Ugaritic (seminar)

Teacher(s)

Tavernier Jan;

Language

French
> English-friendly

Prerequisites

To have followed courses at Bachelor level in a Semitic language such as Akkadian, Hebrew or Aramaic.

Main themes

Study of the Ugaritic language.
Alternating with LGLOR 2712 (Phoenician), the course deals with the following themes:
1. An introduction to the Ugaritic script;
2. Vocabulary and the specificities of the Ugaritic grammar;
3. Translation of texts accompanied by a philological commentary.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	At the end of this course, the student will be capable to read, translate and analyse texts of average difficulty. In order to achieve this goal, he will have been introduced to Ugaritic script, and will have acquired a basic vocabulary.

Content

Amongst the western Semitic languages, Ugaritic is placed at the end of the late Bronze age: 14th to 12th centuries B.C. The city of Ugarit, (now in Syria on the Mediterranean coast) was destroyed at the beginning of the 12th century and the majority of the texts date from the end of the history of Ugarit. The course deals with the study of several tablets taken from the manual of Bordreuil-Pardee.

Teaching methods

This is not a course of lectures, the students prepare texts which are discussed during the course with the grammatical points highlighted.

Evaluation methods

The evaluation of the students is continuous, but there is an oral exam at the end of the year on the reading and translation of a text seen during the year, as well as justification of grammar points.

Other information

English-friendly course: course taught in French but offering facilities in English.

Bibliography

- P. Bordreuil et D. Pardee, Manuel d'ougaritique, Paris, 2004.
- G. del Olmo Lete & J. Sanmartín, A Dictionary of the Ugaritic Language in the Alphabetic Tradition (Handbuch der Orientalistik. Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten 67), Leiden, 2002.
- M. Dietrich & O. Loretz, Analytic Ugaritic Bibliography 1972-1988 (Alter Orient und Altes testament 20/6), Kevelaer, 1996.
- J. Huehnergard, Ugaritic Vocabulary in Syllabic Transcription (Harvard Semitic Studies 32), Atlanta, 1987.
- B. Margalit, The Ugaritic Poem of AQHT. Text, Translation, Commentary (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft 182), Berlin, 1989.
- S. Segert, A Basic Grammar of the Ugaritic Language with Selected Texts and Glossary, Berkeley, 1984.
- D. Sivan, A Grammar of the Ugaritic Language (Handbuch der Orientalistik. Der Nahe und der Mittlere Osten 28), Leiden, 1997.
- M.S.Smith & W.T. Pitard, The Ugaritic Baal Cycle (Supplements to Vetus Testamentum 55 and 114), Leiden, 1994-2009.
- J. Tropper, Ugaritische Grammatik, Münster, 2000.

Faculty or entity

EHAC