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Ugarit Ritual Texts: News & Notes News & Notes News & Notes
Ugarit Ritual Texts: News & Notes News & Notes News & Notes
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Excavations have been going on at the site of Ras Shamra on the From the inscriptions it was learned very early on that the
Northwest Syrian coast more or less steadily since 1929 and in- tell covered the ruins of ancient Ugarit, known from contempo-
scriptions have been discovered during nearly every campaign rary documents to be an important city in the Late Bronze Age.
from the first to the most recent, which took place during May/ More recently discovered texts from Mari, on the middle
June 2000. Except for some deep stratigraphic soundings, virtu- Euphrates, show Ugarit already to have been famous in the mid-
ally all digging has concentrated on the uppermost levels of the eighteenth century BC. The international language of that time
tell, which date to the Late Bronze Age, and approximately one was Akkadian, the principal language of Mesopotamia, and that
sixth of the surface has been uncovered. The soundings have re- usage remained constant to the end of the Bronze Age. Hence
vealed the site was first inhabited in the eighth millennium BC, many of the inscriptions from Ras Shamra were in Akkadian,
and the possibilities for further excavation extend thus into the which was used primarily for international dealings, though a
indefinite future. significant portion of the internal administrative records were
The excavation team is French, known as the Mission de also in that language.
Ras Shamra. In 2000, the project became officially a joint Syr- Of greater interest for West Semitists was the discovery of a
ian-French enterprise. There has been a great deal of continuity new script and language, named Ugaritic after the city, which
owing to this single archaeological presence, and to the orderly belongs to the great family of languages of Syria, Palestine, and
handing down of the direction from one scholar to another Arabia (Arabic, Aramaic, Hebrew, Old South Arabian, and
(Claude F.-A. Schaeffer, Henri de Contenson, Jean Margueron, Phoenician). For the first time, scholars of these languages had
Marguerite Yon, and now Yves Calvet [France] and Bassam not just a few scattered words datable to the second millennium
Jamous [Syria]). The current plans call for going below the Late BC, but texts in a language related to, but older than, the attested
Bronze Age levels, but choosing an area has not been easy be- forms of any of these West Semitic languages. The script was
cause the latest remains are so well preserved — in order to see immediately perceived as an oddity: it was cuneiform and in-
what lies under the stone foundations of a house these must be scribed on tablets, but it was unrelated to Mesopotamian cunei-
destroyed or at least disturbed. Ras Shamra is an important stop form. Rapid decipherment showed that it represented an
on any cultural tour of Syria, and the authorities are anxious that alphabetic system: the number of signs was only thirty, and the
its educational and touristic value not be reduced. consonantal phonemes represented by these signs, only twenty-
seven. An archaic phonetic system was revealed wherein still
TURKEY functioned several consonantal phonemes that have disappeared
continued on page 2
Balikh
Aleppo Eu
ph
rat
From the Director’s Study 2
es
Mediterranean Sea
Plan of the excavated areas of Ras Shamra. Courtesy Mission de Ras Shamra
graphic team in the mid-1980s and have since devoted my ef- An intermediary project, a joint one with my French col-
forts principally to republishing the Ugaritic texts according to league Pierre Bordreuil, head of the epigraphic team for the Mis-
literary genre. My first effort, full of mistakes in my turn, was a sion, was a catalogue of all inscribed objects from Ras Shamra
re-edition of the hippiatric texts, a genre of which the oldest ver- (La trouvaille épigraphique de l ’Ougarit, 1989). We actually
sions are Ugaritic. These texts, only four in number, reflect em- touched and measured every inscribed object we could find (and
pirical medicine practiced on horses, a practice and literary a surprisingly small number were missing lo these many years
genre that continued until quite recently. The second project was and a World War later), which permitted us to provide in the
a small group of texts, only nine in number, excavated in a catalogue the basic data regarding the physical properties of the
single house in 1961 that showed a striking peculiarity: all con- item, the language/script, and the most basic publications. Be-
tained mythological material but in forms that differed from the cause the publications of the various texts over the decades were
long mythological texts for which Ugarit is famous. The most widely scattered, an account of what text corresponded to what
striking is a brief story about the great god El becoming drunk at excavation number was necessary and has proved immensely
a feast and having to be carried home by his sons. This atypical useful for the members of the Mission — as well, we hope, as
myth is followed by a prose recipe for alcoholic collapse that for our colleagues near and far who previously did not have
features the first known connection between drunkenness and these most basic data regarding the inscriptions at their finger-
the “hair of the dog”: “What is to be put on his forehead: hairs tips.
