Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Dave Washburn <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

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