Biblical And Oriental Studies

by

U. Cassuto

Late Professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Translated by

israel abrahams

Emeritus Professor of Hebrew, University of Cape Town

Volume II

Bible And Ancient Oriental Texts

jerusalem

the magnes press, the hebrew university

©

By the Magnes Press, The Hebrew University

Jerusalem, 1975

Foreword

For the translator’s general foreword to the two volumes of Cassuto’s collected papers, the reader is referred to the first volume, pp. V–VII.

Professor Israel Abrahams, the translator, unfortunately passed away just when I was beginning to prepare the manuscript of the second volume for the press. This time I had therefore to face this difficult task without his authoritative assistance. Two facts, however, facilitated my work.

First, Professor Abrahams had already brought to completion the translation of all the articles that, according to the program, he had to translate for this second volume.* His usual skill in rendering the original into English, and his great love for Cassuto’s work, are noticeable in this translation too.

Secondly, a number of friends assisted me from time to time, in every stage of the preparation and printing of this book. Mr. Ben-Zion Segal, the secretary of the Perry Foundation and faithful friend of the late author, encouraged me continuously and made all the necessary arrangements for the execution of the work. Professor Samuel E. Loewenstamm, with his usual kindness and devotion to the memory of the author, his former teacher, put at my disposal his profound knowledge of the Ugaritic writings as well as of other ancient oriental texts. Mr. Chaim Toren, the director of the Magnes Press, assisted by Mr. Ben-Zion Yehoshua, with their usual sense of responsibility, took upon themselves the onerous task of publishing this book. And finally, the directors of the Central Press and all the members of its staff carried out their work with remarkable understanding and great patience. To each of them I extend my gratitude.

I welcome the opportunity to pay homage to the memory of the late Silas S. Perry, who founded the Perry Foundation for Biblical Research, attached to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, which helped Cassuto to continue his work. In the course of time, longing for a wider dissemination of Cassuto’s ideas, Mr. Perry planned the English translation of some of his books and papers. During many years, with unfailing care and great generosity, he looked after the fulfilment of this plan, which was carried out, unfortunately, only after Cassuto’s death.

Milka Cassuto Salzmann

Jerusalem

Tishri 5736

September 1975

NOTES

1. In two articles translated from the Hebrew, in which Ugaritic texts are given in full, their original Hebrew translation is printed alongside their transliteration and their English translation. This is in accordance with a similar arrangement in another article by Cassuto appearing in this volume (pp. 193–198), which was published by the author in Italian ...