---
title: Ugarit
author: Justin King
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---
# Ugarit
_Authored by [Justin King](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/Kinjja/)_
Ugarit was an important sea port [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) in the Northern [Levant](https://www.worldhistory.org/levant/). Though never a world power, Ugarit was a key economic center in the Ancient [Near East](https://www.worldhistory.org/Near_East/), serving as a major [trade](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/trade/) center between [Egypt](https://www.worldhistory.org/egypt/) and the major powers of [Bronze Age](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Bronze_Age/) [Asia Minor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Asia_Minor/) and [Mesopotamia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mesopotamia/).
Though Ugarit had been inhabited almost continuously since the [Neolithic period](https://www.worldhistory.org/Neolithic/) (c. 6500 BCE), it was not until c. 1900 BCE that Ugarit begins to establish itself as a major center of trade. The Ugaritic King list (CTU 1.113) and various Ugaritic epics attest to the arrival of a semi-nomadic people from Mesopotamia known as the Amorites around this time. While Ugarit was not a major military or political power, it was an important economic center serving as a bridge between Egypt, Asia Minor, and Mesopotamia. Its success was tied to larger powers in the Ancient Near East. First, the [Mari](https://www.worldhistory.org/mari/), then Egypt, and finally the [Hittite](https://www.worldhistory.org/hittite/) kingdom.
Egypt and the Hittite [Empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/empire/) were most important to the success and prosperity of Ugarit. During the prosperity and stability of the [New Kingdom of Egypt](https://www.worldhistory.org/New_Kingdom_of_Egypt/) (16th to 11th centuries BCE), Ugarit flourished in what is considered the golden age of the kingdom. It seems that most of the epics, which would have been transmitted orally, were first written down during the reign of Niqmaddu II (reigned c. 1350 BCE – 1315 BCE). Despite becoming a vassal nation of the [Hittites](https://www.worldhistory.org/hittite/) in the middle of the 14th century BCE and fighting against Ramases II at the [Battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of [Kadesh](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kadesh/), Ugarit remained on generally friendly terms with the Egyptians.
Ugarit's importance was rooted not in its military prowess, but in its political and economic prgamatism. Geographically, Ugarit was perfectly situated to serve as a trade center between Egypt, Mesopotamia, and [Cyprus](https://www.worldhistory.org/cyprus/). Ugarit's pragmatism allowed them the exploit this situation.
The earliest recorded treaty found at Ugarit, between Ugarit and Amurru (in modern day Lebanon), illustrates this pragmatism perfectly. Following a military conflict over control of a buffer state which Ugarit lost, a treaty was drawn up where Ugarit was required to pay Amurru a modest sum of 5,000 shekels of [silver](https://www.worldhistory.org/Silver/). Amurru agreed to provide military assistance to Ugarit, but strangely, the agreement was not reciprocal. The small payment, plus the one-sidedness of the military agreement, makes it clear that this was not a vassal paying tribute, but a nation securing an expensive peace rather than a costly [war](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/).
When the Hittites made Ugarit a vassal nation in the 14th century, their pragmatism was pushed to the limit and as the power of the Hitties ebbed and flowed, so did the loyality of Ugarit. They extended special treatment to Hittite merchants and provided important military and financial support to the Hittite Empire. Yet, they would not hesitate to exploit moments of weakness among the Hittites and expand their sphere of influence.
Unfortunately, due to the combined pressure of the steady collapse of the [palace](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/palace/)-[temple](https://www.worldhistory.org/temple/) [economy](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/economy/) due to the ruralization of the Ugaritic countryside, and the migration of the [Sea Peoples](https://www.worldhistory.org/Sea_Peoples/) from the west, Ugarit, and the empire of their Hittite overlords, collapsed by the middle of the twelfth century BCE.
[  Map of Phoenicia Wikipedia user Kordas, based on Alvaro's work (CC BY-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/122/map-of-phoenicia/ "Map of Phoenicia")### Discovery & Decipherment of Ugaritic
In 1928 CE, a farmer accidentally uncovered a [tomb](https://www.worldhistory.org/tomb/) while working in his field. Upon hearing of the discovery, the *Service des Antiquites en Syrie et au Liban* sent out an expedition to study the find. While a number of potsherds and unbroken vessels were found, little of promise was contained in the tomb. But while working at the site the French archeologists had their attention drawn by local legend to an artificial mound. The mound turned out to be the *tell* now known as Ras Shamra.
After a mere five days of digging on the *tell*, the first [cuneiform](https://www.worldhistory.org/cuneiform/) tablet was unearthed in 1929 CE. This tablet was [Akkadian](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/akkadian/), which was hardly an unsurprising discovery as Akkadian tablets have been discovered all over the Levant and into Egypt (e.g. the [Amarna Letters](https://www.worldhistory.org/Amarna_Letters/)). The Akkadian tablet was similar to that of the [Amarna](https://www.worldhistory.org/Amarna/) letters leading the team to posit the text dated from the time of Amarna (14th century BCE), but this was shown to be an incorrect theory by subsequent archaeological and epigraphic analysis. These Akkadian letters allowed for the relatively quick identification of the site as Ugarit (a city known from [Egyptian](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Egyptian/) and Hittite [literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/literature/)) by 1935 CE, a mere seven years after the initial discovery of the tomb.
