JUDAICA - Wisdom In Torah

the direction rather than the name of the holy mountain. In
Psalms 48:2–3, Mount Zion is equated with “the recesses of
ẓafon” (the phrase quoted above from Isa. 14:13). The association
of the name Baal-Zephon with Israel’s exit from Egypt
(Ex. 14:2, 9; Num. 33:7) has been made the basis of intriguing
speculation by Eissfeldt.
Baal in the Ugaritic Myths
The bulk of the Ugaritic mythological texts is concerned with
the activities of Baal. In correlating the sequence of events,
Baal’s victory over the sea-god, Yamm, is probably to be placed
near the beginning of the action, since it was presumably this
exploit which gained him the dominant position among the
gods, just as *Marduk achieved preeminence by defeating the
sea-monster Tiamat. With the help of wonder weapons supplied
and blessed by the versatile Koshar (the craftsman god),
Baal was able to defeat and rout the sea-god. It has been suggested
that this clash was indirectly a conflict between Baal
and El, with Yamm serving as champion for the venerable El,
as the Titans fought on behalf of Kronos in the Greek version
of the myth and the stone colossus Ulikummi for Kumarbi in
the Hurrian-Hittite version which is roughly contemporary
with the Ugaritic texts.
The biblical allusions to YHWH’s victory over the sea
preserve echoes of the older exploit of Baal (cf. Isa. 27:1, 30:7,
51:9–10; Ezek. 29:3–5, 32:2–6; Nah. 1:4; Hab. 3:8; Ps. 74:13–14,
89:9–10, 93:1ff.; Job 3:8, 7:12, 9:13, 26:12–13, 38:8–11, 40:25).
YHWH’s victory over the waters is connected either with
the rescue of Israel at the Exodus (Ps. 114) or with eschatological
victory (Isa. 27:1). The eschatological traits were
taken over with the Canaanite myths. The triumph of Baal
recounted in the myths and perhaps reenacted in ritual drama
gave assurance of help in the present and the future as in
the past. The prize of the victory was kingship over the gods
and the enthronement ritual guaranteed the natural order of
life and the welfare of the society. The motifs of these myths
were adopted and adapted in Jewish and Christian eschatology.
The longest of the texts deals with the construction of
Baal’s house on top of Mount Ṣapān. A complaint is made to
Bull El, father of the gods, that Baal has no house like other
gods. Apparently in anticipation of developments the artisan
god Koshar had cast furnishings of gold and silver. Asherah,
mother of the gods, was prevailed upon to intercede with El
to gain permission for the building. El is praised for his wisdom
in granting the request since now it is insured that Baal
will give his rain in season. The building materials, gold, silver,
and lapis lazuli, were procured and the architect-builder
Koshar was invited to dinner and consultation. Koshar twice
recommended that a window be installed and Baal twice vetoed
the suggestion, although Koshar insisted that Baal would
have to reconsider. Baal’s objection to the window somehow
concerned his three daughters and the sea-god (Yamm), but
the text is broken at this point. (The suggestion that Jer. 9:20
presents a parallel is mistaken since the Ugaritic text men-
baal worship
tions the sea-god and not Death (Mot) in connection with
the window.) Baal’s house was constructed in an extraordinary
fashion. For seven days a fire burned inside the building,
and when it subsided, the house was plated with gold, silver,
and lapis lazuli. Baal rejoiced and celebrated with a banquet.
After a sortie against the sea-god, Baal returned to his house
and ordered Koshar to install a window; Koshar laughed, reminded
Baal of the debate, and complied. Through the window,
a cleft in the clouds, Baal gave forth his holy voice which
convulsed the earth and sent his enemies scurrying to the hills
and woods. Issuing a challenge to his enemy Mot (death), who
presumed to rule gods and men, Baal dispatched his messengers
to Mot’s infernal, filthy abode, warning them not to get
close to Mot’s rapacious jaws.
The sequel to this action is furnished by the group of
texts which recount Baal’s confrontations with Mot. In the
first encounter, Baal is invited to a banquet at which he is to
be both guest and main course. Baal’s response to Mot’s invitation
to come and be devoured is abject surrender: “Thy slave
am I, thine eternal.” Before descending to the realm of death,
Baal copulates with a heifer and begets a male offspring. After
a textual gap, there is a report that Baal’s corpse has been
found. El and Anath mourn violently, mutilating their faces
and bodies. With the help of the sun-goddess Shapsh, Anath
locates the dead Baal, carries him to the height of Ṣapān, and
weeping buries him with funerary sacrifices. Ashtar the Awful
(ʿṯtrʿrẓ) was then nominated to replace Baal, but when he
ascended the throne, his feet did not reach the footstool nor
his head the top and so he declined to reign on the heights of
Ṣapān and descended from Baal’s throne, but ruled over all
El’s earth. Since the root ʿtr in Arabic is connected with artificial
irrigation, it is apparent that Ashtar’s failure to measure
up to Baal represents the inadequacy of irrigation as a substitute
for natural rainfall.
Baal’s sister-consort Anath demanded that Mot release
her brother. Mot refused and boasted how he had mangled
Baal. Anath then dismembered Mot, scattered and burned
the pieces, and gave them to the birds. Baal’s resurrection followed
Mot’s demise, the good news being transmitted through
a dream of El:
In a dream of Beneficent El Benign,
A vision of the Creator of Creatures,
The skies rained oil,
The wadies flowed honey.
So I knew that Mighty Baal lives,
The Prince, Lord of Earth, exists.
The fields were still parched from the drought and again
Anath and Shapsh set out to find Baal. Next both Mot and
Baal appear reconstituted and reactivated and again in conflict.
They clash violently until both are prostrate and the Sungoddess
warns Mot not to fight with Baal lest El hear and overthrow
him. This time, Baal puts up a fight and holds Mot off
in battle. Thus it is clear that Baal, representing the life-giving
rains, fluctuates in his ability to withstand the power of Mot,
who represents drought, sterility, and death.
ENCYCLOPAEDIA JUDAICA, Second Edition, Volume 3 11