The Epic of Kirta
c. 1400–1200 BCE · Late Bronze Age · Ugarit (Ras Shamra), Syria
The Epic of Kirta follows a king who has lost everything: his wives have died one after another and he has no heir. The god El appears to Kirta in a dream and instructs him to muster his army and march to the kingdom of Udum, whose king Pabil holds a daughter, Hurray, destined to be his wife. Kirta marches, stops at a sanctuary of Asherah and vows gifts if he succeeds, lays siege to Udum, and refuses Pabil's offers of silver and gold — demanding only Hurray. He marries her, El blesses them with seven sons and daughters. But Kirta falls gravely ill, possibly for forgetting his vow to Asherah. The gods weep; El creates a divine healer who restores him. Then Kirta's own son Yassib publicly demands his father abdicate, listing his failings. Kirta curses his son. The text breaks off.
notes
Sits at the intersection of mythology and political literature, exploring what constitutes legitimate kingship. El calls Kirta "my son," positioning him as semi-divine. Structural parallels with biblical narratives of kings, illness, and succession.
currently held: National Museum of Damascus
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