Mari and the Bible: A Link to the Past? The Case of Šāpiṭum and Šōpēṭ Reconsidered

This dissertation explores the question of Amorite relations to traditions of early Israel preserved in the Hebrew Bible. Concomitantly, the study investigates the degree to which second millennium BCE sources from the ancient Near East help us evaluate the biblical traditions that describe the world of early Israel. I focus specifically on the category of leadership in pre-monarchic Israel called šōpēṭ, traditionally translated as “judge,” and its relationship to šāpiṭum leadership in Syro-Mesopotamia, especially in the documents from Mari. The study reveals that the šōpēṭ of Israel stands in cultural continuity with the šāpiṭum, which reaches as far back as the 19^th century BCE. Thus, Israelite traditions in the Hebrew Bible may preserve genuine memories of šōp^eṭîm in pre-monarchic Israel.

After orienting the discussion of the šāpiṭum around current research and understanding of Mari, I begin with an examination of the verb šapāṭum at Mari and the various functions of the šāpiṭum leaders. While these leaders were involved in various administrative activities, their overarching responsibility was to ensure the well-being (Akkadian šalimtum) of their population and territory through protection and provision. The following chapter traces the survival of šāpiṭum leadership after Mari’s destruction (mid-18^th c. BCE) until the late-13^th c. BCE. The šāpiṭum category of territorial leadership never disappeared; rather, it assimilated into the socio-political categories of foreign powers who gained political control over the Middle Euphrates and Lower Habur regions.

The final two chapters turn to the Hebrew Bible. First, I offer a systematic comparison of the biblical šōpēṭ and the šāpiṭum of Syro-Mesopotamia. The findings suggest that, while the two may be superficially different at times, they are fundamentally similar. The differences arise from the difference in social context and nature of the documentation. Second, I investigate the composition history of Judges 2:11–19 and allusions to šōp^eṭîm in the prophetic traditions, especially Hosea and Isaiah. The investigation invites the reader to consider the possibility that the biblical traditions preserve genuine memories of a bygone Amorite age.

In the concluding chapter, I summarize the findings of my study and consider their implications for the field of Hebrew Bible scholarship. I address the ways in which my study can be further sharpened. Lastly, I note the dangling threads that have not been fully woven together and propose avenues for future research.