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What promises did the Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty include?
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Ramses II
A larger-than-life Ramses II towering over his prisoners and clutching them by the hair. Limestone bas-relief from Memphis, Egypt, 1290–24 bce; in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.
The Egyptian-Hittite peace treaty, concluded in the 21st year of Ramses II’s reign with the Hittite king Hattusilis III, established the following key provisions:
- Renunciation of Hostilities: Both parties formally agreed to end further conflict between their nations.1
- Mutual Defense: The treaty included a pledge of mutual alliance, promising support against both external attacks and internal rebellions.1
- Extradition: The agreement mandated the return of fugitives who fled from one territory to the other.1
- Divine Witness: The gods of both Egypt and the Hittite lands were invoked as witnesses to the pact.1
This historic agreement, often cited as the world’s first recorded peace treaty, was later strengthened by a diplomatic marriage between Ramses II and a Hittite princess.21