Something Old, Something Borrowed, or Something New? The Relationship Between the Succession Treaty of Esarhaddon and the Curses of Deuteronomy 28 by Mark Steven Francois A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Wycliffe College and the Biblical Department of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology awarded by the University of St. Michael’s College © Copyright by Mark Steven Francois 2017 Something Old, Something Borrowed, or Something New? The Relationship Between the Succession Treaty of Esarhaddon and the Curses of Deuteronomy 28 Mark Steven Francois Doctor of Philosophy in Theology University of St. Michael’s College 2017 Abstract This study concludes that only three passages from Deuteronomy 28 have a close historical relationship with curses from the Succession Treaty or Loyalty Oath of Esarhaddon (EST): Deuteronomy 28:23-24 (EST 528-533), Deuteronomy 28:53-57 (EST 448-451), and, more tentatively, Deuteronomy 28:25a,26-33 (EST 419-430). A comparison of curses in multilingual texts shows that while some change can occur when curses are translated from one linguistic, cultural, or religious context to another, curses with a close historical relationship to each other are connected through clusters of concrete anchor points including cognate vocabulary, lexical equivalents, similar modes of expression, similar imagery, and shared subject matter. Based on the absence of clusters of concrete anchor points, significant differences in both content and subject matter, and the fact that these differences cannot be adequately explained by normal changes that occur when curses are translated from one linguistic, cultural, or religious context to another, EST 472-493 (=§56) and Deuteronomy 28:20-44, EST 418a-c and Deuteronomy 28:34- 35, as well as most of the freestanding parallels between EST and Deuteronomy 28 cannot be said to have a close historical relationship with each other. Based on the fact that Deuteronomy 28:23-24 preserves an earlier form of the curses in EST 528-533 as well as on signs of interference from one or more mediating sources in Deuteronomy 28:27-29, the most likely ii explanations for the remaining parallels are a mediated non-vertical genetic relationship or a close common tradition. Based on evidence that Deuteronomy 28:25a,26 and 28:30-33 might not, in fact, have a close historical relationship with EST, the best explanation for the parallels between EST and Deuteronomy 28 is a close common tradition. Based on either possibility, attempts to interpret Deuteronomy 28 or the wider context of Urdeuteronomium on the basis of EST are generally misguided. iii Acknowledgments I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have helped and encouraged me throughout the writing of this project. First, I would like to thank my wife Alecia for her constant support and encouragement throughout the entire writing process. She endured many long nights of writing and long conversations about a topic that very few people can get excited about. She also carried a heavy load at home while I was balancing full-time pastoral ministry and completing my doctoral studies. Second, I would like to thank my supervisor, Christopher Seitz, for his timely and well-considered comments as I chose my topic, refined it, and finally completed the project. He has been a constant encouragement throughout my time at Wycliffe College. Third, I would like to thank my parents, Steve and Renee Francois, for their support and encouragement from the very first day I expressed an interest in pursuing doctoral studies early in my undergraduate degree at Toronto Baptist Seminary. Fourth, I would like to thank my children, Jael and Caleb, for bringing so much joy and balance to my life while preparing this study. Finally, I would like to thank Calvary Gospel Church in Blind River, Ontario, the church where I serve as pastor, for their patience, encouragement, and prayer while I completed my studies. iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................. ix Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background and Purpose .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Discovery and Early Comparisons with EST ..................................................................... 3 1.3 The Case for Dependence on a Neo-Assyrian Source ........................................................ 6 1.4 The Case for Specific Dependence on EST ........................................................................ 9 1.5 Recent Challenges to Direct Literary Dependence ........................................................... 13 1.6 Gaps in Research ............................................................................................................... 23 1.7 Procedure .......................................................................................................................... 24 1.8 Methodology ..................................................................................................................... 25 1.9 Thesis Statement ............................................................................................................... 30 1.10 Implications ..................................................................................................................... 31 Chapter 2 Blessings and Curses in Multilingual Texts ................................................................ 33 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 33 2.2 Texts .................................................................................................................................. 38 2.3 Approach ........................................................................................................................... 40 2.4 The Assyrian-Aramaic Bilingual Inscription from Tell Fekherye .................................... 42 2.4.1 Analysis ................................................................................................................... 43 2.4.2 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 55 2.5 The Bisitun Inscription ..................................................................................................... 56 2.5.1 Analysis ................................................................................................................... 57 2.5.2 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 63 2.6 The Lydian-Aramaic Inscription ....................................................................................... 63 2.6.1 Analysis ................................................................................................................... 66 2.6.2 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 68 2.7 Azitawadda’s Phoenician-Luwian Bilingual Inscription from Karatepe-Aslantaş ........... 68 v 2.7.1 Analysis ................................................................................................................... 71 2.7.2 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 74 2.8 The Urartian-Assyrian Bilingual Inscription from Kelishin ............................................. 75 2.8.1 Analysis ................................................................................................................... 76 2.8.2 Conclusions ............................................................................................................. 77 2.9 Summary and Implications ............................................................................................... 78 Chapter 3 Freestanding Parallels ................................................................................................. 80 3.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 80 3.2 Freestanding Parallels ....................................................................................................... 82 3.3 Parallels With Few or No Anchor Points .......................................................................... 83 3.3.1 EST 443-445 || Deuteronomy 28:17 ....................................................................... 83 3.3.2 EST 442-445 || Deuteronomy 28:38 ....................................................................... 84 3.3.3 EST 414-416 || Deuteronomy 28:20 ....................................................................... 86 3.3.4 EST 455-456 || Deuteronomy 28:21 ......................................................................