“Surely There Is God in This Place”: Ugaritic ỉṯt and Hebrew [inline-graphic 01i] Reconsidered in Light of Kirta’s Vow ( KTU 1.14 IV 38)

Abstract

Abstract: In this article we examine the meaning of the Ugaritic term ỉṯt and its implications for Ugaritic and biblical lexicography in light of ancient Near Eastern vowing practices. We reevaluate the association of ỉṯt with vows and its influential translation as “gift,” which has served as the basis for viewing it as etymologically related to the biblical offering term ʾ iššeh. Our analysis reveals that all of the nonfragmentary attestations of ỉṯt can be convincingly understood as conjugated forms of the verb of existence ỉṯ . This understanding sets the stage for a new interpretation of its appearance in Kirta’s vow ( KTU 3 1.14 IV 38) as a reference to the divine presence at the moment of vow making, a reading that is corroborated by a wide body of ancient Near Eastern votive inscriptions and literary texts in which statements of divine presence are explicit. Based on this analysis, it becomes clear that the Ugaritic data are not relevant to understanding the biblical term [inline-graphic 02i] (ʾ iššeh ), which can only be elucidated based on its contextual evidence. In the final part of the article, we address challenges to the traditional interpretation of [inline-graphic 03i] as a “fire-offering” and show how this has led to a widespread misunderstanding of this term.