of a dog. And the head of the PQQ (a type of plant) and its The other two types of texts collated in 1980/81 were the
shoot he is to drink mixed together with fresh olive oil.” This letters and the ritual texts. Though the letters were my first inter-
group of texts I republished as Les textes para-mythologiques in est and the project that I had in mind when the opportunity arose
1985. to work in Syria, for reasons associated with my teaching re-
sponsibilities in this university I settled on the ritual texts as my
WINTER2002
WINTER 2002 CALENDAR
CALENDAROF
OFEVENTS
EVENTS(PULL
(PULLOUT
OUTAND
ANDSAVE)
SAVE) PAGE7 7
PAGE
20 Sunday
See 12 January
The Great Pharaohs of Egypt:
❉ Ancient Egypt
1:00–3:00 PM, Oriental Institute
See page 9 for more information
Episode III
1:30 PM, Breasted Hall 10 Sunday Honey, Where’s the Asp?
See page 9 for more information David Bevington
✰ 2:00 PM, Oriental Institute
See page 13 for more information
PAGE
PAGE8 8 CALENDAR OF EVENTS (PULL OUT AND SAVE) NEWS
NEWS&&NOTES
NOTES
12 Tuesday Religion in Alexandria (cont.) 2 Saturday Science and Archaeology: The
See 15 January Study of Ancient DNA (ends)
See 12 January
14 Thursday Archaeology and the Bible (cont.)
See 17 January 3 Sunday Cleopatra Goes Hollywood
Film and Seminar #3: “Cleopatra”
16 Saturday Ancient Egyptian Literature
Frank Yurco ✰ (Elizabeth Taylor cont.)
Film — 1:30 PM, Breasted Hall
/ Continues through 23 March
10:00 AM–12:00 NOON, Gleacher Center
Seminar — 3:30 PM, Location TBA
See page 13 for more information
See page 11 for more information
3 Sunday Signs of Cleopatra: History, Poli-
16 Saturday Science and Archaeology: The tics, Representation
Study of Ancient DNA (cont.)
See 12 January
✰ Mary Hamer
2:00 PM, The Field Museum
17 Sunday Cleopatra Goes Hollywood See page 15 for more information
Film and Seminar #1: “Cleopatra” 7 Thursday Archaeology and the Bible (ends)
✰ (Claudette Colbert)
Film — 1:30 PM, Breasted Hall
See 17 January
Seminar — 3:30 PM, Location TBA 9 Saturday Ancient Egyptian Literature (cont.)
See page 13 for more information See 16 February
19 Tuesday Religion in Alexandria (ends) 10 Sunday Alexander the Great: Son of God
See 15 January 1:30 PM, Breasted Hall
See page 9 for more information
20 Wednesday Hittites and the Land of Alalakh:
New Discoveries in the Amuq 16 Saturday Ancient Egyptian Literature (cont.)
✒ Valley, Turkey
Aslıhan Yener 17 Sunday
See 16 February
Alexander the Great: Lord of Asia
8:00 PM, Breasted Hall 1:30 PM, Breasted Hall
See page 10 for more information See page 9 for more information
21 Thursday Archaeology and the Bible (cont.) 23 Saturday Ancient Egyptian Literature (ends)
See 17 January See 16 February
23 Saturday Ancient Egyptian Literature (cont.) 24 Sunday Alexander the Great: Across the
See 16 February Hindu Kush
23 Saturday Science and Archaeology: The 1:30 PM, Breasted Hall
Study of Ancient DNA (cont.) See page 9 for more information
See 12 January 31 Sunday Alexander the Great: To the Ends
24 Sunday Cleopatra Goes Hollywood of the Earth
Film and Seminar #2: “Cleopatra” 1:30 PM, Breasted Hall
See page 9 for more information
✰ (Elizabeth Taylor)
Film — 1:30 PM, Breasted Hall
All programs subject to change.
