THE THREE

TYPES
OF HITTITES
CLYDE E. BILLINGTON, PH.D.
 THERE WERE THREE
DIFFERENT TYPES OF
HITTITES IN ANCIENT
HISTORY, WHICH CAN
MAKE THINGS A LITTLE
CONFUSING
THE THREE TYPES OF
HITTITES
•CANAANITE HITTITES

•INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES

•NEO-HITTITES
 CANAANITE HITTITES
• CANAANITE HITTITES WERE THE ABORIGINAL HITTITES FROM THE LAND OF
CANAAN WHO ARE FREQUENTLY MENTIONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
• THEIR ORIGINAL LANGUAGE WAS EITHER HAMITIC OR AN ISOLATE, AND IT
WAS CERTAINLY NOT THE SAME AS THE AMORITE LANGAUGE WHICH IS
SEMITIC AND IS OFTEN TODAY CALLED “CANAANITE.”
• ABRAHAM PURCHASED THE CAVE OF MACHPELAH AS A TOMB TO BURY
SARAH FROM A CANAANITE HITTITE NAMED EPHRON SON OF ZOHAR WHO
STILL LIVED IN CANAAN.
• SOME OF THE CANAANITE HITTITES MIGRATED TO ASIA MINOR BEFORE
CA. 2100 BC.
• THEY WERE INVADED IN CA. 2000 BC BY THE INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES WHO
BORROWED THEIR NAME AND CALLED THEIR KINGDOM “HATTI.”
• THE LITTLE-UNDERSTOOD LANGUAGE OF THE ABORIGINAL CANAANITES
APPEARS IN A FEW INSCRIPTIONS IN CENTRAL ASIA MINOR, AND IT IS TODAY
CALLED “HATTIAN” BY LINGUISTS. ONLY A FEW WRITTEN EXAMPLES OF
“HATTIAN” HAVE BEEN FOUND.
 THE CANAANITE HITTITES
(HATTIANS) WHO MIGRATED
INTO ASIA MINOR HAD A MAJOR
CULTURAL IMPACT ON THE
INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES WHO
INVADED INTO CENTRAL ASIA
MINOR LATER IN CA. 2000 BC.
THERE ARE SEVERAL CULTURAL
AND RELIGIOUS CONNECTIONS
BETWEEN THE CANAANITE
HITTITES AND THE AREA OF
CENTRAL ASIA MINOR. FOR
EXAMPLE, PLASTERED SKULLS
HAVE BEEN FOUND IN BOTH
AREAS.
PLASTERED
SKULL FROM
JERICHO
EXAMPLES OF OTHER
PLASTERED SKULLS HAVE
BEEN FOUND BOTH IN
CANAAN AND IN ASIA
MINOR IN THE AREA OF THE
LATER KINGDOM OF THE
HITTITES.

