The Customary and Existing Order:  Reconsidering the Role of Yamm in the Baal Myth: LXXSA

Bobby Kurnia Putrawan; Ludwig Beethoven Jones Noya; Agus Santoso; Iswahyudi

doi:10.25159/2663-6573/10759

Authors

Bobby Kurnia Putrawan Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Moriah https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1651-7883
Ludwig Beethoven Jones Noya Vanderbilt University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9390-7116
Agus Santoso Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Reformed Indonesia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4485-5030
Iswahyudi Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Moriah

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-6573/10759

Keywords:

Baal Cycle, Order, Ugaritic, Yamm

Abstract

The conflict between Baal and Yamm in the Baal Cycle’s opening is notably considered a challenging scene to understand. This paper sees Yamm’s role as representing the customary and existing order rather than chaos or disorder. Such a function is revealed through Baal’s double paternity in the cycle. Instead of justifying one of the possibilities to read the conflict, this concept reconciles all possibilities in an alternative reading. Under the idea of Yamm as the customary and existing order, and Baal as the one who is attempting to disrupt the order, one can read the conflict politically, domestically, and naturally. However, as Baal’s propaganda, the defeated Yamm had to be portrayed as the opposite of order, namely chaos. The customary order has been broken and depicted as chaos for a political purpose: to promote the new order.

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