Contributions
- The Hittites were partially responsible for bringing about the Iron Age
- They used superior iron weapons
- Usage and respect of many different languages
- Basis of taxation
- Impressive use of chariots
What is the spiritual meaning of Hittites?
The name "Hittite" means "dread" or "fear." Hittite comes from a root word meaning affright, make afraid, scared, terrified, broken and amazed. Satan has commissioned this spirit to go forth as a spirit of fear. Its purpose is to destroy human lives, and to destroy all faith in God and His Word through the bondage of fear.
Why was there war between the Egyptians and the Hittites?
Interaction between the Egyptians and the Hittites started in the 18th Dynasty, during the reign of Tuthmosis III, who conquered the Mitannian subject territories in Syria, which expanded the Egyptian empire north to the border of the Hittite empire.
What was Hittite culture like?
What was Hittite culture like? The Hittites had a mostly patriarchal society that was ruled and run by men. The society was structured like a familial clan system, with a leader or patriarch who presided over a whole extended family. Even though men ran the country, however, it seems that royal women had some involvement in leadership.
Who are the modern day Hittites?
Who Are the Modern Day Hittites: The Never-ending Debate. Some people propose that the modern-day Hittites are the people who live in Turkey at the moment. This is because they trace the origin of the Hittites to Central Anatolia which is Turkey today. Others think that the present-day Turks are a blend of Turkic and Anatolia genes.
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What was the only source of information about the Hittites?
Before the archeological discoveries that revealed the Hittite civilization, the only source of information about the Hittites had been the Old Testament. Francis William Newman expressed the critical view, common in the early 19th century, that, "no Hittite king could have compared in power to the King of Judah ...".
Who were the Hittites?
The Hittites ( / ˈhɪtaɪts /) were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing a first kingdom in Kussara before 1750 BC, then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (ca. 1750-1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia around 1650 BC .
What kingdom did the Hittites live in?
The early history of the Hittite kingdom is known through tablets that may first have been written in the 18th century BC, in Hittite; but most of the tablets survived only as Akkadian copies made in the 14th and 13th centuries BC. These reveal a rivalry within two branches of the royal family up to the Middle Kingdom; a northern branch first based in Zalpuwa and secondarily Hattusa, and a southern branch based in Kussara (still not found) and the former Assyrian colony of Kanesh. These are distinguishable by their names; the northerners retained language isolate Hattian names, and the southerners adopted Indo-European Hittite and Luwian names.
What language did the Hittites use?
The Hittites used a variation of cuneiform called Hittite cuneiform. Archaeological expeditions to Hattusa have discovered entire sets of royal archives on cuneiform tablets, written either in Akkadian, the diplomatic language of the time, or in the various dialects of the Hittite confederation.
What did the Hittites call their country?
The Hittites called their country the Kingdom of Hattusa (Hatti in Akkadian), a name received from the Hattians, an earlier people who inhabited the region until the beginning of the second millennium BC and spoke an unrelated language known as Hattic.
When did the Hittites become a king?
During the Old Hittite Kingdom prior to 1400 BC , the king of the Hittites was not viewed by his subjects as a "living god" like the Pharaohs of Egypt, but rather as a first among equals. Only in the later period from 1400 BC until 1200 BC did the Hittite kingship become more centralized and powerful.
Where were the first Hittites found?
The first archaeological evidence for the Hittites appeared in tablets found at the karum of Kanesh (now called Kültepe ), containing records of trade between Assyrian merchants and a certain "land of Hatti ".
What did the Hittites call themselves?
The older Hittites never self-identified as Hittites, but called their language Nesite and their land Hatti, referring to themselves as the people of Hatti. Had scholars known from the beginning what has been subsequently uncovered, these people would probably be called Nesites or perhaps Nesians.
Who ruled over the Hittites?
At one time the Hittites were one of three superpowers in the ancient world. Tudhaliya IV (1237–1209 B.C.E.) ruled over the Hittite Kingdom during its heyday and is depicted here on a rock carving from the Hittites’ sacred open-air shrine at Yazilikaya, less than a mile from the Hittite capital of Hattusa in present-day Turkey.
Where did the Hittites abandon their land?
In the 14th century B.C.E., Carchemish in northern Syria was made a vice-regal seat. As the Hittites began abandoning the land of Hatti during the region-wide decline at the end of the 12th century B.C.E., they may have fled to this location. Who were the Hittites according to the Bible?
How did the Hittites use iron?
The use of iron made a huge change in warfare. The Hittites were skilled metallurgists, or people who study the properties and composition of metals, and had iron mines near the Black Sea on the northern part of the their kingdom. They discovered the strength of iron and how to make it into weapons and armor. They first smelted the ore, meaning melting it into liquid form. Instead of just using a wood fire to smelt it, they used charcoal, which added carbon into the iron and made it even stronger. After pouring into in flat sheets or shapes, they used a technique previous unheard of and put the iron piece into the fire to soften the metal, then used a hammer to mold it.
Why did the Hittites use two spokes?
The Hittites found the perfect number of spokes to both maintain support and durability while speeding up the chariot by making it lighter, just by cutting out two spokes. Because they were lighter they could go faster, making them efficient in battle and transport.
What did the Hittites do to the Black Sea?
The Hittites were skilled metallurgists, or people who study the properties and composition of metals, and, after mining iron by the Black Sea, smelted the iron to turn it into liquid form, then making it into strong and sharp weapons.