PASTERED SKULLS MAY

HAVE BEEN USED FOR
ANCESTOR WORSHIP OR
NECROMANCY
THE CANAANITE HITTITES (HATTIANS)
OF ASIA MINOR ALSO PASSED-ON
CERTAIN CULTURAL TRADITIONS TO
THE INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES. ONE
EXAMPLE IS LEVIRATE MARRIAGE,
WHICH WAS PRACTICED BY THE
ISRAELITES AND CANAANITES LONG
BEFORE MOSES. SEE THE STORY OF
JUDAH AND TAMAR IN GENESIS 38.
 INDO-EUROPEAN
HITTITES
• THEY WERE A VERY MILITARISTIC PEOPLE WHO INVADED
INTO ASIA MINOR FROM THE NORTH IN CA. 2000 BC.
• THEY FORMED THE GREAT KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES,
WHICH DOMINATED FOR CENTURIES A VARIETY OF
OTHER ETHNIC PEOPLES IN WHAT-IS-TODAY CENTRAL
AND EASTERN TURKEY AND PARTS OF SYRIA.
• THEY HAD HORSES WHICH THEY USED WITH CHARIOTS.
IN CA. 1600 BC, THEY INVENTED A HEAVY CHARIOT
WHICH PROVIDED MORE PROTECTION. THEY WERE ALSO
PROBABLY THE PEOPLE WHO INVENTED MULES.
• SPOKE AN INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE, BUT USED
CUNEIFORM TO WRITE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.
 INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES
• THEY ADOPTED THE NAME OF THE CANAANITE
HITTITES WHO THEN LIVED IN ASIA MINOR, AND ALSO
MUCH OF THEIR CULTURE AND RELIGION.
• THEY SPOKE AN INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE, BUT
USED CUNEIFORM TO WRITE THEIR OWN LANGUAGE.
• THEY ARE NOT MENTIONED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
• IN CA. 1595 BC, THE INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITE KING
MURSILI I INVADED ALL OF MESOPOTAMIA, BUT WAS
ASSASSINATED BY HIS SISTER AND BROTHER-IN-LAW.
• MESOPOTAMIA LEFT IN AN MESS, AND THE KINGDOM
OF THE HITTITES BECAME WEAK FOR A PERIOD OF
TIME. KINGDOM OF MITANNI CAME INTO EXISTENCE.
THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI
• BEGAN IN CA. 1595 BC AND ONLY LASTED UNTIL
CA. 1350 BC
• DOMINATED THE KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES FOR
ABOUT TWO CENTURES.
• THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI WAS ENDED BY THE
INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITE KING SUPPLIULIUMA I
IN 1350 BC.
• THE DEFEAT OF THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI WILL
ALLOW FOR THE KINGDOM OF ASSYRIA TO ARISE.
 THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI CONSISTED OF
TWO PEOPLES THE HURRIANS/ HORITES AND
THE TIRAS/ TERESH/ RAS PEOPLE IN A
SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP. THE HURRIANS
WERE GREAT METAL WORKERS AND
MERCHANTS AND THE TIRAS/ RAS PEOPLE
PROVIDED THE MILITARY MUSCLE AND
GOVERNMENT. THE TIRAS/ RAS WERE
ILLITERATE, AND THE HURRIAN LANGUAGE
WAS USED IN BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT
DOCUMENTS. THE TIRAS/ TERESH/ RAS IN
THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI EVENTUALLY
ADOPTED THE HURRIAN LANGUAGE.
THE TIRAS/ TERESH/ RAS PEOPLE IN
THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI WERE A
MILITARY MINORITY RULING OVER
NOT ONLY THEIR ALLIES THE
HURRIANS BUT ALSO OVER THE
ARAMEANS AND ASSYRIANS IN
NORTHERN MESOPOTAMIA. THE
ASSYRIANS ONLY BECAME VERY
MILITARISTIC AFTER HAVING BEEN
RULED BY THE TIRAS/ TERESH/ RAS
PEOPLE IN THE KINGDOM OF
MITANNI.
 THE KINGOM OF MITANNI
CONQUERED AND RULED THE
ISRAELITES FOR 8 YEARS DURING
THE LIFE OF THE JUDGE OTHNIEL.
THE KINGDOM OF THE MITANNI
WAS ALSO CALLED NAHARAIM BY
BOTH THE EGYPTIANS AND THE
ISRAELITES. OTHNIEL DEFEATED
THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI IN
CA. 1370 BC AS IS SEEN IN
JUDGES 3:7-11.
 IN CA. 1350 BC THE HITTITE KING
SUPPILULIUMA I
(CA. 1380-1346 BC)
ENDED THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI.
HE DEPORTED SOME OF THE
DEFEATED TIRAS/ RAS PEOPLE TO
SOUTH-CENTRAL ASIA MINOR. SOME
OF THESE DEPORTED
TIRAS/ TERESH PEOPLE FROM THE
KINGDOM OF MITANNI JOINED
THE SEA PEOPLES CONFEDERATION
 I BELIEVE THAT THE DEFEAT
OF CUSHAN OF THE
RISHATHAIM KING OF ARAM
NAHARAIM BY OTHNIEL IN CA.
1370 BC SO WEAKENED THE
KINGDOM OF MITANNI THAT
SHORTLY AFTERWARDS IN
CA. 1350 BC IT FELL PREY TO
THE KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES.
 THE INDO-EUROPEAN
HITTITES WERE POLYTHEISTS
AND WORSHIPPED HUNDREDS
OF GODS, BUT THEIR
PRIMARY DEITY WAS THE
STORM GOD TESHUB WHO
WAS VERY MUCH LIKE THE
CANAANITE GOD
BAAL HADDAD
