Hittites, which means “Heth ” means “sons of terror”. Heth is the great grandson of Noah. These people existed during the Bronze Age and settled in Anatolia specifically on the lands nearby Hattusa and Nesa. They are one of the nations of Ham found on the Bible Timeline around 1400 BC. They were known for their military exploits using chariots in war. In fact, some Hittites were part of king David‘s army as top military leaders. In fact, Uriah, the general of king David and Bathsheba’s husband, was a Hittite. The reason for such is their skills in creating iron artifacts that help them develop tools. During the days of Abraham, they have lived among the Israelites. Abraham himself transacted with the Hittites when he purchased a burial plot from Ephron.
There are many archeological expeditions that recovered many artifacts from the Hittites. One such is the Hittite rhyton displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art. Most of the archives recovered in cuneiform tablets were written using the Akkadian language. Scholars like Archibald Henry Sayce believed that Hittites were as powerful as the “divided kingdom of Egypt”. Likewise, he also suggested that the relationship between Judah and this group of people was rather friendly.
Hittites take Nineveh (around 1400 BC)
A little background about the Assyrian empire helps people understand the events that preceded the fall of Nineveh. The capital of the Assyrian empire was Nineveh . Assyria was a powerful empire complete with engineering and architectural feats. However, its history is marked by extreme cruelty and oppression as it continuously oppressed Mesopotamians and Babylonians. Resisting Assyria could mean death to a whole town as the population is decimated by its known siege engines. The Assyrian empire was responsible for dispersing people from Israel by taking them as captives. Nonetheless, the fall of Nineveh was already forecasted by the Hebrew prophet Zepheniah. The wrath of God fell upon Nineveh as attested by the research made by David Stronach. The research was partly funded by the National Geographic Society. The remains witnessed by Stronach manifested the gruesome death met by warriors of Nineveh. Allied forces of Babylonians included the military might of Hittites.
What Part of the Bible Mention Hittites?
- Deuteronomy 20:17- Completely destroy them- the Hittites,Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivittes, and Jebusites. God wanted this tribes to be destroyed by Israel.
- Genesis 23:5- The Hittites replied to Abraham,
- Genesis 10: 15 – This indicated that Canaan was the father of Sidon and the Hittites
- Judges 3:5- This passage states that children of Israel also dwelled among different groups of people including the Hittites
- Judges 1:26 – The passage tells of a man who built a city in the land of Hittites named Luz
- Genesis 36:2- Esau’s wives came from different groups including Adah (a Hittite)
- 1 Kings 11:1-2- The passage narrates the hundreds of women that King Solomon loves. Hittite women were part of his harem. God forbids the king to take part with such alien nations since they will eventually corrupt his heart.
- Genesis 15: 20- Hittites was one of the lands promised by God to his nation Israel
References:
www.bibleprobe.com.ninveshkel.htm www.abarim-publications.com www.bible-topics.com http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hittite_(bull)_Rhyton_at_the_Met_by_Mark_Dawson.jpg
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