A Primer on Ugaritic: Language, Culture and Literature

Description

A Primer on Ugaritic is an introduction to the language of the ancient city of Ugarit, a city that flourished in the second millennium BCE on the Lebanese coast, placed in the context of the culture, literature, and religion of this ancient Semitic culture. The Ugaritic language and literature was a precursor to Canaanite and serves as one of our most important resources for understanding the Old Testament and the Hebrew language. Special emphasis is placed on contextualization of the Ugaritic language and comparison to ancient Hebrew as well as Akkadian. The book begins with a general introduction to ancient Ugarit, and the introduction to the various genres of Ugaritic literature is placed in the context of this introduction. The language is introduced by genre, beginning with prose and letters, proceeding to administrative, and finally introducing the classic examples of Ugaritic epic. A summary of the grammar, a glossary, and a bibliography round out the volume.

Professor William M. Schniedewind chairs the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures and is a Professor of Biblical Studies at UCLA. He is most recently the author of How the Bible Became a Book, published in 2005. Joel H. Hunt is currently conducting research at the Department of the Ancient Near East at the British Museum, London. He is a former professor at Azusa Pacific University and has published articles in a variety of journals.

'In the Ugaritic Primer, Joel Hunt and William Schiedewind have given to the field its first introduction to the Ugaritic language ever to be produced in English. Informed by the most recent research, the authors provide a well-rounded and balanced treatment of grammatical information and texts. This book contains everything students beginning Ugaritic need: a fine introduction to the ancient city of Ugarit; a concise survey of the grammar; accessible introductions to the various genres of texts; a chrestomathy of more than twenty Ugaritic texts from different genres, along with helpful notes; a glossary of the words in the texts with cognates from various languages; and a listing of resources for further study. The work is user-friendly, clear and engaging. A very welcome addition to Ugaritic studies, this primer will serve generations of students.' Mark Smith, New York University 'In contrast to many introductory Semitic language grammars, this volume is surprisingly readable. The presentation is clear, accessible, and largely jargon-free. Because of the thoughtful arrangement and composition of this primer, students will be able to learn the language more quickly and enjoyably ... Schniedewind and Hunt have produced a very fine grammar that will surely be a welcome mainstay in all levels of introductory Ugaritic courses whether they are undergraduate or graduate programs.' The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures