A Fresh Look at the Baal-Zaphon Stele *

Abstract

This article discusses the Baal-Zaphon stele, a New Kingdom funerary stele from Ugarit, depicting a certain Mamy worshipping the Levantine god Baal-Zaphon. The object, though well known since the early twentieth century, lacks a recent detailed study. A new edition of the text is proposed here, based on parallel inscriptions and on a personal inspection of the stele at the Louvre. It also incorporates a fragment mentioned in 1938 by Montet but absent from subsequent editions of the text. Finally, the article discusses the iconography of the stele, its parallels, and the ambiguous relationship between Baal and Seth.