He was believed to reside in Memphis and Caphtor, which might reflect the routes through which crafts and resources traveled in the late Bronze Age.
[3] The name Kothar is derived from the root *kšr, "to be skilled" or "to achieve", attested in both West Semitic languages and Akkadian.
[15] It has been argued that an early form of this theonym, dKa-ša-lu, is already attested in texts from Ebla, which would indicate he was already worshiped in ancient Syria in the late third millennium BCE.
[16] However, according to Alfonso Archi Kothar is absent from Eblaite texts, and the similarly named deity mentioned in them is more likely to correspond to dGa-ša-ru known from later sources from Emar.
[19] It has been proposed that the second element of the full name, Khasis, might have been a reflection of an Akkadian epithet of Ea, ḫasīs ("wise") which might have reached Ugarit through Hurrian mediation and after being applied to an analogous local deity came to refer primarily to manual dexterity.
[13] A further attested name of Kothar is Hayyānu (hyn),[6] which is interpreted either as a derivative of the Hurrian form of the theonym Ea, or as a cognate of Arabic hayyinun, "easy", possibly to be translated as "skillful" in this context.
[25] Carolina López-Ruiz connects Kythereia, the epithet for Aphrodite which was used since the earliest Greek epics, with Kothar (Kothar-wa-Hasis in Ugaritic).
[32] RS 1.001, a text describing a ritual taking place over the course of a full day and the following night,[33] lists Kothar as the recipient of a sacrificial cow.
[43] The second toponym, Kaphtor (kptr; analogous to Akkadian Kaptāru and Biblical Hebrew Kaptōr), is presumed to correspond to Crete.
[16] As neither toponym refers to an area in the immediate proximity of Ugarit, it has been suggested that placing Kothar’s dwelling in such locations is meant to designate him as a foreigner among the gods.
[45][46] Nicolas Wyatt speculates that perhaps this idea was tied to his residence on Caphtor, and that it might indicate familiarity with the volcanic character of nearby Santorini.
[60] In the next section of the story, Kothar-wa-Khasis is approached by Baal’s messengers, Gupan and Ugar, who tell him that the weather god wants him to prepare gifts for Athirat[61] in order to secure her help with gaining El’s permission to have a palace built for himself.
[64] The gifts he makes include a dais, a throne with a footstool, a palanquin or couch, a table and a bowl or platter.
[75] In one of the following lines, Kothar’s name is followed by the phrases bn ym // bnm ‘dt, whose interpretation is uncertain, though it is often assumed they might be either otherwise unattested epithets, “son of the sea” and “son of confluence”, or a phrase meaning “this day, this very hour”, but the context is unclear[76] The next passage indicates he reacts to Baal’s declaration with joy: Kothar wa-Hasis laughed, He raised his voice and declared: “I truly told you, O Mightiest Baal: ‘You will reconsider my word, O Baal.’”[77] It is presumed that his response is meant to highlight his character as a good-natured figure.
[79] It is possible the window reflected a belief that Baal communicates with the world by sending atmospheric phenomena through breaks in the clouds.
[80] Mark S. Smith and Wayne T. Pitard additionally note that from a narrative standpoint, Baal’s uncertainty regarding Kothar’s proposal might have simply been intended to add an element of suspense to the story, similarly to the reluctance of Athirat and El to let him have a palace built in the preceding sections.
[82] The translation of the terms defining his connection to the sun goddess is disputed, with a majority of authors assuming he is designated as a friend or acquaintance, while a minority opinion is to interpret it as a title recognizing him as an expert in magic.
[82] In the Epic of Aqhat, Kothar-wa-Khasis visits king Danel shortly after the latter learns he will have a son, and presents a bow to him as a gift.
[88] In Horon and the Mare, a mythological text provided by Dennis Pardee with the subtitle “Ridding the Land of Serpents” due to its subject matter,[89] Kothar-wa-Khasis is listed among the deities Shapash should summon to deal with snake venom.
[90] Some evidence that Kothar-wa-Khasis was known in ancient Egypt exists,[16] though he is not equally well attested as Resheph, Anat, Ashtart or Baal and was not a popular deity.
[16] According to Izak Cornelius, the Egyptian god Keserty corresponded to Kothar, though his iconography instead resembles Resheph’s, including a similar crown decorated with a gazelle’s head.
[91] Keserty is known from a stele of unknown provenance from the collection of the Cairo Museum, which depicts a man identified as “the engraver, Woše-seti” praying to this god, who is seated on a throne.
[1] Due to his euhemeristic views, Philo presents Chousor as a human, rather than a god, though it is assumed more traditionalist adherents of Phoenician religion saw him as a deity, much like how the Ugaritic Kothar was perceived in corresponding cultural milieu.
[101] In a further passage his brothers, who are left nameless, are credited with inventing brickwork, which might be a reflection of Kothar-wa-Khasis' role as a divine architect.
[5] William F. Albright went as far as suggesting that his actions were a pun on Ptah's name, though his proposal relied on presuming the existence of a hypothetical West Semitic root *ptḥ, "to open".
[116] In a recent study Reettakaisa Sofia Salo concludes that the character of Baal-Malagê remains unknown as he is not attested outside of a single source and the possible marine associations rely largely on uncertain etymological speculation, though she does accept that he was likely a hypostasis of Baal.
[117] It has been suggested that a figure known from Philo’s writings, Taautos, might have been the result of identification between Thoth and Kothar-wa-Khasis, but according to Albert I. Baumgarten this theory is implausible, and it can be assumed he was derived directly from the Egyptian god.
[1] However, according to Dennis Pardee none of these proposals are plausible, as the conventional translations of the former two passages are “satisfactory” and emending any words is not necessary, while the interpretation of Cushan-rishathaim as containing a variant of the theonym Kothar as a theophoric element is unlikely.
[120] In the Islamic tradition, Khidr is a righteous servant of God who possesses great wisdom and mystic knowledge, and he had been linked with Kothar.
[121] Khidr is described as an angel, a prophet, or wali who guards the sea, teaches secret knowledge and aids those in distress.