UGARIT. Although never mentioned in the Old Testament, Ugarit has become one of the most important places in the ancient Near East for the understanding of ancient Israel, its society, and culture since the discovery of extensive written sources at Ugarit after 1929 when modern excavations began on Tell Ras Shamra, a few kilometers from modern Latakiye in Syria. Historically speaking, in the Late Bronze Age Ugarit was a flourishing Syrian seaport that was destroyed together with many other sites at the beginning of the 12th century B.C.E., perhaps in connection with the arrival of the Sea Peoples. The extensive archives from Ugarit are written in a peculiar cuneiform alphabet very different from Akkadian cuneiform but related to later Phoenician script. Apart from ample evidence about administration, economy, and foreign relations, they include the only epic texts that have so far survived from ancient Syria and Palestine. These texts have been of the outmost importance for more than 70 years for the study of ancient Israelite religion.
UNITED MONARCHY. In scholarly literature often used as the name of the kingdom of David and Solomon (see also Empire of David and Solomon).
UR OF THE CHALDAEANS. A city in lower Mesopotamia, identical with modern Tell Muqqajjar. Its history of settlement goes back to the fifth millennium B.C.E., although its period of greatness belonged to the late fourth millennium and most of the third millennium B.C.E. Although it lost its political importance in the second millennium and never regained it, Ur was considered a classical center of Mesopotamian culture, and a natural place to look for the original home of the Old Testament family of patriarchs (Gen 11:28.31). The addition of “Chaldaea” in the Old Testament to the name of Ur reflects its political situation after its territory became part of Chaldaea, no earlier than 1000-900 B.C.E.
URIAH. A Hittite. One of David’s heroes (2 Sam 23:39) and the husband of Bathsheba, who denied that he was part of David’s scheming when the king had made Bathsheba pregnant. As a consequence, David ordered Joab to make sure that Uriah was killed on the battlefield. Joab complied with his master’s wish and placed Uriah in an exposed position where he was killed (2 Sam 11).
UZZIAH. King of Judah (769-741 B.C.E.) who reinforced Eloth, after his father Amaziah had conquered it from Edom (2 Kgs 14:21). In his later years he contracted leprosy and his son Jotham ruled in his name (2 Kgs 15:1-7). The Books of Chronicles add considerably to the Uzziah tradition by having him also defeating Philistine cities, and Arab tribes of the desert, and making Moab and Ammon tributaries of the Kingdom of Judah.