Yazilikaya (Boğazköy, Turkey)

Aug 10

“When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.” Genesis 26:35 -36

Rabbinical writings further state that Esau’s wives were harlots and idololitors. They came from a people, neo Hittites, whose ancestors called themselves people of the “land of a thousand gods”. The archeological remains of the Hittites during their empire period in Anatolia (Turkey) of 1600 to about 1180 BC attest to worship of a huge pantheon that incorporated the gods of conquered people and neighboring people alike… gods of the Hatti, the Hurrians, the Luwian’s the Urrartians, the Egyptians and many more.

Yazilikaya is a Hittite temple area about 3 miles from Hattusa, the ancient Hittite capital city (Bogazkoy Turkey today). These open air chambers among the rocks are covered with reliefs of the gods and kings of the Hittites. Some archeologists think this temple was used for spring festivals, some think it has to do with time keeping and is more of a solar and lunar calendar. The open temple plateau in front of the rock chambers dates to the 16th century BC. But the rock carvings date to the 13th century BC eras of kings Tudhaliya IV and Suppiluliumma II. The carvings in chamber A show a procession of male gods on one side and goddesses on the other. Many have their names carved into the rock. They are lined up in order of importance marching toward the large figures at the end: the storm god teshub (standing on two mountain gods) facing his wife Hepat, a sun goddess standing on a panther. Behind her is their son Sharumma also standing on a panther.

The chamber B has carvings of gods of the underworld and dedications to king Tudhaliya protected by the god Sarumma.

It must have been a frightening life, to believe you lived at the whims of hundreds of gods whom you could never hope to understand or keep track of much less satisfy with ceremony and sacrifice. Thankfully we know the one true God, and the gift of his salvation is given to us freely through Jesus death and resurrection!!

Yazilikaya Hittitle temple area - entering the open air rock cut chambers.

entering the area of open air rock cut reliefs

pen temple area in front of the rock cut chambers at Yazilikaya.

steps up to the chambers

Procession of male dieties.

1st figure if god of the underworld neural - his shoulders are lion heads, his legs are lions and extend down to as a blade into the underworld.

Conical hats with small horns denote a diety and upturned shoes are a feature of Hittite dress.

The god Sharrumma embracing / protecting King Tudhaliya IV (the hieroglyphic cartouche is his name). The king arrives a long curved rod typical of Hittite kingship images.

Male dieties on the left and goddesses on the right are processing toward the final scene at the back rock wall.

Niches for statues

Final scene: Storm god Teshub standing on 2 mountains gods facing his wife Hepat standing on a panther. Behind her is their son the god Sharrumma who is also standing on a panther.