The spelling of the Ugaritic words in the alphabetic as well as the syllabic cuneiform
is a major evidence for the ‘realization’ of the Akkadian phonemes by the Ugaritic
scribes (Van Soldt 1991 : xxii). This could in fact only have taken place if Babylonian
scribes had been intensely involved in the instruction of Ugaritic scribes. This goes
very much beyond gradual diffusion, it is, rather, a major process of acculturation.
The Babylonians could even be said to have engaged in a ‘decentralised project’ in
order to enhance their influence in the entire Levant. Van Soldt ( 1991 : xxiii) demon-
strated that the Akkadian texts in Ugarit were not written by native speakers of the
Akkadian language, ‘but by scribes who had to master it as a foreign language’ and
who also acquired the skill to write the syllabic cuneiform script.
Information from EmarThe indirect relations between Kassite Babylonia and the Levant are also made visible
in the cylinder impressions at Emar. Although no actual Mesopotamian cylinder seals
were found, more than four hundred cylinder impressions survive on cuneiform tablets
from Emar. These impressions illustrate the ‘gateway’ position of Emar, insofar as
they reflect several foreign styles, namely Mitannian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Hittite
and Syrian styles (Margueron 1996 : 88 ).
The evidence from Emar on the Middle Euphrates has shown that some cities acted
as smaller gateways between the Mediterranean coast and Babylonia during the Late
Bronze age. Although Emar played a key role in the region it fell under the broader
political supervision of Carkemish (Bruce 1999 : 201 – 203 ; Pruszinszky 2004 : 43 – 44 ).
Its material culture shows Syrian and Hittite influence, as well as close links with
Babylonia and Assyria (Margueron 1996 : 90 ). This hybrid culture of the city of Emar
becomes visible with the Hittite palace, Syrian temples and Syro-Anatolian houses
(Margueron 1996 : 86 ). The city thus displays the cultural transmission that went
through this major gateway during the latter part of the second millennium BC. Close
relations with Kassite Babylonia were maintained by the river traffic and caravans
along the Euphrates river.
Information from Tell el-Amarna tabletsThe Akkadian language used in the Amarna letters found in Egypt and written
throughout the Levant, has a hybrid format. Although the majority of the 382 letters
resembles the homeland variety of Akkadian usually called Middle Babylonian, the
‘bulk of the letters exhibits departures from pure Middle Babylonian’ (Gianto 1999 :
123 ). Only letters EA 2 – 4 , 6 – 11 could be classified as good Babylonian or ‘core’ or
‘focal’ Babylonian. However, the actual language of the Amarna letters is basically
‘peripheral Akkadian’ and has features that reflect also something of the local language.
It has been shown that even the word order differed in the northern and southern
regions. The southern letters (Beirut, Amqi, Hazor, Megiddo, Shegem, Ashkelon,
Lachish, Jerusalem and Gezer) have a sentence structure of verb–subject–object order
which is peculiar to the local traditions. By contrast, the northern letters (Ugarit,
Qidshu, Siyannu and Ushnatu) show a subject–object–verb word order which is closer
to the languages of the Mesopotamian region (Finley 1979 : 57 – 74 ).
— P. S. Vermaak —