ABSTRACT
A paper on the theme of the History of Religions and Ugaritic myth could lead in a number of directions. Those that are entirely theoretical, in the sense that they would deal with problems in the theoretical approach to the discipline, are to my mind not terribly helpful, since grand theory always has to give way to awkward fact. The problem I shall treat is no less theoretical, of course, but at least it is testable, and seeks to answer a specific, and ultimately historical problem, rather than simply indulging in airy speculation, or more dangerously, in the promotion of an ideological stance. The ‘History of Religions’ indeed raises a problem of reference: the English expression is fairly neutral, simply denoting the study of religions within a historical framework, considering historical developments and so forth, while as I understand it the German term Religionsgeschichte can have a more restricted sense, denoting this approach applied to Israelite and Judahite religion in historical context, so that it merges with Comparative Religion and the History of Tradition (Überlieferungsgeschichte). It can then take on a significant polemical role, which I do not see it as my brief to defend.1 The ‘History of Religions’ is better pursued in the former sense, but at the same time it is preferable to approach it ad textum or ad contextum rather than in the abstract, and the problems associated with spn seem to me an excellent field for enquiry in this context. Inevitably, since this topic also impinges on biblical matters, it becomes a study bridging the divide noted above. There has been considerable discussion concerning the etymology and meaning of the Ugaritic term spn, appearing in Hebrew as sāpôn (‘Saphon’). The vocalization problem, which has taken up an inordinate amount of discussion, may be summed up as follows:
i. the unvocalized Ugaritic form is spn. ii. in Akkadian it is normally transcribed as sapunu (nominative) as in
sa-pù-númKI (TM.75.G.1642),2 or sapuna (oblique), as in the form gir sa-pu-na,3 šadû ba-’-li-sa-pu-na,4 also ba-’-il-sa-pu-na,5 or even as sapuni (oblique), as in URUs a-pù-u4-niKI (TM.75.G.2231 rev ii 9).6 This presupposes a second vowel u.
