Birgit Christiansen

Liturgische Agenda, Unterweisungsmaterial und rituelles Traditionsgut

The article discusses the function and the “Sitz im Leben” of the Hittite festival texts, which are still a matter of debate. To examine the arguments’ cogency the festival texts are analysed in form and content. Further, similar texts from present-day culture (such as the Missale Romanum of the Roman Catholic church and the agenda of the coronation ceremonies of Queen Elisabeth II) are compared to the Hittite sources. Based on this it is argued that the Hittite festival texts served more than one purpose. In order to ensure the proper conduct of the festivals and the rites pertaining to it the Hittite festival texts most probably were designed as liturgical agenda and teaching material of the festival’s main agents. Thus, they also ensured efficient control over the various cult practices and their underlying organisational and administrative processes. Since several copies of them were kept in the archives for long periods of time which the scribes recopied by and then, they also guaranteed the perpetuation of the festivals and the handing down of their tradition from generation to generation.

Die hethitischen Vasallenverträge und die biblische Bundestheologie

The comparison between the ancient near eastern treaty tradition and the biblical covenant conception always played a central role in the studies dedicated to the history of the religious relations between the ancient near eastern and the biblical world. It is maintained here that the Hittite treaties and other documents which share structural and functional similarities with them did not directly influence the biblical covenantal theology; nonetheless they are very important for the investigation of the ancient near eastern treaty tradition and the understanding of the biblical covenant conception. This contribution offers on the one hand an overview on the corpus of the Hittite treaties, their peculiar features and the history of the studies dedicated to them, while on the other hand it investigates the theological importance of the oath taking as part of the ratifying of a treaty. The resulting improved understanding of the Hittite treaty conception allows new insights also into the Old Testament covenantal theology.

Reinheitsvorstellungen und Entsühnungsriten bei den Hethitern und ihr möglicher Einfluss auf die biblische Überlieferung

On the basis of relevant textual passages and lexicographical research this article focuses on the meaning of purity in everyday life and cult as well as the rules referring to it. Furthermore, it deals with a more complex concept of purity which comprises the physical body as well as the mind and the soul. Apparently, it was understood as a state of social and religious integrity which is endangered by violating social and religious rules and thus be turned into impurity. In order to avert impurity and to restore the state of purity the Hittites had many rituals at their disposal. The fact that some of these rituals contain a rite quite simliar to the biblical scapegoat ritual made some scholars think of a common origin while others refer to these similarities as mere structural paralells. On the basis of a comparative analysis in which also related rituals of the Syro-Mesopotamian area are included several explanations for the similarities are evaluated.

Seil und Schnur

The article presents an overview of the Hittite terms for strings, cords and similar objects (e.g. (kus.)ishima, (kus)ishiman(a)- (= sum. KU, akk. eblu), (sig.)pittula-, (sig.)suil-, sig.istagga(i)-, hanzana-, (uzu.)kapina-) their production and their various uses, esp. in Hittite magic and ritual