Timeline

Blotting Out

In ancient Near Eastern treaties, the language of "blotting out" a name or memory was a formal, formulaic expression signaling total judgment and irreversible removal from existence or covenantal status. This phrasing appears across a wide range of treaty and legal literature, where the threat of name erasure served both as a curse against violators and as a warning to others. The Hebrew Bible preserves this formulaic usage in several texts, where divine judgment or covenantal breaches result in the "blotting out" of individuals, peoples, or even entire nations, aligning closely with broader ancient Near Eastern traditions of legal and ritual language. The concept became so important for the authors of the Hebrew Bible that the terminology began to become incorporated in places where it may not seem obvious or where no literal covenant is in context.

Timeline

Code of Hammurabi xlix 53 / Deuteronomy 29:20
1. 1750 BCE
  
  Code of Hammurabi xlix 53
  
  Ancient Near East, Babylonian
  
  May Bel, the lord who fixes destiny, whose command cannot be altered, who has made my kingdom great, stir up against him a rebellion that his hand cannot control. May he let the wind of the overthrow of his dwelling blow; may he decree for him years of groaning in his rule, years of scarcity, years of famine, darkness without light, and death with seeing eyes. May Bel order with his mighty mouth the destruction of his city, the scattering of his subjects, the cutting off of his rule, and the complete erasure of his name and memory from the land.
2. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 29:20
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  19 When such a person hears the words of this oath he secretly blesses himself and says, ‘I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.’ This will destroy the watered ground with the parched. 20 The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger will rage against that man; all the curses written in this scroll will fall upon him, and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory. 21 The Lord will single him out for judgment from all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant written in this scroll of the law.
Treaty between Mursilis II and Duppi Tesup / Deuteronomy 29:20
1. 1300 BCE
  
  Treaty between Mursilis II and Duppi Tesup
  
  Ancient Near East, Hittite
  
  The words of the treaty and the oath that are inscribed on this tablet—should Duppi-Tessub not honor these words of the treaty and the oath, may these gods of the oath utterly destroy Duppi-Tessub together with his person, his wife, his son, his grandson, his house, his land and together with everything that he owns. But if Duppi-Tessub honors these words of the treaty and the oath that are inscribed on this tablet, may these gods of the oath protect him together with his person, his wife, his son, his grandson, his house and his country.
2. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 29:20
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  19 When such a person hears the words of this oath he secretly blesses himself and says, ‘I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.’ This will destroy the watered ground with the parched. 20 The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger will rage against that man; all the curses written in this scroll will fall upon him, and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory. 21 The Lord will single him out for judgment from all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant written in this scroll of the law.
KAI 26.iii / 1 Samuel 15:11
1. 1200 BCE
  
  KAI 26.iii
  
  Ancient Near East, Northwest Semitic
  
  But if any king of kings, or prince of princes, or any man who is a man of renown, should erase the name of Azatiwada from this gate and put (his own) name (on it), or even should he covet this city and tear out this gate which Azatiwada made, and make for it a different gate and put his name upon it whether he tears it out with covetousness or with hatred and evil he tears out this gate—then may Baʿal-Shamem and El Creator-of-Earth and the eternal Sun and the entire assembly of the sons of the gods blot out that kingdom and that king and that man!
2. 600–501 BCE
  
  1 Samuel 15:11
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  10 Then the Lord’s message came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from me and has not done what I told him to do.” Samuel became angry and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Then Samuel got up early to meet Saul the next morning. But Samuel was informed, “Saul has gone to Carmel where he is setting up a monument for himself.” Then Samuel left and went down to Gilgal.
KAI 26.iii / Exodus 17:14
1. 1200 BCE
  
  KAI 26.iii
  
  Ancient Near East, Northwest Semitic
  
  But if any king of kings, or prince of princes, or any man who is a man of renown, should erase the name of Azatiwada from this gate and put (his own) name (on it), or even should he covet this city and tear out this gate which Azatiwada made, and make for it a different gate and put his name upon it whether he tears it out with covetousness or with hatred and evil he tears out this gate—then may Baʿal-Shamem and El Creator-of-Earth and the eternal Sun and the entire assembly of the sons of the gods blot out that kingdom and that king and that man!
2. 750–400 BCE
  
