ANE:Treaties/0

Treaties in the Ancient Near East

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Accompanied by sacrifices and a covenantal meal

• Ancient Near Eastern examples

  Charles F. Fensham, in an article in BASOR 175 (1964): 51-54 cites examples from a letter from Mari and two treaties from Alalakh.

  • The letter from Mari (C. F. Jean, Archives royales de Mari II [1950], No. 37: 6-14) mentions a treaty between Ḫanaeans and Idamaras which was formed by slaughtering an ass.
  • In a treaty from Alalakh (Donald J. Wiseman, Abban and Alalah, Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 12, No. 4, 1958, pp. 126, 129), a sheep was slaughtered when Abban took an oath to Iarimlim.
  • In another treaty from Alalakh (Sidney Smith, The Statute of Idrimi [1949], pp. 16 f.), a sacrifice was made after the covenant between Idrimi and Sutarna.
• Biblical instances
  • Covenant of the Pieces (ברית בין הבתרים – Bereshit 15:7-21) – 
  • Yitzchak and Avimelekh (Bereshit 26:28-31) – 
  • Yaakov and Lavan (Bereshit 31:44-54) – R. D"Z HoffmannShemot 18:12About R. D"Z Hoffmann points to the story of Yaakov and Lavan as an example of a treaty which is accompanied by sacrifices and breaking bread together (לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם).
  • Yitro (Shemot 18:12) – R. D"Z HoffmannShemot 18:12About R. D"Z Hoffmann suggests that Yitro's sacrifice and festive meal are part of a a diplomatic ceremony which accompanied the signing of a covenant between the nations of Israel and Midyan. He thereby explains why the generic elohim is used, rather than Hashem (the name usually found with regard to sacrifices), see Eating Bread Lifnei HaElohim and Yitro's Purpose for elaboration.¹
  • The Israelites at Mount Sinai (Shemot 24:3-11) – 
  • The covenantal ceremony at the mountains of Gerizim and Eival (Yehoshua 8:30-35) – .
  • David and Avner (Shemuel II 3:19-21) – .
  • Tehillim 50:5 – 

¹ R. D"Z Hoffmann notes that this can also explain the absence of Moshe from the meal, as Moshe was already related to Yitro, and it was Aharon and the elders who were representing the Children of Israel in this treaty.