A Primer on Ugaritic
Language, Culture and Literature

This book is an introduction to the language of the ancient city of Ugarit, first published in 2007.

William M. Schniedewind (Author), Joel H. Hunt (Author)

9780521879330, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 2 July 2007

244 pages, 70 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.7 cm, 0.53 kg

'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

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.

1. Ancient Ugarit
2. School texts: introducing the language and alphabet
3. Letters (KTU 2): an inductive introduction to Ugaritic
4. Administrative texts (KTU 4)
5. Legal texts (KTU 3)
6. Literary texts (KTU 1)
7. Grammatical precis.

Subject Areas: Biblical studies & exegesis [HRCG], Linguistics [CF]