Diplomatic Dances of the Bronze Age

A History of Mankind (31)

Jewish resilience in the face of Egyptian influence in pre-Biblical times was aided by the rise of Mitanni, a new state based in Syria that served as a counterbalance to pharaonic aspirations, after the Hittite sack of Babylon in 1595 BC upended Mesopotamian politics.

Mursili I, the successful Hittite king who had led his troops on the successful long-di…