The volume begins by analyzing the various mentions of the Hittites in the Old Testament, where they appear both as a subject population within Palestine and as a powerful northern confederacy. It then correlates these references with the monumental records of Egypt, tracing the military campaigns of the eighteenth dynasty and the historic peace treaty between Rameses the Second and the Hittite king. The narrative further explores Assyrian inscriptions from Tiglath Pileser to Sargon the Third, detailing the final destruction of Carchemish and the eclipse of Hittite political independence.
Moving beyond textual history, the text investigates the extensive class of monuments bearing pictographic inscriptions found throughout Asia Minor and northern Syria. The famous rock sculptures of Boghaz Keui, Euyuk, and Ivriz are examined in detail, shedding light on the architectural and artistic achievements of a culture long forgotten. The author traces the geographical distribution of these remains, showing how they mark the boundaries of a vast civilization that once dominated the trade routes between the Euphrates and the Aegean.
Particular attention is devoted to the methods of archaeological discovery and the comparative study of Hittite script with neighboring systems, such as the Cypriote syllabary. The economic life of the Hittites is illustrated by their commercial wealth and their influence on ancient weights and measures, most notably the maneh of Carchemish. Throughout the volume, the complex relationships between the Hittites and surrounding states, including the Vannic kingdoms and the Mitanni, are analyzed to reconstruct the political fabric of the ancient Near East.
The volume concludes with a comprehensive review of the current state of research and the remaining puzzles of the pictographic inscriptions. While many details of their language and internal organization still elude complete decipherment, the accumulated evidence reveals a sophisticated people whose civilization rivaled those of Egypt and Mesopotamia. The legacy of the Hittites, preserved in stone and clay, emerges as a vital link in understanding the ancient development of Western Asia.
