Hittites
The Hittites in the Old Testament
The Hittites appear over sixty times in the Old Testament, making them one of the most frequently mentioned peoples of ancient Canaan. They are consistently listed among the nations inhabiting the Promised Land that Israel was to dispossess (Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 7:1; Joshua 3:10). The "sons of Heth" are traced back to Heth, a son of Canaan, in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:15).
The earliest personal encounter with Hittites occurs in Genesis 23, where Abraham purchased the cave of Machpelah from Ephron the Hittite as a burial place for Sarah near Hebron (Genesis 23:3-20). This transaction, conducted with formal legal precision, reveals the Hittites as a settled, civilized people in Canaan during the patriarchal period. Esau married Hittite women, causing grief to his parents Isaac and Rebekah (Genesis 26:34-35; 27:46).
In later periods, individual Hittites appear in significant roles. Uriah the Hittite was one of David's mighty warriors and the husband of Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:3; 23:39). Ahimelech the Hittite served alongside David during his years as a fugitive (1 Samuel 26:6). During Solomon's reign, the "kings of the Hittites" are mentioned alongside the kings of Syria as significant trading partners (1 Kings 10:29), and the Hittites remained powerful enough that a Syrian army once fled in fear, thinking the king of Israel had hired Hittite and Egyptian forces against them (2 Kings 7:6).
The Hittite Empire: A Lost Civilization Rediscovered
For centuries, scholars knew of the Hittites only from the Bible and a few Egyptian references, leading some critics to doubt their existence. This skepticism was dramatically overturned beginning in the late 19th century. In 1906, Hugo Winckler excavated the Hittite capital at Hattusa (modern Bogazkoy in central Turkey), uncovering thousands of cuneiform tablets that revealed the Hittites as one of the great powers of the ancient Near East.
The Hittite Empire flourished from roughly 1600 to 1178 BC, centered in Anatolia (modern Turkey) but extending its influence into Syria and beyond. At its height, the empire rivaled Egypt in military and political power. The famous Battle of Kadesh (c. 1274 BC) between Hittite king Muwatalli II and Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II resulted in one of the earliest known peace treaties in history, copies of which were found at both Hattusa and in Egyptian records.
Hittite Culture, Language, and Religion
The Hittites were an Indo-European people whose language, once deciphered, proved to be one of the oldest attested members of this language family. Their legal codes show interesting parallels with biblical law, including provisions for property transactions that illuminate the Abraham-Ephron negotiation in Genesis 23.
Hittite religion was polytheistic, centered on a storm god and a sun goddess. They were known for incorporating the deities of conquered peoples into their own pantheon, earning their capital the nickname "the city of a thousand gods." Their religious texts include myths, prayers, and elaborate ritual instructions that provide valuable context for understanding ancient Near Eastern religion.
Hittite art is distinctive, featuring carved reliefs of warriors, gods, and animals. Their monumental architecture, including massive stone fortifications and ceremonial gateways at Hattusa, testifies to their advanced engineering capabilities.
The Neo-Hittite States and Biblical Connections
When the Hittite Empire collapsed around 1178 BC during the widespread disruptions of the Late Bronze Age, several smaller Neo-Hittite kingdoms survived in northern Syria and southeastern Turkey. These are the "kings of the Hittites" mentioned in Solomon's era (1 Kings 10:29; 2 Kings 7:6). Cities like Carchemish, Hamath, and Aleppo maintained Hittite cultural traditions, including their distinctive hieroglyphic script, for several more centuries.
These Neo-Hittite states interacted extensively with Israel, Assyria, and Aram (Syria). Assyrian records document numerous military campaigns against these kingdoms, which were eventually absorbed into the Assyrian Empire by the 8th century BC.
The Hittites and Biblical Reliability
The rediscovery of the Hittites stands as one of the most striking confirmations of biblical accuracy by modern archaeology. The Bible's consistent mention of the Hittites as a significant people in the ancient Near East was vindicated when their empire was unearthed. Ezekiel's description of Jerusalem's mixed heritage, saying "your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite" (Ezekiel 16:3), reflects the cultural reality of Canaan as a meeting place of diverse peoples, including the Hittites who had settled in the region alongside Semitic populations.
Biblical Context
The Hittites are mentioned in the Table of Nations as descendants of Heth (Genesis 10:15). They appear in the patriarchal narratives (Genesis 23; 26:34), the Exodus promises (Exodus 3:8; 23:28), the conquest narratives (Joshua 1:4; 9:1; 11:3), the monarchic period (1 Kings 10:29; 2 Kings 7:6), and the prophets (Ezekiel 16:3, 45). Individual Hittites like Ephron, Uriah, and Ahimelech play notable roles in Israel's history.
Theological Significance
The Hittites illustrate God's sovereignty over all nations. Though powerful, they were part of the land God promised to Abraham's descendants (Genesis 15:18-20). Their inclusion in the conquest narratives demonstrates that God's purposes transcend human political power. Individual Hittites like Uriah, who demonstrated greater integrity than King David, remind readers that God's grace extends beyond ethnic boundaries and that righteousness is not confined to Israel alone.
Historical Background
The Hittite Empire was rediscovered through excavations at Hattusa (Bogazkoy) beginning in 1906 by Hugo Winckler. Over 30,000 cuneiform tablets were found, including treaties, laws, religious texts, and diplomatic correspondence. The Hittites used both cuneiform and their own hieroglyphic script. Their legal traditions show parallels with Mosaic law, and their treaty forms resemble the covenant structure found in Deuteronomy. The Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty after Kadesh (c. 1274 BC) is one of the earliest diplomatic documents in history. The collapse of the Hittite Empire around 1178 BC coincided with the broader Late Bronze Age collapse that affected civilizations across the Mediterranean.