Sefire Treaty Stelae
Aramaic vassal treaties whose curses read like Deuteronomy 28
Found 1930 — Villagers near Sefire (As-Safirah), Syria; acquired and published by Sebastien Ronzevalle (1931) and Andre Dupont-Sommer (1958)
Where Sefire (As-Safirah), near Aleppo, Syria (Syria)
Dates from c. 754 BCE · Iron Age IIB · Divided Kingdom (Jeroboam II; Uzziah)
Now at National Museum of Damascus (Sefire I and II); National Museum of Beirut (Sefire III)
How Sefire Treaty Stelae was found
Three inscribed basalt stelae came to light near Sefire southeast of Aleppo; a further fragment was acquired in 1956. They were not scientifically excavated.
What it is
Three basalt stelae carrying the longest Old Aramaic texts known, recording a treaty between Bar-Ga'yah, king of KTK, and Mati'el, king of Arpad. They list the gods as witnesses, spell out the vassal's duties, and pile up curses for breaking the oath: 'As this wax is burned by fire, so may Mati'el be burned... as this calf is cut in two, so may Mati'el be cut in two.'
Why it matters for the Bible
The treaties come from the same generation as Amos and Hosea and show how covenants were made in the world of Israel's kings: sworn before the gods, with blessings and curses, and sealed by cutting animals. Deuteronomy's covenant form, its curse lists, and Jeremiah's image of the calf cut in two (Jeremiah 34:18) all belong to this shared tradition — which helps readers see Israel's covenant with YHVH as a real legal bond, not just a metaphor.
The Hebrew word: kah-RAHT be-REET
כָּרַת בְּרִית
כָּרַת בְּרִית is pronounced kah-RAHT be-REET and means 'to cut a covenant' — make a treaty by cutting animals (Strong's H3772 + H1285).
Places
- Arpad — אַרְפָּד (Ar-PAHD) — support (uncertain)
Events
Treaty-making among the Aramean states before Assyria's conquest
Sefire Treaty Stelae in Scripture
Deuteronomy 28:15-16 The covenant curses on disobedience; the Sefire curses use the same form and imagery.
2 Kings 18:34 Arpad among the cities Assyria conquered; these are the treaties of Arpad's last king. (First mention of Arpad.)
Jeremiah 34:18 Those who broke covenant will be like the calf they cut in two — exactly the Sefire rite.
Questions people ask
What is Sefire Treaty Stelae?
Three basalt stelae carrying the longest Old Aramaic texts known, recording a treaty between Bar-Ga'yah, king of KTK, and Mati'el, king of Arpad. They list the gods as witnesses, spell out the vassal's duties, and pile up curses for breaking the oath: 'As this wax is burned by fire, so may Mati'el be burned... as this calf is cut in two, so may Mati'el be cut in two.'
When was Sefire Treaty Stelae discovered?
It was found in 1930 by Villagers near Sefire (As-Safirah), Syria; acquired and published by Sebastien Ronzevalle (1931) and Andre Dupont-Sommer (1958), at Sefire (As-Safirah), near Aleppo, Syria.
Where is Sefire Treaty Stelae today?
National Museum of Damascus (Sefire I and II); National Museum of Beirut (Sefire III).
Which Bible verses does Sefire Treaty Stelae relate to?
Deuteronomy 28:15-16, 2 Kings 18:34, Jeremiah 34:18.
Related discoveries
- חִתִּיHittite Archives at HattusaThe lost empire that proved the Bible's 'Hittites' were real
- בֵּית דָּוִדTel Dan SteleAramean victory inscription naming the 'House of David'
- עֶבֶדBar-Rakib SteleA vassal king of Sam'al who boasts of serving 'my lord Tiglath-Pileser'
- עֻזִּיָּהוּUzziah Tablet'Here were brought the bones of Uzziah, king of Judah. Do not open.'
- פֶּחָהWadi Daliyeh (Samaria) PapyriLegal documents of Samaria's elite naming a later Sanballat, found with the bones of refugees from Alexander
- אַל־תִּירָאZakkur SteleA king of Hamath saved from 'Bar-Hadad son of Hazael' — Ben-Hadad III in stone
Sources
- Fitzmyer, The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire (rev. ed. 1995)
- Wikipedia: Sefire steles