Covenant

Era

Structure

Mari and Leilan

Early Second Millennium BC

1. Divine Witnesses
2. Oath
3. Stipulations
4. Curses

Patriarchal (Gen 21; 26; 31)

Early Second Millennium BC

1. Divine Witnesses (Gen 21:23; 31:44–52)
2. Oath (Genesis 21:23–24; 26:28, 31; 31:53)
3. Stipulations (Gen 21:30; 26:29; 31:52)
4. Curses and/or Ceremony (Gen 21:33; 26:30; 31:53–54)

Mid-Hittite

Mid-Second Millennium BC

1. Title
2. Divine Witnesses
3. Stipuations
4. Oath
5. Curses

Later Hittite

Late Second Millennium BC

1. Title
2. Historical Prologue
3. Stipulations
4. Divine Witnesses
5. Curses
6. Blessings

Mosaic (Exod 20–31; 34–35; Lev 1–7; 11–26)

Late Second Millennium BC

1. Title or Preamble (Exod 20:1; see also Deut 1:1–5)
2. Historical Prologue (Exod 20:2; see also Deut 1:6–3:29)
3. Stipulations (Exod 20:3–17; 21–23, 25–31; Lev 1–7; 11–25; see also Deut 4, 5–11; 12–26)
4. Witnesses (Deut 4:26; 30:19; compare Exod 24:4–8)
5. Curses (Lev 26; Deut 29–33)
6. Blessings (Deut 28:15–68)

Sfire

First Millennium BC

1. Title
2. Divine Witnesses
3. Curses
4. Stipulations

Assyria

First Millennium BC

1. Title
2. Divine Witnesses
3. Stipulations
4. Curses

Adapted from K. A. Kitchen, “The Patriarchal Age: Myth or History?” Biblical Archaeology Review, 21:02 (March/April 1995): Treaties and Covenants.