ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the foundation for reading the Baal Cycle within the context of its Bronze Age political environment. It also discusses issues of authorship and how the poem establishes an international political horizon that aligns with realities of the thirteenth century bce. The book focuses on the Old Babylonian Period to discuss a prophetic text that has often been invoked as a key for understanding the politics of the Baal Cycle. It provides a thorough historical contextualization of Adad's prophecy that challenges common interpretations of this often-cited text. The book shows how the Ugaritic poem thematizes the use of kinship as a valid justification for political domination. It discusses how the Baal Cycle's critique of Bronze Age political theology can be understood as the flip side of the Hittite emphasis on divine right.
