Texts from Nuzi

            These are a set of texts found in 1925 along the Tigris River. They were written in the fifteenth century BC in Accadian. They show a strong Hurrian influence. They received quite a bit of attention in the academic world because they parallel the Book of Genesis very well. In fact, the Nuzi texts describe a culture more similar to the culture of the book of Genesis than the later Israelite culture was. This is why the Nuzi texts are important for Old Testament studies.

            The Nuzi texts describe several customs that are recorded in the Book of Genesis. The first of these is the custom of adopting a servant to be your heir if you are childless. This is what Abraham did in Genesis 15:2. The Nuzi texts said that the inheritance claims of the adopted son would be put aside if a natural son were born. This is what happened when Ishmael was born.

            The second custom mentioned in both the book of Genesis and the Nuzi texts is the selling of one's birthright. The Nuzi texts recorded that an older brother would receive three sheep in compensation for his birthright. This custom would describe Esau selling his birthright to Jacob.

            The third custom deals with the deathbed will. It demonstrates the binding power of this type of will. This will is described in Genesis with the death of Isaac.