Third and last: Epigraphic notes on the ugaritic tablet KTU 1.19.

• Author: Yogev, Jonathan
• Position: Essay

One of the most famous stories in Ugaritic literature is the legend of Aqht that was found at Ras Shamra, Syria, during the early 1930s. Written in Ugaritic script and spread over three worn and broken tablets, this text has been thoroughly studied for the past eighty years. More than a few studies have dealt with the following questions: Is the end of the known text in the third tablet really the end of the storyh Or is there perhaps a missing tablet, or tablets, that continue the plot from the third tablet (KTU 1.19)h These questions have been answered on the basis of storyline and plot, and many believe that there must have been more contents that complete this story and that it cannot end where the text ends. In this paper we have tried to answer this question based on epigraphic evidence found in the third tablet of the Aqht legend. After carefully examining four unique features of this tablet, we conclude that KTU 1.19 is, in fact, the last one of this specific sequence. We support this evidence by an analysis of the contents, showing that there is indeed enough text to suggest a proper closure for this legend.

After the first interpretations of the poetic Ugaritic tablets from Ras Shamra that were mostly from Virolleaud in the 1930s, it became clear that some subjects and characters appear in more than a single tablet. (1) These discoveries led to the logical conclusion that some of the poetic stories were long enough to be written on more than a single tablet. The next step was to fit the tablets together and to find their correct sequence using various elements from the storylines. For example, Virolleaud designated the three tablets of the Krt epic as IK (KTU 1.14), IIK (KTU 1.16), and IIIK (KTU 1.15). (2) A few years later, further interpretation proposed interchanging IIK and IIIK, an interpretation which has since been widely accepted. (3) Another example of a "sequence puzzle" can be found in the Ugaritic Baal Cycle. Although most studies agree on the correct sequence of the tablets, (4) one can still find opinions that question this sequence. (5) When we try to solve a puzzle, the easiest way is to determine the limits of the frame, in this case the beginning and the end. This is, of course, a matter of debate that rests on interpretation. The difficulty in solving these puzzles is great because of the poor condition of the tablets when they were discovered, especially around the edges. Furthermore, it is also possible that other tablets that were a part of the original sequence are missing. Another difficulty is that our understanding of the Ugaritic language is far from perfect. It is difficult to determine the order of the storyline when we are still struggling with the interpretation of words and sentences. This paper deals with the ending of the legend of Aqht, or KTU 1.19. Based mainly on epigraphic evidence we propose that KTU 1.19 is indeed the last in the sequence of Aqht,

The legend of Aqht consists of three tablets (KTU 1.17; 1.18; 1.19), (6) all found in the "Library of the High Priest" at Ugarit between 1930 and 1931. (7) It was first translated by Virolleaud in 1936, who named the story after the main protagonist, Dan-ilu. (8) Later, based on a small inscription at the top of KTU 1.19: (9) [l]aq[h]t, the legend was renamed after Dan-ilu's son, Aqht. In total, about 480 complete or partial lines have survived on three tablets, and much of the contents is missing. Many elements of the legend are debatable, while other details are accepted by most scholars. Briefly, the legend tells of a well-known and respected man called Dan-ilu. (10) Dan-ilu longs for a son, and after appealing to the gods, he is given a son named Aqht. Dan-ilu receives a gift for his son from one of the gods, Kothar-and-Hasi--a wonderful bow, which is later coveted by the goddess Anat. (11) This conflict leads to Aqht's death: he is killed by Anat and an accomplice, Ytpn. His father and sister, Pgt, mourn for him. Dan-ilu sets off to find his son's remains, and confronts some eagles, inside one of whom he finds his son's remains. Dan-ilu mourns for seven years. Then, after a dialogue between him and his daughter, the latter sets out to wreak vengeance for her brother's death.

THE SEQUENCE OF THE TABLETS

As we have seen above, Virolleaud suggested the following numbers for the three tablets: ID (KTU 1.19), IID (KTU 1.17), IIID (KTU 1.18), but a different sequence was soon suggested (12) and has since been accepted by most scholars. Many important studies suggest that the ending of the legend of Aqht is missing. This suggestion is based on several pieces of evidence. The first is contents. At the end of KTU 1.19, Pgt goes to Ytpn, probably to avenge her brother's murder. Some say that the murder of Ytpn and its consequences must have been related on a fourth, missing, tablet. (13) The second piece of evidence concerns the tablets of the Rpum (KTU 1.20-1.22). The...