The Ugaritic and Biblical Rephaim

Abstract

In 1941 Charles Virolleaud published a small corpus of tablets commonly referred to as the Rephaim Texts because they apparently involve the Ugaritic forerunners of the Biblicalrĕpāʽîm. The meaning of these texts is often obscure, but at least the following seems clear: therp’mare invited to someone's house or palace; after three days' travel by chariot they arrive at thegrnt/meṭʽt, usually translated “threshing floors/plantations,” though the exact significance of the expression is not really clear; finally, therp’mspend seven days in eating and drinking. This much is a least common denominator shared by all interpretations. When we get to more specific details, however, we find disagreement among students of these texts. Most of the disagreements arise from the differing ways in which the identity of therp'mis understood.

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