Following the Akkadian texts came a number of texts in an unknown language. This language was written in cuneiform, but was quickly identified as alphabetic rather than the expected logo-syllabic (signs representing syllables rather than letters) [writing](https://www.worldhistory.org/writing/) system of Akkadian. The discovery of Akkadian and Hurrian texts written with this new [alphabet](https://www.worldhistory.org/alphabet/) helped expedite the deciphering of this language; and by 1931 CE, a mere three years after the first text was uncovered, the first full set of values were proposed, though this proposal only had 28 letters, rather than the correct 30. This allowed for the identification of Ugaritic as a Northwest Semitic language, placing it in the same language family as Hebrew, Phoenician, and Aramaic.
Subsequent major digs at Ras Shamra have taken place beginning in the early 1950s CE and concluding in 1976 CE. In 1977 CE, digs began at the neighbouring tell of Ras Ibn Hani, a suburb of Ugarit. A massive number of texts have been found at both sites.
### Overview of the Texts of Ugarit
All of the texts found at Ugarit come from the Late [Bronze](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/bronze/) Age (c. 1550 BCE – c. 1200 BCE). Currently eight different languages are attested in texts from Ugarit: [Sumerian](https://www.worldhistory.org/Sumerians/), Akkadian, Hittite, Luwian, Hurrian, Egyptian, Cypriot-[Minoan](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Minoan/), and Ugaritic. While five distinctive writing systems were used at Ugarit, the two most common were the Sumero-Akkadian logo-syllabic and Ugaritic. The former was used to write Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, and Hurrian. The latter was used to write Ugaritic, Hurrian, and, to a lesser extent, Akkadian. Included among the myriad texts found at Ugarit are a number of bi- and trilingual texts. Despite composing a minority of the corpus, the most famous of the Ugaritic texts are the mythical poetic texts, such as the [Baal](https://www.worldhistory.org/baal/) Cycle, due to the light they shed on the Hebrew [Bible](https://www.worldhistory.org/bible/).
Found among the texts of Ugarit are the typical Ancient Near Eastern texts such as the Epic of [Gilgamesh](https://www.worldhistory.org/gilgamesh/) and the Mesopotamian Flood Story. Yet, there were a number of texts unique to Ugarit discovered. Due to its length, approximately 2350 lines, and relative completeness of the six tablets, the most important text found at Ugarit is the Baal Cycle (CTU 1.1-6).
#### Editorial Review
This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).
## Bibliography
- Bodreuil, P. and Dennis Pardee. "A Manual of Ugaritic." *Linguistic Studies in Ancient West Semitic*, 3. Winnona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2009.
- [Gibson, J.C. *Canaanite Myths and Legends.* T&T Clark Int'l, 1978.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0567080897/)
- Pardee, D. "The Ba'lu Myth (1.86)." *Context of Scripture, Volume 1: Canonical Compositions from the Biblical World*, Edited by William W. Hallo and K. Lawson Younger, pp. Leiden: Brill.
- [Schniedewind, W.M. *A Primer on Ugaritic.* Cambridge University Press, 2007.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0521704936/)
## About the Author
Justin's primary interests are all things Hebrew Bible, literary methods of interpretation, the Ancient Near Eastern context of the Hebrew Bible, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Temple Judaism, and Hellenistic Judaism.
## Timeline
- **c. 6000 BCE**: First fortified settlement at [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1600 BCE - c. 1200 BCE**: [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/) has close ties with [Egypt](https://www.worldhistory.org/egypt/) and [Cyprus](https://www.worldhistory.org/cyprus/).
- **c. 1450 BCE - 1200 BCE**: The [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/) of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/) flourishes.
- **c. 1400 BCE**: Ugaritic [alphabet](https://www.worldhistory.org/alphabet/) of 30 letters is invented.
- **c. 1350 BCE**: Treaty between Niqmaddu II of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/) and Aziru of Amurru.
- **c. 1350 BCE - c. 1315 BCE**: Reign of Niqmaddu II of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1340 BCE - 1300 BCE**: [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/) comes under [Hittite](https://www.worldhistory.org/hittite/) control.
- **c. 1315 BCE - c. 1313 BCE**: Reign of Aarhalbu of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1313 BCE - c. 1260 BCE**: Reign of Niqmepa of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1260 BCE - c. 1235 BCE**: Reign of Ammistamru II of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1235 BCE - c. 1222 BCE**: Reign of Ibiranu of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1222 BCE - c. 1215 BCE**: Reign of Niqmaddu III of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1215 BCE - c. 1185 BCE**: Reign of Ammurapi of [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/).
- **c. 1190 BCE**: [Ugarit](https://www.worldhistory.org/ugarit/) is destroyed by the [Sea Peoples](https://www.worldhistory.org/Sea_Peoples/).
## External Links
- [Ugarit | Essay | The Metropolitan Museum of Art | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History](https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ugar/hd_ugar.htm)
## Cite This Work
### APA
King, J. (2012, March 22). Ugarit. *World History Encyclopedia*.
### Chicago
King, Justin. "Ugarit." *World History Encyclopedia*, March 22, 2012. .
### MLA
King, Justin. "Ugarit." *World History Encyclopedia*, 22 Mar 2012, .
## License & Copyright
Submitted by [Justin King](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/Kinjja/ "User Page: Justin King"), published on 22 March 2012. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.