TESHUB BAAL HADDAD
 THE CAPITAL OF THE
KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES
WAS HATTUSA IN CENTRAL
ASIA MINOR, WHICH IS TODAY
CALLED BOGHAZKOY IN
TURKISH.
WHEN THE HITTITE KING SUPPLIULIUMA I DEFEATED THE
KINGDOM OF MITANNI IN CA. 1350 BC, HE TOOK OVER
LANDS IN LEBANON, NORTHERN GALILEE, AND
SOUTHERN SYRIA WHICH THE MITANNI HAD EARLIER
TAKEN AWAY FROM THE EGYPTIANS.
IN 1275 BC THE EGYPTIAN PHARAOH RAMSES II TRIED TO
REGAIN THESE LANDS IN NORTHERN CANAAN AND SYRIA
WHICH HAD BEEN LOST EARLIER TO THE MITANNI.
PHARAOH RAMSES II FOUGHT AGAINST THE HITTITE
KING MUWATALLI II AT THE GREAT BATTLE OF KADESH IN
1275 BC TRYING TO REGAIN THESE LANDS.
RAMSES II CLAIMED VICTORY, BUT THE HITTITES
RETAINED ALL OF THE LAND THAT THEY WERE FIGHTING
OVER.
MUWATALL II
DEFEATED
RAMSES II
AT BATTLE OF
KADESH
IN 1275 BC
 THE INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES
• HAD A FEUDALISTIC SOCIETY IN WHICH THEY FORMED
THE NOBLE CLASS. LAND TENURE BASED ON MILITARY
SERVICE. LORD-VASSAL LIKE MEDIEVAL EUROPE
• KING WAS HEAD OF STATE, HEAD OF ARMY, SUPREME
JUDGE, AND THE HIGH PRIEST.
• ABOUT 1600 BC THEY DEVELOPED A HEAVY CHARIOT
WITH MORE PROTECTION
• HAD HORSES BUT ONLY USED FOR CHARIOTS AND FOR
RIDING. NO PLOWING SINCE HORSE COLLAR NOT YET
INVENTED.
• MINED SILVER, LEAD, COPPER, AND IRON FROM
MOUNTAINS. THEY ALONG WITH THE MITANNI DEVELPED
IRON SMELTING WHICH THEY PASSED ON TO THE
PHILISTINES.
 THE INDO-EUROPEAN
HITTITES
• WOULD ATTACK AN ENEMY CITY, AND IF ITS PEOPLE
SURRENDERED, THEY WERE SPARED, BUT GIVEN TO HITTITE
SOLDIERS AND MADE INTO PEASANT SERFS.
• IF CITY FOUGHT, IT WAS GENERALLY DESTROYED, AND
WOMEN AND CHILDREN ENSLAVED. ENEMY SOLDIERS WHO
WERE CAPTURED WERE OFTEN BLINDED AND FORCED TO
GRIND GRAIN IN MILLS. (SEE SAMSON)
• NOBLE HITTITE WOMEN HAD A MUCH HIGHER STATUS THAN
WOMEN FROM OTHER ANCIENT CULTURES. THE HITTITE
QUEEN HAD HER OWN SEAL AND AT TIMES COMMUNICATED
WITH FOREIGN NATIONS.
• MARRIAGE WAS MADE BY A WRITTEN CONTRACT. ONE
MARRIAGE CONTRACT WAS FOUND WITH A STIPULATION
THAT IF THE WIFE DOES NOT PRODUCE CHILDREN, THE
HUSBAND CAN TAKE A SLAVE WOMAN AND PRODUCE A SON
BY HER. SLAVE WOMAN WAS THEN GIVEN HER FREEDOM.
 THREE INDO-EUROPEAN
HITTITE KINGS TO KNOW
• MURSILI I WHO IN 1595 BC CONQUERED
ALMOST ALL OF MESOPOTAMIA BUT WAS
ASSASSINATED BY HIS SISTER AND HER
HUSBAND. MESOPOTAMIA LEFT IN A MESS.
KINGDOM OF MITANNI DEVELOPED
• SUPPLIULIUMA I WHO DEFEATED AND
ELIMINATED THE KINGDOM OF MITANNI IN CA.
1350 BC
• MUWATALLI II WHO DEFEATED PHARAOH
RAMSES II AT THE BATTLE OF KADESH IN
1275 BC.
 THE END OF
THE KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES
• THE KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES SUFFERED A SERIES OF FOUR
DEVASTATING BLOWS IN THE 1300’S BC.
• THE FIRST BLOW WAS THE BUBONIC PLAGUE WHICH FIRST STRUCK IN
CA. 1300 BC, BUT KEPT COMING BACK ABOUT EVERY GENERATION
DURING THE 1300’S BC
• THE SECOND BLOW WAS A SERIES OF FAMINES CAUSED BOTH BY BAD
WEATHER BUT ALSO BY A SHORTAGE OF FARM WORKERS CAUSED BY
THE BUBONIC PLAGUE.
• THE THIRD BLOW WAS A DYNASTIC DISPUTE WHICH LED TO A CIVIL
WAR, WHICH WEAKENED THE KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES AND
ALLOWED SOME SUBJECT PEOPLES TO GAIN INDEPENDENCE.
• THE FOURTH BLOW WAS AN ATTACK OF THE SEA PEOPLES/
PHILISTINES IN CA. 1200 BC. MESHECH AND TUBAL PEOPLES FROM
THE NORTHEAST JOINED IN THIS ATTACK AS ALSO DID THE
PHRYGIANS FROM THE NORTHWEST.
 NEO-HITTITES
• THE KINGDOM OF THE INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES RULED
OVER A NUMBER OF OTHER NEIGHBORING PEOPLES.
• THEY RULED OVER THESE SUBJECT COLONIAL PEOPLES
FOR CENTURIES.
• WHEN THE KINGDOM OF THE HITTITES FELL IN CA. 1200 BC,
AN AREA IN WHAT-IS-TODAY EASTERN TURKEY AND
NORTHWESTERN SYRIA WAS LEFT TO FEND FOR ITSELF.
• THE PEOPLE IN THIS AREA CONTINUED TO CALL
THEMSELVES “HITTITES,” AND HATED THE PHILISTINES.
• HOWEVER, THEY SPOKE A NORTHWEST SEMITIC LANGUAGE
WHICH WAS CLOSELY RELATED TO AMORITE.
• URIAH THE HITTITE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS A NEO-
HITTITE.
THE THREE TYPES OF
HITTITES
CANAANITE HITTITES
HATTI LANGUAGE
HAM
INDO-EUROPEAN HITTITES
INDO-EUROPEAN LANGUAGE
JAPHETH
NEO-HITTITES
AMORITE / CANAANITE LANGUAGE
SHEM
END OF THE THREE
TYPES OF HITTITES
PRESENTATION