The Purity of Kingship: An Edition of Cht 569 and Related Hittite Oracle Inquiries of Tuth̬aliya IV: 25 (Studies in the History and Culture of the Ancient Near East , No 15) - Tapa dura

'Van den Hout has prepared an exemplary edition of this material, elucidating its philological difficulties, and drawing from it important historical data for a crucial period of Hittite history...This study will be of great interest to all Hittitilogists and to many ancient historians as well.' Gary Beckman, Journal of the American Oriental Society, 1999.

The focus of this work is the importance of mental and physical purity in religious matters. For the Hittites, religious matters come close to daily life, and in this case the 'daily life' of the King of the Hittites is the subject of study. In the unique group of texts brought together here for the first time, the Great King himself (the person nearest to the gods) was felt contaminated. Professor Van Den Hout investigates the fascinating rituals and background connected with this situation.