Edition of the Ugaritic Poetic Text Corpus (EUPT): Online Portal for Philological and Poetological Analysis

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Bela Gipp, since 1/2024; Professor Dr. Reinhard Müller
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 506107876

For the poetic texts in Ugaritic language, whose importance for the cultural history of the Ancient Near East including the biblical tradition can hardly be overestimated, there is currently no edition that documents the epigraphic, philological and poetological state of the art. Moreover, there is no freely accessible online platform on which the texts are edited and poetologically analyzed. To close this gap, an open-access platform for philological and poetological research shall be established: The DFG long-term project aims to create a digital edition of all Ugaritic poetic texts known to date, documenting the epigraphic basis and philological-poetological decisions along with the possible alternatives. Photographs, cuneiform copies, transliterations, vocalizations, translations, and commentaries will be published on the EUPT website.A key focus is on poetological analysis: the verse structure is analyzed, parallel verse patterns are reconstructed, and stylistic features are examined; in addition, the motif network of Ugaritic poetry is studied. In order to contextualize the texts in terms of cultural and literary history, recurring characteristics are compared with the literatures of neighboring cultures.In German-language research, Ugaritic studies has lacked an institutional center since the end of the Ugarit-Forschungsstelle Münster. EUPT aims to contribute to the continuation of Ugaritic studies in Germany and Europe. At the same time, the project aims to strengthen worldwide collaboration: EUPT will be scientifically accompanied by an international advisory board and will cooperate closely with the Chicago Ugarit project Ras Shamra Tablet Inventory (RSTI).The SUB Göttingen will develop an innovative edition platform on which the texts can be annotated under a variety of aspects. Edition and poetological analysis will be displayed on the EUPT website and linked for the first time with digital tools that enable complex queries. The new software has the potential to be used in neighboring editorial projects as well.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Wolfram Horstmann, until 12/2023