html5-img
1 / 18

COVENANT

COVENANT. Covenant- Definition. Treaty Formal agreement between two (or more) parties Mutual benefit Mutual responsibility. “Hittite Treaties”. Usual title. Between Hittites (Asia Minor/Turkey) and Egypt Written in Akkadian (language of Mesopotamia)- the lingua franca of the period.

cosette
Télécharger la présentation

COVENANT

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. COVENANT

  2. Covenant- Definition • Treaty • Formal agreement between two (or more) parties • Mutual benefit • Mutual responsibility

  3. “Hittite Treaties” • Usual title. • Between Hittites (Asia Minor/Turkey) and Egypt • Written in Akkadian (language of Mesopotamia)- the lingua franca of the period

  4. 2 Ancient Near Eastern Types • Parity treaty- on a par; between equals (NATO) • Vassal/suzerainty treaty- between two unequal parties

  5. Vassal/suzerainty Treaty • Inferior (vassal) bound by oath to superior (suzerain- called the “Great King”) • Mutual obligation- but obedience of vassal is given greater weight than the opposite. • Stipulations are laid on the vassal • Promises to help vassal are promises, not legal: based on trust/ good-will

  6. Theological Significance • Israel is related to Yahweh in legal, covenant terms • God is Great King • Israel is vassal • Important at start of Israelite monarchy- Judges 8:23

  7. 6 Elements of an ANE Covenant

  8. I. Preamble • Parties are identified: These are the words of the Sun, Suppiluliumas, the great king, the king of the land of the Hittites, the valiant, the favorite of the Storm-god. • Exod 20:2a; Deut 1:1-5; Josh 24:2

  9. II. Historical Prologue • Previous relationships between the parties • Why should we enter into covenant? • Previously the king of Egypt and his cronies were hostile to the Sun…but you parted from them and joined with me. • Ex 20:2b; Deut 1:6-4:49; Josh 24:2b-13

  10. III. Stipulations: general and specific • He who lives in peace with the Sun lives at peace with you, but he who is an enemy to the Sun is an enemy to you. • No foreign relationships allowed (only 1 covenant) No enemies among vassals • Respond to call to arms • Lasting loyalty to the king

  11. Stipulations (continued) • Ex 20:3ff; Deut 5-26; Josh 24:14-21

  12. IV. Curses and Blessings • May Ashur, king of the gods, decree for you an evil, unpropitious fate, and not grant you fatherhood and old age. • May Ninurta fell you with his fierce arrow, and fill the plain with your corpses, give your flesh to eagles and vultures to feed on. • May all you teeth fall out except one, and may it be abscessed.

  13. Curses and Blessings (Continued) • Exod 23:20-33; Deut 27-30 • Basis for the message of the prophets (Deut 27-30 and Amos 4)

  14. V. Deposit or Tablet Clause • What to do with the finished covenant document • Often omitted in ANE • Deut 31:9-13; Josh 24:26

  15. VI. Witnesses • Deities who are to bring about the blessings or curses • The treaty which he has made binding with you before Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Mercury, Mars, and Sirius; before Ashur, Enlil, Ea and Marduk…

  16. Witnesses (Continued) • Problem for Israel’s covenant with god? • Deut 30:19; 31:26; Josh 24:22 • Henotheism- each people has own gods who is responsible for them.

  17. Formal Oath Ceremony • Covenant not self-standing: has ritual context in real life • Not part of Hittite treaty documents (history as writing more important than history as event) • OT- both audio (legal text) and video (ceremony described)- Exod 24:4--11; Josh 24:25

  18. Abrahamic Covenant- Genesis 15, 17 • Different form from others • God obligates himself, Abraham not • Rituals (Gen 15) done by God • No future acts for Abraham (circumcision = sign of, not obligation of covenant) • Parallels ANE royal grant: an unconditional gift

More Related