Was There a Cult of El in Ancient Canaan?

Since their discovery in 1929, Ugaritic documents have shed light on the Canaanite background of the ancient Israelite religion. But to use them properly, it is crucial first to interpret the texts philologically in their historical and cultural context. In particular, we must grasp the characteristics of polytheism from within, without imposing a Western understanding of deity. David Toshio Tsumura examines a number of mythological and liturgical texts in detail for how they interpret deity, and especially deals with the different meanings of the Ugaritic term IL, a cognate of the Hebrew ˀel, »god.« This can be a generic noun, »god,« proper name »El,«or a term for the collective godhead »The Deity.« Thus, the author sheds light on ancient Canaanite religious practices and social customs essential for a better understanding of Old Testament literature.Introduction
Part 1 - Background
Chapter 1: Canaan and the Canaanites Chapter 2: C. H. Gordon, the Father of Ugaritic Studies

Part 2 - El, Baal and Yahweh
Chapter 3: Canaanite Religion and Israelite Yahwism
Chapter 4: Was There a Cult of El in Ancient Ugarit?

Part 3 - The Myth and Ritual of the Good Gods
Chapter 5. IL in the Fertility Myth (KTU 1.23:30-76)
Chapter 6: Mt-w-Šr and His Two Weapons
Chapter 7: Myth and Ritual Relationship in KTU 1.23
Chapter 8: Revisiting the »Seven« Good Gods of Fertility in Ugarit

Part 4 - Royal Dynastic Cults in Ugarit
Chapter 9: Kings and Cults in Ancient Ugarit
Chapter 10: The Ancestor Cult in Ugarit

Part 5 - Language and Style
Chapter 11: Vowel sandhi in Ugaritic
Chapter 12: »Misspellings« in Cuneiform Texts from Ugarit
Chapter 13: The primae waw Verb wld in Ugaritic
Chapter 14: The Problem of Keret's Childlessness
Chapter 15: List and Narrative in 1 Samuel 6:17-18a in the Light of Ugaritic Economic Texts
Concluding Remarks