THE rich treasure of weapons being recovered from the mound of Ras Shamra serves to underline the importance of Ugarit's military establishment in antiquity.2 Although it was not one of the imperial giants in the Late Bronze Age, Ugarit's location and political position made it imperative that its forces be kept strong and ready.3 Such was the case with every city-state in Syria and Palestine that wished to survive in that difficult time. Ugarit's importance as a mercantile center from which caravans and ships went out to all points of the ancient world also dictated the maintenance of troops for the protection of these commercial interests.4