Seminar — 3:30 PM, Location TBA
See page 13 for more information
28 Thursday Archaeology and the Bible (cont.)
See 17 January KEY TO SYMBOLS
! ADULT EDUCATION COURSES
Q CORRESPONDENCE / INTERNET COURSES
Z DINNERS / LUNCHEONS
MARCH 2002 ❉
✒
FAMILY/ CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
MEMBERS LECTURES
2 Saturday Ancient Egyptian Literature (cont.) ✰ SPECIAL EVENTS
See 16 February FILMS
✈ TRAVEL PROGRAMS
oi.uchicago.edu
WINTER2002
WINTER 2002 SUNDAY FILMS PAGE9 9
PAGE
SUNDAY FILMS
Each Sunday afternoon, you can enjoy the best in documen- 10 February — Special lecture: Honey, Where’s the Asp? (see
tary and feature films on the ancient Near East at the Oriental page 13 for more information).
Institute. Films begin at 1:30 PM. Unless otherwise noted, The next three Sundays highlight feature films presented in
film running times range from 30 to 50 minutes and there is conjunction with The Field Museum exhibition Cleopatra of
no admission fee. Free, docent-led guided tours follow each Egypt: From History to Myth. Each showing is followed by a
film showing. session of the three-part seminar series Cleopatra Goes Holly-
In January we feature the A&E series The Great Pha- wood. Admission to each film showing is $2 per person. For
raohs of Egypt, which uses computer recreations, extensive information on the seminar series, see page 13.
location footage, and the latest archaeological and scientific
evidence to tell selected stories of ancient Egypt’s greatest 17 February — Cleopatra — This grand 1934 Cecil B. DeMille
kings — and queens. film starring Claudette Colbert offers dramatic action in lav-
ish and authentic settings. Cleopatra’s costuming was re-
6 January— Episode I shows how the warrior Narmer united searched with special care — Ms. Colbert appears in clothing
Egypt to become the first pharaoh and also introduces the and jewelry that recreates treasures found in ancient Egyp-
kings who built the pyramids at Giza. tian tombs. B&W, 101 minutes.
13 January — Episode II focuses on the military-minded rul- 24 February and 3 March
ers of the New Kingdom. It also explores the legacy of
Hatshepsut, one of the most well known of the women who Cleopatra — The stunning epic starring Elizabeth Taylor as
ruled as pharaoh. Cleopatra and Richard Burton as Antony (1963) is shown in
two parts of 95 minutes each. Opinions on this film vary
20 January — Episode III begins with Akhenaten’s ascension widely, but few can deny that the 1963 Cleopatra is the most
to the throne and then examines the many mysteries sur- spectacular movie ever made.
rounding this controversial king.
The remaining Sundays in March feature episodes from the
27 January — Episode IV provides an in-depth look at the acclaimed PBS series In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great,
reign of Ramesses II, whose foreign conquests and massive which retraces the 20,000-mile trek of Alexander as he con-
building projects have made him remembered as Ramesses quered the world from Greece to India. By age 30, Alexander
the Great. After highlighting the long succession of pharaohs had carved out an empire whose impact on culture can still
who followed Ramesses II, the film concludes with the life be felt 2,000 years after his untimely death.
and tragic death of Cleopatra.
