Think about how you write a formal letter. You likely use certain words and a specific order.

How you write might look very different from a formal letter written by your grandparents or by your grandchildren.

When Israel’s patriarchs made treaties with rulers from other nations, they followed the format which was correct at that time and place.

For example, the accounts of treaties made between the patriarchs and leaders in Gen 21:22–23, 27–33 Gen 26:28–31, and Gen 31:44–54 all use the pattern from 1800–1700 BC in two nearby nations (Columns 1 and 2).

This allows us to place Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in that time period.

Much of the law of Moses follows the pattern of treaties written from 1400–1200 BC (Columns 4 and 5).

Taken together, Genesis, Exodus, and Leviticus form one pact. Deuteronomy represents a second agreement between God and Israel.

Table 1: Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) Treaty Formats[1]

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 Column 6
Mari and Leilan
 
Hebrew Patriarchs
 
Intermediate Hittite
Middle Hittite
Pentateuch*
Sefire and Mesopotamia
Divine Witnesses
Divine witnesses
Title
Title
Title
Title
Oath
Oath
Divine Witnesses
Historical Prologue
Historical Prologue
Divine Witnesses
Stipulations
Stipulations
Stipulations
Stipulations
Stipulations
Curses
   
Divine Witnesses
  
Ceremony
Ceremony
Oath
Curses
Curses
Stipulations
Curses
Curses
Curses
Blessings
Blessings
       
Early
Early
Mid
Late
Late
1st
2nd Mill BC
2nd Mill BC
2nd Mill BC
2nd Mill BC
2nd Mill BC
Mill BC
1800-1700
  
1600-1400
1400-1200
  
900-650
* This includes Genesis/Exodus/Leviticus, Deuteronomy, and Joshua 24. Since there is no God but Yahweh, there are no divine witnesses

After the two parties approved a treaty, each of them received a copy to place in the temple of their god (Cf. Exod 25:16, 21–22).

This affects how we typically think of the two tablets of the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:1–17).

Based upon Ancient Near Eastern practices, each tablet contained all ten commandments.

Moses placed God’s copy and Israel’s in the same place: the ark of the covenant (Deut 10:1–5). Why do you think he did that? All answers are at the bottom of this page.[2]

 

 

 

The Ten Commandments was likely the first written biblical passage, which God himself wrote (Exod 20:2–17; Exod 31:18).

Moses incorporated this treaty into the book of the covenant (Exod 20:22–23:33), which was written just prior to Israel agreeing to keep it (Exod 24:4–11).

The next section of Exodus describes the requirements for building the tabernacle, making its furnishings, and preparing clothing for the priests (Exod 25:1–31:18). Making those items took about a year.

During the year that the Israelites remained in Sinai, Moses likely wrote the book of Genesis and the account of their escape from Egypt in the first half of Exodus.

In fact, Exod 1:1–8 assumes its readers recognize Jacob and Joseph.

After generations of slavery, Israelites needed to understand their history as God’s people.

Genesis gives the historical background to the covenant God made with them. It says, “This is what I have done for you as a people, so you must obey the terms of my covenant with you.”

Its place in Genesis through Leviticus follows the format of treaties between a Hittite emperor and the minor kings serving under him during 1400–1200 BC (Columns 4 and 5).

Some experts argue that the exodus occurred in 1440 BC while others say it happened in 1290 BC. Based upon the treaty patterns in Columns 3, 4, and 5, which do you think is correct?[3]

 

 

 

One theory says that someone wrote Deuteronomy in the seventh century BC, just before a priest claimed that workers found it while repairing the temple (2 Kgs 22:3–23:3).

How do Columns 5 and 6 in the chart show us that idea is incorrect?[4]

 

 

 

The records of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—whose treaties with other rulers follow the pattern of 1800–1700 BC—would have been passed down to the firstborn son.

Shortly before Jacob died, he gave the rights of the firstborn son to Joseph (Gen 49:1–4, 22–26).

Joseph’s duties in Egypt indicate that he could read and write (Gen 39:4; Gen 41:46–49).

He appears to have added his life history to those family records. This explains why the story of Joseph’s life accounts for one-third of Genesis (Gen 37, 38–50).

Moses seems to have had access to not only Joseph’s bones but also to those records of his ancestors (Exod 13:19).

Image via Wikimedia Commons This photo is of a thirteenth century BC agreement between the king of the Hittites and Ramesses II.

 

Go to Chapter 4 Self-Test

 

Return to Chapter 4: Author and Date of the Law

 

Return to Old Testament Survey Course main page

 

[1] Adapted from Kenneth A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament, 285, 288, and 324 and with permission from Gordon P. Hugenberger [“Introduction to the Pentateuch (Continued): Authorship of the Pentateuch” (lecture, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, MA, 2006).

[2] Both had the same God.

[3] We know the date for Column 3 is between 1600 BC and 1400 BC. It does not match the pattern Moses used in Column 5. However, Column 5 does match the pattern from 1400–1200 BC in Column 4.

[4] Column 6 has the pattern used during the seventh century BC. It does not match the pattern from 1400–1200 BC in Column 4.