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- Unconditional devotion to the Assyrian king:^42 “loving” him “like
oneself ”^43 and “falling and dying” for him.^44 This provision is well
attested in contemporary royal letters as well.^45 - Obligation to report any developments threatening the safety of the
Empire or the monarchy to the central government.^46 That this
provision was included in every vassal treaty is implied by the
numerous reports from vassal rulers extant in the Assyrian royal
correspondence. - Harmonizing one’s foreign policy with that of Assyria. This provi-
sion involved “hating” the enemies of the Assyrian king^47 and refrain-
ing from any communication^48 or from any alliance with them.^49 - Military cooperation with Assyria.^50 The obligation of the vassals
to go to war with Assyria is very well attested in royal inscriptions
and also in letters to the king.^51 - Extradition of fugitives from Assyria seeking asylum in a vassal or
allied countries (see 4.2.2).^52 This obligation is also well attested in
Assyrian royal correspondence and letters to god.^53 - Accepting a royal deputy (qèpu). This provision, which effectively
curtailed the sovereignty of the vassal state, is attested only in two
treaties of the corpus,^54 but other contemporary evidence implies
that it must have been included in many other treaties as well.^55 - Accepting Ashur as the supreme god. This provision is attested only
in the succession treaty of Esarhaddon, where it parallels the oblig-
ation to accept the future king, Assurbanipal, as the supreme ruler
of the Empire.^56 Since this treaty was certainly imposed on at least
eight vassal rulers, it is not unlikely that a similar provision was
included in many other treaties as well. - Commercial regulations. Detailed provisions related to trade are
attested only in a treaty with Tyre (SAA 2 5), but it is clear that
corresponding terms must have been included in many other treaties
as well.
(^42) SAA 2 2 iii 23–25; 3: 4; 4 r. 9; 6: 53, 152, 169, and 266; 7 r. 5; 9: 5 and
32; see also the letter ABL 539 quoting a treaty, cited ibid., xxxii.
(^43) SAA 2 6: 266; 9:32. Cf. Levinson, “Deuteronomy 13: 10...”
(^44) SAA 2 6: 55 and 230–31.
(^45) See, e.g., ABL 539.
(^46) SAA 2 3: 3; 4: 7; 6: 83, 122, 152, 158, 349, 507; 8: 12, 17; 9:6–16; 13 iii 16–17.
(^47) SAA 2 9: 32 (restored); cf. ABL 998 r. 5–9.
(^48) SAA 2 9: 6–9 and r. 32; 10 r. 3–4; 13 iii 3–9.
(^49) SAA 2 6: 173–76, 498–89; 9: 20–21; 13 ii 3–4; also ABL 539: 24–25.
(^50) SAA 2 1: 2–3; 2 iv 1–3; 9: 23–25.
(^51) E.g., SAA 5 199 r. 9–15, and 200 r. 5–16.
(^52) SAA 2 1: 13; 2 iii 21–23; cf. 6: 136–38, 8 r. 24, 9: 12–16.
(^53) E.g., Borger Esarh., 103–4; SAA 5 35: 18.
(^54) SAA 2 5 iii 6–14 and 9: 11–12 (partially restored).
(^55) Cf., e.g., SAA 5 106 and 107.
(^56) SAA 2 6: 393–94.
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