  Exodus 17:14
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  13 So Joshua destroyed Amalek and his army with the sword. 14 The Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in Joshua’s hearing; for I will surely blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar, and he called it “The Lord is my Banner,” 16 for he said, “For a hand was lifted up to the throne of the Lord—that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
KAI 26.iii / Deuteronomy 29:20
1. 1200 BCE
  
  KAI 26.iii
  
  Ancient Near East, Northwest Semitic
  
  But if any king of kings, or prince of princes, or any man who is a man of renown, should erase the name of Azatiwada from this gate and put (his own) name (on it), or even should he covet this city and tear out this gate which Azatiwada made, and make for it a different gate and put his name upon it whether he tears it out with covetousness or with hatred and evil he tears out this gate—then may Baʿal-Shamem and El Creator-of-Earth and the eternal Sun and the entire assembly of the sons of the gods blot out that kingdom and that king and that man!
2. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 29:20
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  19 When such a person hears the words of this oath he secretly blesses himself and says, ‘I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.’ This will destroy the watered ground with the parched. 20 The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger will rage against that man; all the curses written in this scroll will fall upon him, and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory. 21 The Lord will single him out for judgment from all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant written in this scroll of the law.
Genesis 6:7 / Exodus 17:14
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Genesis 6:7
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  6 The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out^* humankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—everything from humankind to animals, including creatures that move on the ground and birds of the air, for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord.
2. 750–400 BCE
  
  Exodus 17:14
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  13 So Joshua destroyed Amalek and his army with the sword. 14 The Lord said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in the book, and rehearse it in Joshua’s hearing; for I will surely blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 Moses built an altar, and he called it “The Lord is my Banner,” 16 for he said, “For a hand was lifted up to the throne of the Lord—that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Deuteronomy 9:14 / The Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon 1:537-544
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 9:14
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  13 Moreover, he said to me, “I have taken note of these people; they are a stubborn lot! 14 Stand aside and I will destroy them, obliterating their very name from memory, and I will make you into a stronger and more numerous nation than they are.” 15 So I turned and went down the mountain while it was blazing with fire; the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.
2. 672 BCE
  
  The Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon 1:537-544
  
  Ancient Near East, Assyrian
  
  537 Just as a m[ule has n]o offspring, may your name, your seed, and the seed of your sons and your daughters disappear from the land. 540 Just as a germinal shoot of ma[lt, if it] is soaked with ma[sh...], does not sprout (and) a [...] does not return [...], may your [see]d and the seed of y[our] s[ons] and your daughters disappear [from] the face of your ground.
Deuteronomy 9:14 / Psalm 9:6
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 9:14
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  13 Moreover, he said to me, “I have taken note of these people; they are a stubborn lot! 14 Stand aside and I will destroy them, obliterating their very name from memory, and I will make you into a stronger and more numerous nation than they are.” 15 So I turned and went down the mountain while it was blazing with fire; the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.
2. 600–201 BCE
  
  Psalm 9:6
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry. You destroyed the wicked; you permanently wiped out all memory of them. 6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins. You destroyed their cities; all memory of the enemies has perished. 7 But the Lord rules forever; he reigns in a just manner.
Deuteronomy 29:20 / The Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon 1:537-544
1. 750–400 BCE
  
  Deuteronomy 29:20
  
  Hebrew Bible
  
  18 Beware that the heart of no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you turns away from the Lord our God today to pursue and serve the gods of those nations; beware that there is among you no root producing poisonous and bitter fruit. 19 When such a person hears the words of this oath he secretly blesses himself and says, ‘I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.’ This will destroy the watered ground with the parched. 20 The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger will rage against that man; all the curses written in this scroll will fall upon him, and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory. 21 The Lord will single him out for judgment from all the tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the covenant written in this scroll of the law.
2. 672 BCE
  
  The Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon 1:537-544
  
  Ancient Near East, Assyrian
  
  537 Just as a m[ule has n]o offspring, may your name, your seed, and the seed of your sons and your daughters disappear from the land. 540 Just as a germinal shoot of ma[lt, if it] is soaked with ma[sh...], does not sprout (and) a [...] does not return [...], may your [see]d and the seed of y[our] s[ons] and your daughters disappear [from] the face of your ground.