10 March — Episode I: Son of God
3 February — Nubia and the Mysteries of Kush — A docu-
mentary film premiere followed by a discussion with the film 17 March — Episode II: Lord of Asia
maker, Emmy-award-winner Judith McCrae (see page 13). 24 March — Episode III: Across the Hindu Kush
31 March — Episode IV: To the Ends of the Earth
FAMILY PROGRAM
MUMMY MAGIC: TREASURES FROM ANCIENT EGYPT
Sunday 10 February
1:00–3:00 PM, Oriental Institute
We can't keep this under wraps! Join us for a hands-on art workshop to create decorative jars like those buried with mummies
in the tombs of ancient Egypt. Then inscribe your jar with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and make it ready to fill with your
own treasures. Explore the Joseph and Mary Grimshaw Egyptian Gallery to see real mummies thousands of years old and find
objects like those you made. Recommended for families with children ages 6 and up. Space is limited for this program and pre-
registration is required. Please call (773) 702-9507 to register or for more information. Fee: $9 for members, $11 for non-mem-
bers; includes all materials.
Rhombic-wrapped mummy.
SAOC 56, no. 1, pl. 1
PAGE
PAGE1010 MEMBERS LECTURE/ REGISTRATION FORM NEWS
NEWS&&NOTES
NOTES
MEMBERS LECTURE
HITTITES AND THE LAND OF ALALAKH:
NEW DISCOVERIES IN
THE AMUQ VALLEY, TURKEY
Aslıhan Yener
Wednesday 20 February
8:00 PM, Breasted Hall (Reception Following)
This lecture covers the results of two seasons of investiga- This lecture, which is co-sponsored by the Oriental In-
tions at Tell Atchana, ancient Alalakh. Alalakh was the capi- stitute, the Archaeological Institute of America, and the
tal of the Amuq Valley region, which was then called the Classical Art Society of the Art Institute of Chicago, is free
Kingdom of Mukish. This site was previously surveyed by for all and includes a reception. Pre-registration is not re-
Robert Braidwood for the Oriental Institute and subsequently quired.
excavated by Sir Leonard Woolley. Lecturer
Professor Yener relates some of the most exciting things
that have been uncovered in the last two seasons at Tell K. Aslıhan Yener is Associate Professor in the Oriental In-
Atchana. Recent investigations at this site have resulted in stitute and the Department of Near Eastern Languages and
the discovery of the long-forgotten and inaccessible Woolley Civilizations at the University of Chicago. Before coming to
dig house depot. Another exciting find was the wonderful Chicago she worked at the Smithsonian Institution. Her
trove of cultural material from the Bronze Age (c. 2000 – work is featured in publications including the journal Sci-
1200 BC). ence and the Chicago Tribune.
SPECIAL EVENTS
DOCUMENTARY FILM PREMIERE FILM FESTIVAL AND SEMINAR SERIES
NUBIA AND THE MYSTERIES OF KUSH CLEOPATRA GOES HOLLYWOOD
Sunday 3 February Michael Berger
1:30 PM Sundays 17 and 24 February and 3 March
Breasted Hall Film Screenings 1:30 PM, Seminar Sessions 3:30 PM
In conjunction with African American History Month, the Ori- Oriental Institute
ental Institute hosts the premiere showing of Nubia and the Encounter ancient Egypt’s legendary queen as a Hollywood
Mysteries of Kush by Emmy-award-winning producer, writer, star in this special film festival and seminar series. Come to the
and director Judith McCray. The film maker introduces her Oriental Institute for a three-part festival of classic film por-
documentary and also discusses its production following the trayals. Cecil B. De Mille’s Cleopatra starring Claudette Colbert
film showing. (1934) will screen on Sunday 17 February. The grand epic star-
Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, ring Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra (1963) will be shown in two
Nubia and the Mysteries of Kush explores the splendors of an parts: Sunday 24 February and Sunday 3 March.
ancient kingdom in what is now the country of Sudan. The film After each screening, join Egyptologist Michael Berger to
visits several archaeological sites, focusing on the discoveries explore how the film represents fact and fantasy about
and preservation efforts underway. It also explores the natural Cleopatra and the land of the pharaohs. The seminars also in-
beauty of the region, accompanied by an original musical score clude film clips and discussion of the performances of other ac-
composed by renowned Nubian artist Hamza El Din. tresses who have portrayed Cleopatra, including the seductive
This program is free and pre-registration is not required. Theda Bara (1918) and the mesmerizing Vivien Leigh (1946).
Handouts are provided and refreshments served. This program
is co-sponsored by The Field Museum.
Film Screening Admission Fee
$2 per person for each film showing. Payable at the door.
Seminar Admission Fee
$12 per session (includes both film and seminar), $30 for the
entire series for Oriental Institute and Field Museum members;
$15 per session, $40 for the entire series for non-members. Fee
includes film screening, discussion session, handouts, and re-
SPECIAL LECTURE freshments.
HONEY, WHERE’S THE ASP? Instructor Michael Berger, Manager of the University of
Chicago’s Language Faculty Resource Center, is an Egyptologist
Three Classic Portrayals of Cleopatra in Literature interested in ways popular film can be a springboard for the
David Bevington study of ancient Egyptian life and culture.
2:00 PM, Sunday 10 February
Oriental Institute
What do Plutarch, Shakespeare, and George Bernard Shaw
have in common? Apart from being great writers, they were all
fascinated with Cleopatra. The first two concentrated on her af-
fair with Mark Antony. Shaw went back to her earlier fling
with Julius Caesar. In this talk, renowned Shakespeare scholar
David Bevington explores how these writers’ approaches to the
legendary queen provide quite a debate on men and women
and sexual attraction.
This lecture is sponsored jointly by the Oriental Institute,
The Field Museum, and the Basic Program of Liberal Education
for Adults of the University of Chicago’s Graham School of
General Studies.
Free. Pre-registration not required. Free visits to the Oriental
Institute’s Joseph and Mary Grimshaw Egyptian Gallery follow
the program. Early Susiana terra-cotta ornament. OIP 101, pl. 234a
oi.uchicago.edu
Discover the history we hold in our pockets. Learn about The Field Museum
Cleopatra and her times by studying the ancient coins of Egypt Discover how different representations of Cleopatra — drawn
and Greece. Discover what modern coins, such as the new state from books, films, art history, and the history of science — re-
quarters, reveal about their area of origin. Then design your veal their social and historical influences.
own currency based on your family history. This program is Lecturer Mary Hamer is a Professor at Harvard University.
appropriate for children ages 7–12 and their families.
Fee: $12 for non-members, $10 for students and educators,
Instructor Liz Cruger is Family Program Developer at The and $8 for members of the Oriental Institute and/or The Field
Field Museum. Museum.
Fee: $15 for non-members, $12 for members of the Oriental In- Visit The Field Museum’s website for the latest on new
stitute and/or The Field Museum. Please note: Tickets to Cleopatra lectures: www.fieldmuseum.org/cleopatra
Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth may be purchased The Field Museum and the Chicago Humanities Festival are col-
separately for an additional charge. laborating on this event.
INTERACTIVE PERFORMANCE
THE MANY FACES OF CLEOPATRA:
TRUTH OR LIES?
Teens Together Ensemble
Saturdays through 2 March
1:30 PM
THEPAGE 16 Non-Profit
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CORNER
Turkish, and Hebrew Poems
Translated and Introduced by Bernard Lewis
Princeton University Press, 2001
Hardback; 222 Pages; 22 B/W Illustrations
Members' Cost: $17.96 (Regularly $19.99)
In this volume, Bernard Lewis presents 129 lyric poems representing
four major literary traditions of the Middle East. These poems, many
of which have never before been published in English translation,
span the period from the seventh to the early eighteenth century and
exhibit a variety of styles and influences. Lewis also provides a co-
gent introduction to the poetic tradition in the Middle East. As Ross
Brann, of Cornell University, notes, “There is no comparable volume
offering us the opportunity to read and examine side by side poems
from these related but distinct literary traditions. This may well be
the first and last collection of Middle Eastern lyric poems translated
by a single scholar with such a sweeping command of all of the lan-
guages and literatures represented.”
To purchase this volume, stop by the Suq, call (773) 702-9509, or e-
mail us at oi-suq@uchicago.edu.