Making peace in heaven and on earth: religious and legal aspects of the treaty between Ramesses II and Hattušili III
Goelet, Ogden Jr; Levine, Baruch A. 1997. in Boundaries of the Ancient Near Eastern World
The Egyptian–Hittite peace treaty is the earliest known surviving peace treaty (thought to be created 1259 BC). Drawn up after a 16-year war, it entails a lot of imagery of two becoming one and establishing a religious and legal language of peaceful co-existence. This treaty is also notable as both forms of the treaties were found, with the Egyptians’ versions appearing publicly in temples. Goelet and Levine give an in-depth look into the context of the treaty. There is a particular notice with the way the gods are portrayed in the treaty, and thus what this can mean for the greater understanding of peace in these ancient cultures. This is a good work that looks into a very specific case of attempted peace-building in response to undesirable conflict.