The Amorite Dynasty of Ugarit

390 Pages·2019·5.236 MB·English

by  Mary E. Buck

The Amorite Dynasty of Ugarit
Harvard Semitic
Museum Publications
Director of Publications
Michael D. Coogan
Editorial Board
Gojko Barjamovic (Harvard University) Enrique Jiménez (Universidad Complutense
Alejandro Botta (Boston University) de Madrid)
Michael D. Coogan (Harvard University) Dan’el Kahn (University of Haifa)
Katrien De Graef (Ghent University) Na’ama Pat-El (University of Texas, Austin)
Paul Delnero (Johns Hopkins University) Sara Milstein (University of British Columbia)
Steven E. Fassberg (Hebrew University, Francesca Rochberg (University of
Jerusalem) California, Berkeley)
Uri Gabbay (Hebrew University, Jerusalem) Aaron Rubin (Pennsylvania State University)
W. Randall Garr (University of California, Hervé Reculeau (University of Chicago)
Santa Barbara) Piotr Steinkeller (Harvard University)
Jonathan Greer (Cornerstone University) Jason Ur (Harvard University)
Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee (University Joshua Walton (Capital University)
of Chicago) Mark Weeden (University of London)
Robert S. Homsher (Harvard University) Christopher Woods (University of Chicago)
Jeremy M. Hutton (University of Wisconsin,
Madison)
Studies in the Archaeology and
History of the Levant
volume 8
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/sahl
The Amorite Dynasty
of Ugarit
Historical Implications of Linguistic and
Archaeological Parallels
By
Mary E. Buck
LEIDEN | BOSTON
Cover illustration: Map showcasing the political regions of the Bronze Age Levant. The map is not definitive
as borders were constantly shifting. Original illustration created by Dillon Paige.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Buck, Mary E., author.
Title: The Amorite dynasty of Ugarit : historical implications of
 linguistic and archaeological parallels / Mary E. Buck.
Other titles: Studies in the archaeology and history of the Levant ; v.8.
 2589-2495
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, [2020] | Series: Studies in the
 archaeology and history of the Levant, 2589-2495 ; volume 8 | Includes
 bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019032198 (print) | LCCN 2019032199 (ebook) |
 ISBN 9789004415102 (hardback) | ISBN 9789004415119 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Excavations (Archaeology)—Syria—Ugarit (Extinct city) |
 Ugaritic language. | Semitic languages, Northwest. | Amorites. | Bronze
 age—Middle East. | Ugarit (Extinct city) | Ugarit (Extinct
 city)—Antiquities.
Classification: LCC DS99.U35 B84 2020 (print) | LCC DS99.U35 (ebook) |
 DDC 939.4/33—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019032198
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019032199
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill-typeface.
ISSN 2589-2495
ISBN 978-90-04-41510-2 (hardback)
ISBN 978-90-04-41511-9 (e-book)
Copyright 2020 President and Fellows of Harvard College. Published by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden,
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
List of Figures and Tables x
Abbreviations xii
1 Introduction 1
1.1 History of the Site of Ugarit 1
1.2 Methodological Approach 14
1.3 Material and Linguistic Sources: an Interdisciplinary Approach to
History 19
1.4 Uncharted Areas and Blind Spots: Aim and Trajectory of the Present
Study 25
2 Amorites, Canaanites, and the Emergence of Urbanism 27
2.1 Introduction 27
2.2 Interpretations for the Patterns of Urbanism 31
2.3 The Genetic Classification of Ugaritic in the Semitic Language
Tree 49
2.4 The Historical Convergence of Material Culture and Linguistic
Subgrouping 65
3 Methodology and Terminology 66
3.1 Archaeological Corpus, Methodology, and Definitions 66
3.2 Historical Terminology 68
3.2.1 Ugarit 69
3.2.2 Amurru/Amorite 73
3.2.3 Canaanites and the Land of Canaan 77
3.3 Linguistic Corpus, Methodology, and Definitions 86
3.4 Linguistic Terminology 95
3.4.1 Ugaritic 96
3.4.2 Amorite (Western Amorite and Classical Amorite) 96
3.4.3 Canaanite Languages 97
3.5 Conclusion 97
4 The Amorite Cultural Koiné 99
4.1 Archaeological Overview 99
4.1.1 Prehistory 101
4.1.2 Middle Bronze Age 102
4.1.3 Late Bronze Age 109
vi Contents
4.1.3.1 Lower City (Ville basse) 111
4.1.3.2 City Center (Centre de la ville) 112
4.1.3.3 North Palace (Palais nord) and House of the Ovens
(Maison aux fours) 112
4.1.3.4 Acropolis (Acropole) 114
4.1.4 Conclusion 116
4.2 Middle Bronze IIB-Late Bronze I Material Assemblage of Ugarit 116
4.2.1 Fortifications 117
4.2.2 Palace Organizational System 124
4.2.3 Migdāl Temple Construction 134
4.2.4 Glyptic Evidence 144
4.2.5 Non-Material Cultural Comparisons 153
4.2.5.1 Calendar 154
4.2.5.2 The Ritual Use of Donkeys 155
4.2.5.3 Pagrû Sacrifices 160
4.2.5.4 Dagan 165
4.3 The Amorite Material Koiné 171
4.3.1 Emulation, Exchange, or Migration 175
4.3.2 Amorite Migrations into Canaan 179
5 Northwest Semitic in the Bronze Age Levant 185
5.1 Introduction 185
5.2 Methodological Challenges 186
5.2.1 West Semitic in an Imported Script 187
5.2.2 The Challenge of Using Personal Names in Dialectology 190
5.2.3 The Benefit of Using Personal Names in Dialectology 192
5.3 Methodological Approach 194
5.4 Central Semitic 195
5.4.1 Ugaritic as a Central Semitic Language 195
5.4.2 Western Amorite as a Central Semitic Language 196
5.5 Northwest Semitic 207
5.5.1 Ugaritic as a Northwest Semitic Language 208
5.5.2 Western Amorite as a Northwest Semitic Language 210
5.6 Aramaic and Canaanite Subbranches 212
5.6.1 Ugaritic and Western Amorite Compared with Aramaic 212
5.6.2 Ugaritic Compared with the Canaanite Languages 215
5.6.3 Western Amorite Compared with the Canaanite Languages 224
5.7 Historical Evidence for the Canaanite Languages 227
Contents vii
5.8 Unique Features of Western Amorite 233
5.8.1 Dissimilation of Gemination by Nasalization 234
5.8.2 Retention of Proto-Semitic Determinative Pronoun *ḏV 236
5.8.3 Devoicing/Desonorization in Proximity to Voiceless
Consonants 237
5.8.4 Lack of the Definite Article 239
5.8.5 Assimilation of nun to the Following Consonant 240
5.8.6 Consonantal Inventory of Western Amorite 241
5.9 The Genetic Subgrouping of Western Amorite 248
5.10 Western Amorite Onomastic Evidence for the Middle Bronze
Pantheon 249
5.11 Conclusion 255
6 Conclusion 256
6.1 Historic Emergence of Ugarit, Canaan, and the Amorites 256
6.2 Middle Bronze Age Material Assemblage of Ugarit 258
6.3 Development of the Northwest Semitic Languages in the
Bronze Age 263
6.4 The Local Amorite Dynasty of Ugarit: Historical Conclusions 265
6.5 Legacy of Complexity: Historical Implications 267
Appendix A: Western Amorite Corpus 271
Appendix B: Western Amorite Lexicon 323
Bibliography 336
Subject Index 374

Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Professors Rebecca Hasselbach-Andee, Dennis Pardee,
and David Schloen for their excellent instruction in the language, history, and
archaeology of the Levant, for their guidance through the process of composing
this monograph, and for their support throughout my time in the Near Eastern
Languages and Civilizations Department at the University of Chicago. I would
also like to especially thank Dennis Pardee for his warm support, encourage-
ment, and direction during my time under his steady tutelage. His teaching
and mentorship have been truly invaluable.
Figures and Tables
Figures
1.1 Initial exploration of sepulchre at Minet el-Beida led by Léon Albanèse 2
1.2 Ivory carving of female deity, first campaign—Minet el-Beida 2
1.3 Bronze statue of Ba‘lu, first campaign—Minet el-Beida 3
1.4 North palace tablet discovery—Ras Shamra 3
1.5 North palace bronze cache—Ras Shamra 4
3.1 Political borders of the “Land of Ugarit” 72
3.2 Territories of the “Land of Ugarit” and “Canaan” in the Late Bronze Age 83
3.3 Middle Bronze Age polities in the Fertile Crescent 90
4.1 Topographical map of Tell Ras Shamra 100
4.2 Western view of the fortification wall with glacis 120
4.3 Map of MB IIA fortifications (Northern Levant and Upper Euphrates) 122
4.4 Map of MB IIB–C fortifications (Northern Levant and Upper Euphrates) 122
4.5 Map of LB I fortifications (Northern Levant and Upper Euphrates) 123
4.6 The Royal Palace at Ebla 128
4.7 Level VII Royal Palace at Alalaḫ 128
4.8 MB IIB–C Palace at Tilmen Höyük 129
4.9 Niqmepa’s Palace, Level IV Alalaḫ 129
4.10 The MB IIC Eastern Palace at Qaṭna 130
4.11 The LB Royal Palace at Ugarit 130
4.12 Map of North Syrian palace types 132
4.13 Map of Migdāl temples 139
4.14 Map of Ugarit and its neighboring ports, Minet el-Beida and Ras ibn-Hani 140
4.15 Seal RS 11.025 (c. 1900 to 1750) 149
4.16 Seal RS 9.889 (c. 1900 to 1750) 149
4.17 Seal RS 5.175 (c. 1850 to 1750) 150
4.18 Seal RS 3.411 (c. 1900 to 1800) 150
4.19 Seal RS 7.174 of “Hamnishi son of Inbusha, servant of Sîn and Amurru” 151
4.20 Map of Classic Syrian glyptic 152
4.21 Map of the ritual usage of donkeys 160
4.22 Map of sites exhibiting two or more elements of the material assemblage 172
4.23 Map of sites exhibiting three or more elements of the material assem-
blage 172
4.24 Map of sites exhibiting four or five elements of the material assemblage 173
4.25 Map of MBIIB–C fortified sites that do not exhibit this material
assemblage 174