship Volume Of The Gorgias Ugaritic Series Is A Book Of Selected Essays Dating From 1992 To The Present, Devoted To Themes In Ugaritic Literature. Providing A Glimpse Into The Worldview Of Ancient Syria, Word Of Tree And Whisper Of Stone Includes The Following Chapters: A New Look At The Term Sdmt; The Titles Of The Ugaritic Storm-god; The Pruning Of The Vine In Ktu 1.23; Understanding Polytheism: Structure And Dynamic In A West Semitic Pantheon; Religion At Ugarit: An Overview; Epic In Ugaritic Literature; May Horon Smash Your Head!: A Curse Formula From Ugarit; And Word Of Tree And Whisper Of Stone, From Which The Volume Takes Its Title. The Shorter Chapters, 1 And 3, Deal With Details In Textual Analysis, The Intermediate Ones, 5 And 6, With Matters Of Religion And Genre. The Longer Ones, 2, 4, 7 And 8, Cover Broader Issues, Respectively The Surprisingly Large Range Of Baal's Epithets; The Theology Of The So-called Pantheon Lists Form Ugarit, And The Tension They Invite Between Pluralistic And Unitary Conceptions Of Deity; And The Question Of Prophecy In Ugarit. Prophetic Figures Have Now Been Widely Attested In The Ancient Near East, From The Time Of Zimri-lim Of Mari Down Into The Iron Age. It Was Only A Matter Of Time Till The Phenomenon Was Observed In Ugarit. This Final Chapter Explores The Language Of Divine Communication In The Light Of Some Archaic Features In Israelite Oracular Procedure.--publisher's Website. N. Wyatt. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 193-226) And Index.