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Hesiod's Theogony

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Hesiod's Theogony CHAPTER II EL AND BAAL: EXTERNAL EVIDENCE In this chapter we will examine the status of El vis~ vis Baal as revealed by evidence external to the Ugaritic texts. First we must consider the comparative mythological material which has been used to argue for the overthrow of El by Baal. We will then survey the remaining evidence concerning El in order to ascertain the extent to which his cult went into eclipse after the second millennium B.C. Special attention must be given here to the evidence from the Hebrew Bible where, some have claimed, the conflict between Yahweh and Baal can be understood as an extension of the conflict between El and Baal. 1. Comparative Mythological Materials The most important of the parallels which have been drawn upon to illuminate the interactions within Ugaritic myth are found in Hesiod's Theogony, Hurrian myths concerning Kumarbi (preserved in Hittite, though there are some unpub­ lished Hurrian fragments), and the lore derived from the Phoenician sage Sanchuniathon and transmitted by Philo of Byblos. The relevant data are summarized here for convenience. Hesiod's Theogony 1 The principal Greek gods are traced back to Gaia (Earth) who, without consort, gave birth to Uranos (Heaven). Uranos begot many children on Gaia (the generation of the 1 r have used the translation of R. Lattimore, Hesiod (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1959). See also M. L. West, Hesiod: "Theogony" (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1966). For a review of scholarship on Hesiod, see H. Schwab! "Hesiodos," PWSup 12 (1970) 434-486. 29 30 Titans) but kept them shut up within Earth. Gaia conspired with her youngest son Kronos and provided him with a flint sickle. When next Uranos approached Gaia sexually, Kronos cut off his father's genitals and threw them into the sea. From drops of blood which fell upon her, Gaia was made pregnant and gave birth to the Furies, Giants and the Melian Nymphs. From the sea foam which gathered about the severed member, Aphrodite was born. Hesiod does not say explicitly that Kronos then exercised kingship among the gods, but later he is called king (line 476) and Uranos prophesies that one of Kronos' children would "drive him from his title, and then be lord over the immortals (line 491)." To avoid this fate, Kronos swallowed his children as they were born. At the birth of Zeus, however, Rhea gave Kronos a stone wrapped in swaddling which he swal­ lowed instead of the child so that Zeus survived in order, eventually, to engage in battle with Uranos and his allies the Titans. The position of Zeus was later challenged by the mon­ ster Typhoeus. After defeating the latter Zeus was defini­ tively established as king of the gods. The KumaPbi Myths 2 The main text in question is called "Kingship in Heaven" by its editor. It chronicles in brief formulaic sen­ tences the history of the first three divine generations. Alalu was king in heaven and Anu was his cup-bearer. In the ninth year, Anu attacked Alalu who fled to the dark earth. Anu took over the throne and Kumarbi, grandson of Alalu, was his cup-bearer. In the ninth year, Kumarbi attacked Anu. The latter flew heavenward to escape but Kumarbi bit off his 2H. G. Giiterbock, KumaJ>bi (Zurich-New York: Europaverlag, 1946) and "The Song of Ullikummi, Revised Text of the Hittite Version of a Hurrian Myth," JCS 5 (1951) 135-161; 6 (1952) 8-42. A brief summary by Giiterbock may be found in "Hittite Mythology," Mythologies of the Ancient WoJ>Zd (ed. S. N. Kramer; Garden City: Doubleday, 1961) 139-175. The same author summarizes the relevance of these texts to Hesiod in "The Hittite Version of the Kumarbi Myths," AJA 52 (1948) 123- 134. Supplementary material was published by H. Otten, Mythen vom Gotte KumaJ>bi (Berlin: Deutsche Akademie, Institut fiir Orientforschung, 1950). Giiterbock's comments on this are found in BO 8 (1951) 91. There is an English translation by A. Goetze in ANET 120-121. An Italian translation and commentary .
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