Did The Hittites Really Exist?

For many years, skeptics of the Bible claimed that the Hittites were a fictional people. The Scriptures mention them often—from Abraham to David to Ezra—yet for centuries, archaeology had no evidence of their existence. That changed dramatically in the late 1800s and 1900s, when discoveries finally confirmed what the Bible had long recorded.

Before looking at the archaeological evidence, it helps to see where the Hittites appear within the biblical timeline.

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A Biblical Overview of the Hittites

Who Were They?

The Bible identifies the Hittites as descendants of Heth, who was a son of Canaan, who was a son of Ham, one of Noah’s sons (Genesis 10:6, 15). “Sons of Heth” and “Hittites” are used synonymously throughout Scripture.

Because we are working with genealogical ages rather than specific BC dates, it is most accurate to present the Hittites within the relative biblical timeframe, not as exact calendar years.

The Hittites in the Patriarchal Era

• Abraham

  • The Hittites appear prominently during Abraham’s lifetime:

    • Genesis 23 – Abraham buys the cave of Machpelah from the sons of Heth.

    • Genesis 25:8 – Abraham dies still dwelling among them.

  • This places the Hittites firmly in the early patriarchal world.

• Isaac, Jacob, and Esau

  • The next generation encounters them as well:

    • Genesis 26:34 – Esau marries two Hittite women.

    • Genesis 27:46 – Isaac and Rebekah fear Jacob will do the same.

  • By this stage, Hittite families are clearly well established in the region of Canaan.

• Joseph

  • By the end of Genesis, the Hittites are still present (Genesis 50:13), and at this point they have already existed for several centuries within the biblical narrative.

The Hittites in the Time of Moses, Joshua, and the Judges

• Numbers 13:29 – During Moses’ day, the Hittites are listed among the peoples of Canaan.

• Joshua 3:10 – Joshua identifies them as one of the nations God will drive out.

• Judges 3:1 – They are still present among the remaining inhabitants after the conquest.

This shows a continuous Hittite presence throughout Israel’s early national history.

The Hittites in the Monarchy

• David

  • 2 Samuel 11:3 – Uriah, one of David’s mighty men, is a Hittite.

• Solomon

  • 2 Chronicles 8:7 – The Hittites remain among the populations under Solomon’s rule.

The Hittites in the Post-Exilic Period

Even after the Babylonian exile, the Hittites are still mentioned:

• Ezra 9:1 – Listed among the peoples of the land.

• Nehemiah 9:8 – Recalled again in recounting Israel’s history.

This is the final biblical period in which they appear.

Conclusion so far: From Abraham to Ezra and Nehemiah, Scripture presents the Hittites as a long-term, established people group present across many centuries of Israel’s history.

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Archaeological Discoveries That Confirmed the Hittites

For centuries, critics argued that the Hittites were fictional because no archaeological evidence had been uncovered. That changed rapidly beginning in the late 19th century.

1887: The Tell el-Amarna Tablets

In 1887, a cache of diplomatic letters was discovered at Tell el-Amarna in Egypt. These clay tablets, written in Akkadian, contain correspondence between the Egyptian pharaohs (Amenhotep III and Akhenaten) and surrounding kingdoms.

Repeatedly in these letters, the Egyptians refer to a powerful northern kingdom called:

• “the land of Hatti” or

• “Khatti.”

Scholars quickly recognized that this matched the biblical term “Hittite” linguistically, though at the time the culture behind these letters was not yet fully understood.

1906 and After: Hugo Winckler and the Royal Archive at Hattusa

In 1906, German archaeologist Hugo Winckler began excavating Boğazköy in modern Turkey. There he uncovered the ruins of Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire.

Among the findings:

• About 10,000 clay tablets and fragments from a royal archive.

• Correspondence, treaties, laws, mythology, and historical records.

• Documents written in the same language and terminology found in the Amarna letters.

This discovery confirmed that the Hittites were not a minor tribal group but one of the major powers of the Late Bronze Age.

20th-Century Work: Tahsin Özgüç and the Anatolian Hittite World

Beginning in the mid-20th century, Turkish archaeologist Tahsin Özgüç conducted more than fifty years of excavation at Kültepe (ancient Kanesh). His work yielded:

• Hittite-related inscriptions

• Administrative archives

• Artifacts, reliefs, and city structures

• Direct cultural links between the biblical world and the known Hittite empire

By the time of his death in 2005, the cumulative evidence had firmly established the historical existence and significance of the Hittites.

What the Evidence Shows

Archaeology now confirms:

1. A major Hittite empire existed in Anatolia (modern Turkey).

2. The Egyptians interacted with this empire, as recorded in the Amarna letters.

3. The language and names used in these inscriptions match the biblical terms.

4. Hittite-related peoples lived in and around Canaan, as the Bible describes.

5. The biblical references span many centuries, consistent with archaeological findings of widespread Hittite influence.

While scholars distinguish between the imperial Hittites of Anatolia and various Hittite groups in Canaan, none of this contradicts Scripture. In fact, these findings have repeatedly strengthened the credibility of the biblical record.

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Conclusion: The Bible Was Ahead of the Archaeologists

Long before archaeologists knew anything about Hattusa, the Amarna letters, or the tablets of Kültepe, the Bible consistently described a people called the Hittites living across many eras of Israel’s history.

For centuries, critics claimed this was evidence of the Bible’s inaccuracy.

But modern discoveries have overwhelmingly confirmed:

• The Hittites were real.

• They were powerful.

• They interacted with the great empires of their day.

• Their presence in the ancient world fits naturally with the biblical account.

Once again, archaeology has moved in the Bible’s direction—not the other way around.