The Hittites
The Hittites came from a powerful people that lived in the region of modern day Turkey, having entered Asia Minor around 2000 BC, then spreading out and dominating northern Syria. Egypt was their main rival, who dominated southern Syria. Their way of controlling northern Syria was by controlling the small but important city-states with a combination of military force and good diplomacy. They created a vast network of vassal states bound by the Hittite suzerain treaties, a kind of benevolent feudalism. Each vassal king was given a free hand in matters of internal rule and the guaranteed protection of his dynasty against usurpers. He in turn gave up the right to have an independent foreign policy and pledged an annual amount of tribute to the Hittite capital.
The stipulations section of the treaty included:
a) No foreign alliances outside of Hittite orbit
b) No hostility against another vassal of the Hittites
c) Obligation to answer any call to arms issued by the Hittite Suzerain
d) Obligation to suppress any vicious rumours about the Hittite crown or secret plots to rebel
e) Prohibition against granting asylum to refugees from Hittite lands
f) Obligation to extradite all fugitives to the Hittites,
g) Obligation to appear personally at least once a year at Hittite court with tribute.
Groups of Hittites lived in the hill country of the promised land (Num 13:29). They worshipped up to a thousand different gods. The Hittites were with Israel throughout the OT period. Abraham bought the place of Sarah's burial from Ephron the Hittite who was living in Hebron (Gen 23). This became the burial site of the patriarchs: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and wives (Gen 49:29). Esau married two wives, one of whom was a daughter of a Hittite (Gen 26:34, 36:2).
Their influence was especially great around 1450-1200 BC. God promises the Hittites into the hands of Israel but because of Israel forsaking the Lord they were left in the land (Judges 3:5). David had Ahimelech the Hittite in his band of outlaws (1 Sam 26:6). David sinned with the wife of Uriah the Hittite (1 Sam 11-12), Uriah was one of David's mighty men (1 Chr 11:4). Solomon used the Hittites for forced labour (1 Kg 9:20-22) and exported Egyptian chariots to the Hittites and Syrians, north of Israel (1 Kg 10:29). He also had Hittite wives (1 Kg 11:1). The Hittites were still a force in days of Jehoram and Elisha (850 BC) (2 Kg 7:6). The Hittite empire fell to the 'sea people' in 1190 B.C.