How many spokes did the Hittites have?
Most made wheels with eight spokes, though some made ten-spoke wheels while others made four-spoke wheels. The Hittites developed something that bridged the wide gap and made six-spoke wheels. While this might not seem like a huge change, it was a major improvement for chariots.
What were the vehicles that the Hittites used to transport soldiers?
Chariots were typically two-wheeled vehicles pulled by horses (though other animals were sometimes used) with a carriage area for soldiers to ride in during battle, often carrying bows or spears. The Hittites followed this basic structure, though making the riding compartment bowed for more space by wetting the wood to make it pliable.
Why was iron not used in ancient times?
Iron was not always used for warfare, however, because many ancient groups did not know how to refine iron ore to make it into a weapon. This credit is given to the Hittites who, by most accounts, were the first to make iron into weapons and armor, ushering in the Iron Age, which was a period dominated by the use of iron.
What degree did the Hittites have?
They have a master's degree in religious studies from Western Kentucky University and a bachelor's degree in English literature and religious studies from Western Kentucky University. The Hittites were one of the major powers of the ancient Near East and, as such, had to focus on military success, which they did through their invention ...
Why were the Hittites so successful?
Another reason the Hittites were successful in battle was their use of light chariots. The chariots they used were powered by two horses. They were fast and narrow enough to fit onto small roads and paths. The Hittites may have first occupied Anatolia in the 17th century BC.
Why are there so few records of the Hittites?
One reason documents may be scarce is because the Hittites were likely under attack constantly. Many researchers look to the Old and New Kingdoms for answers because of the obscurity of the Middle Kingdom.
What did the Hittites do during the New Kingdom?
During the period of the New Kingdom, the Hittites relied on trade routes for their growth and to obtain resources like iron. Iron is a shiny metal that is commonly found all over the world. After the Battle of Kadesh, the Hittites saw their power begin to decline as the Assyrians became more powerful.
What kingdoms did the Hittites rule?
As the Hittite empire continued to grow in power, so did other kingdoms like the Assyrians, the Mitanni, and the Hurrians. The Hittites' civilization initially began to take on Hurrian ideals, which would become much more prominent in later times.
What is the name of the ancient Hittite kingdom?
Sometimes included is an obscure period referred to as the Middle Kingdom (1500-1400 BC). The Old Kingdom was established by a ruler named Labarna.
What is the lesson about the Hittites?
Lesson Transcript. This lesson will explore the history of the Indo-European group known as the Hittites. The Hittites began as a group of tribes sharing a common language and land. They unified as a single empire to become a major competitor in the quest for land and resources.
Who were the Hittites?
The Hittites were made up of several tribes who spoke Indo-European languages. Hattusilis, who was a priest and a king, established the Hittite capital at Bogazkoy in the 17th century. The city was set on a steep slope and contained at least five great temples. Map of Hittite Land.
Overview
The Hittites were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara before 1750 BC, then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia around 1650 BC. This empire reached its height during the mid-14th century BC under Šuppiluliuma I, when it encompassed an area that inclu…
Archaeological discovery
Before the archeological discoveries that revealed the Hittite civilization, the only source of information about the Hittites had been the Old Testament. Francis William Newman expressed the critical view, common in the early 19th century, that, "no Hittite king could have compared in power to the King of Judah...".
Geography
The Hittite kingdom was centered on the lands surrounding Hattusa and Neša (Kültepe), known as "the land Hatti" ( Ha-at-ti). After Hattusa was made capital, the area encompassed by the bend of the Kızılırmak River (Hittite Marassantiya) was considered the core of the Empire, and some Hittite laws make a distinction between "this side of the river" and "that side of the river". For example, the rew…
History
It is generally assumed that ancestors of the Hittites came into Anatolia some time before 2000 BC, as Hittite language is known to have taken place in Anatolia between 20th and 12th centuries BC. While their earlier location is disputed, it has been speculated by scholars for more than a century that the Yamnaya culture of the Pontic–Caspian steppe, in present-day Ukraine, around t…
Government
The earliest known Constitutional Monarchy was developed by the Hittites. The head of the Hittite state was the king, followed by the heir-apparent. The king was the supreme ruler of the land, in charge of being a military commander, judicial authority, as well as a high priest. However, some officials exercised independent authority over various branches of the government. One of the m…
Language
The Hittite language is recorded fragmentarily from about the 19th century BC (in the Kültepe texts, see Ishara). It remained in use until about 1100 BC. Hittite is the best attested member of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family, and the Indo-European language for which the earliest surviving written attestation exists, with isolated Hittite loanwords and numero…
Art
Given the size of the empire, there are relatively few remains of Hittite art. These include some impressive monumental carvings, a number of rock reliefs, as well as metalwork, in particular the Alaca Höyük bronze standards, carved ivory, and ceramics, including the Hüseyindede vases. The Sphinx Gates of Alaca Höyük and Hattusa, with the monument at the spring of Eflatun Pınar, are among the l…
Religion and mythology
Hittite religion and mythology were heavily influenced by their Hattic, Mesopotamian, and Hurrian counterparts. In earlier times, Indo-European elements may still be clearly discerned.
Storm gods were prominent in the Hittite pantheon. Tarhunt (Hurrian's Teshub) was referred to as 'The Conqueror', 'The king of Kummiya', 'King of Heaven', 'Lor…