The Hittites
According to the Biblical records the Hittites were descendants of Canaan one of Ham's sons. They migrated into the Anatolia the area now known as Turkey where they found people already living. These people were descendants of Japheth who had entered Turkey from the Black Sea area. The tow groups joined together and were called the Hittites. As they conquered the tribes living in the area of Turkey they became the dominant civilization.
Achievements
The Hittites were a warlike people. Their greatest contributions were the development of agriculture, trade, and iron. They were also noted for their code of laws which was more humane than those of other civilizations we have seen. The Hittites made few cultural contributions their art and architecture were copied mostly from other peoples. The Hittites were the first people after the Flood to rediscover the uses for iron. By 2,000 B.C. they had developed an improved method of refining iron that made it stronger. They used this method to develop iron weapons. Since all the other civilization in Mesopotamia had copper weapons the Hittites had a great advantage in warfare. Their iron weapons could cut through the copper shields and swords as if they were mad of wood. Soon the Hittite warrior in his conical helmet and boots were sharp upturned toes was feared all over the Mesopotamian area.
Rulers
A Hittite king was also the religious leader. He was called the "Great King of the Sun." Both the king and queen led the people in worshiping Teshub their great god and Arinna the sun goddess. When a king died the Hittites believed he became a god and they worshiped him. The most famous Hittite King was Mursilish I. Under his leadership the Hittite armies conquered North Syria and parts of the Euphrates Valley. It was Mursilish I who destroyed the city of Babylon in 1600 B.C. bringing the Old Babylonian Kingdom to an end.
Babylonian influence
Once they were in control of the Mesopotamian area the Hittites began to trade with their neighbors. As a result the Hittites copied many of Babylon's styles. Hittite architects for example modeled the capital at Hattusas after Babylonian architecture. On rock walls around the capital were bas-relief carvings of musicians, artists, farmers, warriors, and many other people in everyday activities. From these carvings we have learned something of how the Hittite men and women dressed and lived. The Babylonians influenced the Hittites in other ways too. The Hittites used Babylonian cuneiform writing and copied the literature, art, and religion of Babylon. Their laws were much like the famous Code of Hammurabi except that they were not as harsh in their punishments. Instead of "an eye for an eye" the Hittites allowed people to make a payment called compensation to the injured person.
The Kingdom Falls
Internal problems caused an almost lawless period in the Hittite Empire. Thutmose III the forceful and warlike pharaoh who succeeded Hatshepsut conquered Syria. For many years the Egyptians remained in control of this area. Finally in 1470 B.C. during the reign of Pharaoh Akhenaton the Hittites were able to break away from Egyptian control. Two centuries later Ramses II tried to recapture Syria. When he was unable to defeat the Hittites he made a treaty with them in which the two agreed not to attack each other. With their fierce army the Hittites should have been able to set up a powerful and lasting empire. About 1200 B.C. however a new wave of invaders poured into Turkey and destroyed the Hittite Empire. It was so completely wiped out that for thousands of years the only record of the Hittites was in the Bible. Finally late in the nineteenth century archaeologists began uncovering the ruins of Hattusas rediscovering this almost forgotten people.