Ancient History, Middle East

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Ugarit

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2008 | Copyright

Ugarit , ancient city, capital of the Ugarit kingdom, W Syria, on the Mediterranean coast N of modern Latakia. Although the name of this city was known from Egyptian and Hittite sources, its location and history were a mystery until the accidental discovery (1928) of an ancient tomb at the small Arab village of Ras Shamra. Excavations begun in 1929 established the identity of the mound as the site of ancient Ugarit. The site was been particularly rich in finds, which have yielded much valuable historical information and from which a partial account of the city has been constructed.

Ugarit was probably occupied from the first appearance of humans in Syria. The lowest level of the mound dates from the Neolithic period, the 5th millennium BC It developed as a great center of commerce, having important connections with Mesopotamia. By the 4th millennium Ugarit had reached a high stage of development and was part of the general civilization of ancient Syria. Between 3000 and 2000 BC, important ethnic changes took place at Ugarit, brought about by the northward migrations of Amorites and Semitic Canaanites. Early in the 2d millennium, because of invasions from the north and east, Ugarit turned to an alliance with Egypt, and from this period Egyptian influence was strong in the city. The city was also the most important center of Minoan trade in Syria. The 15th and 14th cent. BC were the period of highest prosperity for Ugarit. Trade developed tremendously, and the city expanded in size. The rich and abundant art of this period shows that an important Mycenaean colony existed in the city. Foreign invasions and economic change in the 12th cent. BC caused Ugarit to decline. By the end of the century, although it was not completely abandoned, it had ceased to exist as an important town.

Among the more important discoveries at Ugarit are tablets from the 14th cent. BC Written in a cuneiform script, in a hitherto unknown language, Ugaritic, they record the poetic works and myths of the ancient Canaanites. They are written in an alphabet that is one of the earliest known. Ugaritic has been identified as a Semitic language, related to classical Hebrew, the language of the Old Testament, and these tablets, the first authentic specimens of pagan Canaanite literature, have been of great importance to students of language and of the Bible. They offer evidence that the stories of the Old Testament were based on written Canaanite documents as well as being passed down orally.

Bibliography: See C. F. A. Schaeffer, The Cuneiform Texts of Ras Shamra-Ugarit (1939); J. Obermann, Ugaritic Mythology (1948); D. A. Rolles, Canaanite Myths and Legends (1956); C. H. Gordon, Ugarit and Minoan Crete (1966); R. Whitaker, Concordance of the Ugaritic Literature (1972); S. Stanislav, A Basic Grammar of the Ugaritic Language (1985).

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"Ugarit." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Ugarit." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Ugarit.html

"Ugarit." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Ugarit.html

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Ugarit

A Dictionary of the Bible | 1997 | | Copyright

Ugarit The ancient name of the modern Ras Shamra on the Mediterranean coast in Syria. Excavations started in 1929 by French archaeologists revealed large deposits of cuneiform texts in Akkadian and in Ugaritic and give much information about the social organization and religion of the city. The importance of these texts for OT studies is the light they shine on the cultures surrounding Israel and the legends of their deities, such as Baal, who is a storm-god. (Ps. 29 portrays Yahweh in very similar terms.) Their language can also sometimes shed light on obscure Hebrew passages in the Bible.

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W. R. F. BROWNING. "Ugarit." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

W. R. F. BROWNING. "Ugarit." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Ugarit.html

W. R. F. BROWNING. "Ugarit." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-Ugarit.html

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Ugarit

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

Ugarit an ancient port and Bronze Age trading city in northern Syria, founded in Neolithic times and destroyed by the Sea Peoples in about the 12th century bc. Late Bronze Age remains include a palace, temples, and private residences containing legal, religious, and administrative cuneiform texts in Sumerian, Akkadian, Hurrian, Hittite, and Ugaritic languages. Its people spoke a Semitic language written in a distinctive cuneiform alphabet.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Ugarit." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Ugarit." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Ugarit.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Ugarit." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Ugarit.html

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Ugarit

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions | 1997 | | Copyright

Ugarit (Ras Shamra). Ancient city of the Middle East. Archaeological excavations, especially of the Ugaritic texts, at Ugarit have had an important effect on biblical studies: the city is not mentioned in the Bible, but its social structure in the Late Bronze Age casts light on Canaanite culture and religion.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Ugarit." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Ugarit." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Ugarit.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Ugarit." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Ugarit.html

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Ugarit

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Ugarit Ancient city in nw Syria. Inhabited as early as the 7th millennium bc, it was a great commercial power, trading with Mesopotamia and Egypt. Excavations have revealed a vast palace from the 14th century bc, and many large houses filled with treasures and artefacts.

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"Ugarit." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Ugarit." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Ugarit.html

"Ugarit." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-Ugarit.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Ugarit und die Bibel. Magazine article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society; 1/1/1993
	Il Libro dei morti dell'antica Ugarit: Le piu antiche testimonianze... Magazine article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society; 10/1/2000
	Il Libro dei morti dell'antica Ugarit: Le piu antiche testimonianze... Magazine article from: The Journal of the American Oriental Society; 10/1/2000