Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Gordon Cyrus and Ugaritic

b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Biblical Hebrew Forum

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Dave Washburn <dwashbur AT nyx.net>
  • To: b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Gordon Cyrus and Ugaritic
  • Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 10:53:10 -0600

On Monday 13 September 2004 01:43, Yocabo Rabinowitz wrote:
> I have not posed for a while I am a student under Frederic Putnam. I am
> dredging through Cyrus's Grammar of Ugaritic. Take my email with a grain
> of salt too. Can anyone give me any suggestions on Approaches to the
> language. I know hebrew Paleo-Hebrew The Misc. Cana'anite languages like
> Moabit Elabite etc. Aramaic and Arabic. Can anyone give me some hope
> because the wedge thingies look very similar. Could someone help a poor
> Semitic Scholar. I want to Get to Akkadian and Sumerian but feel that this
> is a good Gateway language to those. So please pray for me and
> HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>!!!!!!!!!!

If you're doing Ugaritic on your own with ANY book, you may be considered a
masochist by some :-) Seriously, I found that it's much better to take a
class somewhere, because not only do you have somebody who has already been
there who can answer your questions, but you also have at least a few peers
with whom you can interact and offer mutual support. A couple of things:

First, Cyrus is his first name. His last name is Gordon.
Second, most folks like us don't read the cuneiform, just the
transliteration.
I learned both originally back in the early 80's, but it would take me a
couple of months of refresher before I could read the cuneiform texts now.
And the tablets themselves (photos, that is) are even harder.
Third, I would bet that you said essentially the same thing about Hebrew
characters when you started out! In a very real sense, getting a handle on
the "wedge thingies" is purely a matter of time and practice, just like any
other foreign alphabet. If you've got all those others, including
Paleo-Hebrew, you can get this. Just give yourself time.
Fourth, there are several links to Ugaritic resources on the Web on my page.
Look under Archaeology.

HTH,

--
Dave Washburn
http://www.nyx.net/~dwashbur
"No good. Hit on head." -Gronk




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page