Lecture Outline: The Baal Cycle I. Ugaritic/Canaanite deitiesa) El1. ’el = “god”2. creator god3. “father” of gods4. wise and eternal (old)5. mountain (2 rivers = fresh water)• Lived on a sacred mountain• On the bottom of the mountain were two rivers that all the fresh water came from • Babylonians believe all the fresh water comes from Apsub) Baal1. ba‘al = “lord” 2. storm god• Not binatural (like Marduk)a. aka Hadad (“thunderer”)b. aka Rider on the Cloudsc. wind god d. fertility god (rain)e. farmersf. fishermen, sailors• Especially worshiped him because he is the storm god3. son of Dagon (grain)4. mountain (Zaphon)• Like El, Baal also has a sacred mountain c) Asherah1. wife of El2. “mother” of godsd) Anat1. sister of Baal2. cf. Apollo and Artemis3. nubile, virgin goddess• Controversy – Some think that she is a very sexual god4. goddess of war and hunting (bloodthirsty) e) Kothar-wa-Hasis1. craftsman god2. cf. Hephaestus f) Shapash1. sun goddess2. linked to both life and death (= summer, drought)• We need sun to live but it also brings on heat and drought II. Baal Cyclea) group of poems about Baal b) tablets found at Ugarit (alphabetic script)• Predecessors of the Phonations c) found in library of chief priest of Baal (temple) = Attanu-Purlianni d) scribe, Ilimilku e) in reign of Niqmaddu II, king of Ugarit (c. 1375-1345 BCE)• We still don’t know when it was composed or by who f) composition of Attanu-Purlianni and Ilimilku? or just of Ilimilku? g) poems in Baal Cyle: recited in autumn? (rainy season)• We do not know when it was perform, this is just what we think III. Baal Cycle: The Poems a) Baal vs. Yam (Sea)• Binatural b) Palace of Baal b) Baal vs. Mot (Death)• Binatural IV. Baal vs. Yam a) Yam (Sea)1. aka Nahar2. aka river, dragon, serpent b) messengers from Yam sent to El c) gods afraid (cf. Tiamat)• of the messengers from Yam d) “Give up the one you are hiding (i.e., Baal)!”• Yam wants Baal’s powers e) El agrees e) Kothar makes 2 clubs for Baal• Baal does not go willingly, so he has Kothar makes him clubs“Kothar brought down two clubs […] Judge River between the arms” g) Baal smashes and defeats Yam 1. = wind/lightning/storm at sea2. = order over chaos• Any opponent to the king of the gods is going to be considered as chaosh) Anat goes to battle1. slaughters warriors2. helps Baal defeat Yam?• But Baal has just defeated Yam – Some scholars think that this passage got misplaced and is in the wrong part of the story V. Palace of Baala) Baal = king over earth (El = king of gods)• What exactly is Baal the king of? El?• Becomes king for killing Yam b) Anat and Asherah to El: “Baal needs a house!” c) Baal’s house1. palace = king2. temple = patron god of Ugaritd) Kothar builds Baal’s house 1. cedar2. cf. king Solomon’s Temple• Also made of cedarf) Kothar wants to install “window”• “Listen, Baal the Conquerer…”1. Baal disagrees2. belief: Death, windowsf) [poem celebrates temple of Baal in Ugarit]VI. Baal vs. Mot (Death)a) Mot’s abode (underworld) = swamp, muck• Where death livesb) Baal invites Mot to his new palace c) Mot takes offense 1. implication of subservience?• Perhaps he believes that Baal wants Mot to pay respects to him• Or he heard what Baal said at the end of the last poem• “So Baal was enthroned in his house […] I alone will satisfy earth’s masses.”2. Baal must die!d) Shapash advises Baal1. create substitute• to sacrifice to Mot2. Baal mates with cow, produces son3. substitute “Baal” dies in his place4. real Baal hides out in underworlde) absence of Baal from earth = summer droughtf) El and Anat mourn “dead” Baalg) Anat cuts up/grinds up/sows Mot• So angry that he killed her brother• “She seized El’s son Death […] let flesh cry out to flesh!”h) El dreams Baal is alive1. tells Anat to ask Shapash2. Shapash looks for Baal• The sun is up in the sky; sees all• Unsure if she actually knows where he is; she advised him to make a clonei) Baal emerges from underworldj) Baal and Mot battle to draw on Mount Zaphon• A draw, they both collapse in exhaustionk) Shapash warns Mot to relent (El’s wrath); he does • In fear of El, Mot stops• “Listen, El’s son death […] Death was afraid of her voice”l) [poem celebrates victory of autumn rain (Baal) over summer drought
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