Covenant Terminology in the Ancient Near East and Its Influence on the West

In the wake of intensive political relations between the variousypolitical powers in the Middle-East of the 15.-13. centuries B.C.E. a common treaty terminology had been established. The expressions for: treaty = bond and oath (Akkadian riksu u mdmitu, Hittite iShiul, lingai-, Hebrew bryt w'lh), on the one hand and love and friendship (Akkadian tdbtu/damiqtu, ahiitu/ra'amutu, Hittite agSul, kanegSuuar, Hebrew hsd/lwbh, Aramaic fbt') on the other; treaty making: to cut a covenant (Hebrew krt bryt, Phoenician krt 'It and Aramaic gzr 'dy'); observance of the treaty keep/remember (Akk. naodru/hasdsu, Hebrew Smrlzkr, Aramaic nor); violation of the treaty: break (Akk. pardfau, Hebrew hpr), trespass (Akk. etequ, Hebrew 'br) etc. are almost identical all over the ancient Near-East.