Mnamon

Ancient writing systems in the Mediterranean

A critical guide to electronic resources

Ugaritic

- 14-12th century BC


Examples of writing



Alphabet RS 12.063 [=KTU 5.6]

Alphabet RS 12.063 [=KTU 5.6]
Source: M. Yon, La cité d'Ougarit sur le tell de Ras Shamra, Paris 1998, illustr. n. 2a.

Small tablet contains an Ugaritic alphabet

This abecedary tablet is probably a school text.

The transcription of the alphabetic sign list is:

(1) ˀa b g ḫ d h w z ḥ ṭ y k š l

(2) m d n ẓ s ˁ p ṣ q r t 

(3) ġ t ˀi ˀu s̀

 



Ax RS 1.051

Ax RS 1.051
Source: M. Yon, La cité d'Ougarit sur le tell de Ras Shamra, Paris 1998, illustr. n. 63.

Bronze axe RS 1.051 (=KTU 6.6) found, together with more than 70 other bronze objects, in the archive of the “great priest’s house”.

Transcription and vocalization:

rb khnm

/rabbu kāhinīma/

Translation:

Great priest

 



Letter RS 15.008

Letter RS 15.008
Source: P. Bordreuil, D. Pardee, A manual of Ugaritic, Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, 2009, testo n. 24.

Tablet with a letter from Talmiyanu to his mother, the Queen Tarriyelli RS 15.008 [=KTU 2.16]

Transcription:

1. tḥm tlm[yn]
2. ltryl. ˀumy
3. rgm
4. yšlm. lk. ˀily
5. ˀugrt. tġrk
6. tšlmk. ˀumy
7. tdˁ. ky. ˁrbt
8. lpn. špš
9. wpn. špš. nr
10. by. mˀid. wˀum
11. tšmḫ. mˀab
12. wˀal. twḥln
13. ˁtn. ḫrd. ˀank
14. ˁmny. šlm
15. kll
16. wmnm.
17. šlm. ˁm
18. ˀumy
19. ˁmy. tttb
20. rgm


Translation:

«Message of Talmiyanu: to Tarriyelli, my mother, say (as follows):

“May it be well with you, may the gods of Ugarit guard you, may they preserve you (in) well-being. Let my mother know that I entered before the Sun and the face of the Sun shone plenty in (favour of) me. May my mother rejoice mˀab and may she not be afraid, (as) I am the guardian of the army. With me (all) is well and whatever (will be), it is well with my mother. May my mother return a message to me”».

Note:

The «Sun» is the title used to address to a Hittite or Egyptian King.

 

Bibliography:

J.L. Cunchillos, in A. Caqout, J.-M. de Tarragon, J.L. Cunchillos, Textes ougaritiques. Tome II: Textes religiuex et rituels; correspondance, Cerf, Paris 1989, 297-302.

 



Letter RS 18.031

Letter RS 18.031
Source: P. Bordreuil, D. Pardee, A manual of Ugaritic, Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, 2009, testo n. 26.

Letter of the king of Tyre to the king of Ugarit (probably translated from Akkadian) RS 18.031 (KTU 2.38)

Testo

(1) l. mlk. ˀugrt
(2) ˀaḫy. rgm
(3) tḥm. mlk. ṣr. ˀaḫk

————————————

(4) yšlm. lk. ˀilm  
(5) tġrk. tšlmk  
(6) hnny. ˁmn  
(7) šlm. tmny  
(8) ˁmk. mnm. šlm  
(9) rgm. ttb

————————————

(10) ˀanykn. dt  
(11) lˀikt. mṣrm  
(12) hndt. b. ṣr  
(13) mtt. by[xx]
(14) gšm. ˀadr
(obv.) (15) nškḥ. w  
(16) rb. tmtt  
(17) lqḥ. kl. drˁ  
(18) bdnhm. w. ˀank  
(19) k[l]. drˁhm  
(20) kl. npš.  
(21) w aklhm. bd  
(22) rb[.] tmtt. lqḥt  
(23) w. ttb. ˀank. lhm  
(24) w. ˀanyk. tt  
(25) by. ˁky. ˁryt  
(26) w. ˀaḫy. mhk  
(27) b. lbh. ˀal. yšt

—————————————

Translation

«To the king of Ugarit, my brother, say: “Message of the king of Tyre, your brother.

May it be well with you. May the gods guard you, may they preserve you (in) well-being. Here with me it is well. There with you, whatever is well, return a message (of that to me).

Your ships that you dispatched to Egypt were dying (=wrecking) in Tyre (as) they found themselves in a strong storm. The crew master, however, was able to take (safety) the entire grain in their stores. I took over al[l] their grain, and all the people and their food, from the crew master; then I returned (all) to them (i.e. the ships). Now your ships have been able to moor naked (i.e. without rigging) at Acco. So my brother should not worry (literally: should not place anything in his heart).

 

 

 

Bibliography:

J. Hoftijzer, “Une lettre du roi de Tyr”, Ugarit-Forschungen 11 (1979), 383-88.

J.L. Cunchillos, in A. Caquot, J.M. de Tarragon, J.L. Cunchillos, Textes ougaritiques, Tome II: Textes religieux et rituels. Correspondance, Paris 1989, pp. 349-57.