Jonathan Safren wrote (an excerpt)
Weinfeld and Hillers, I am sure, and perhaps Mc Carthy -I'm not sure - relate the form of the blessing-curse formulae in Deut. to the later Neo-Assyrian vassal treaties, and not those of the earlier 14th cent. BCE Hittite vassal treaties.
According to Weinfeld, "the Hittite model pervaded the old biblical tradition which Deut used and reworked in accordance with the prevalent covenantal pattern reflected in the VTE [Vassel treaties of Essarhaddon--672 bce] (p, 9). (This would put the beginning of the idea of covenant in the 2nd mill.)
Weinfeld mentions an interesting parallel between Dt 29 and a text from the time of Assurbanipal:
Dt 29.21-4: "And the generations to come...will
ask: Why did YHWH do
this to this land?
and they will say: 'because they forsook the
covenant of YHWH.' "
Annals of Asurbanipal: "the people of Arabia
asked one another saying:
why is it that such evil
has befgallen Arabia? and they will say 'because
we did not observe the obligations
sworn to the god Ashur.' "
best regards,
i. riegner
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