It was missing for awhile, but I found it. The Ancient Near East, Vol. II: A New Anthology of Texts and Pictures, edited by James B. Pritchard. I’m reading from the Vassal-Treaties of Esarhaddon. Esarhaddon (son of Sennacherib) was the king of Assyria, and this treatise was a covenant between Esarhaddon and Baal, king of Tyre, binding Tyre to serve Esarhaddon and his princes, Ashurbanipal (of Assyria) and Shamashshumukin (crown prince designate of Babylonia). Typical of the covenants of the day, it ends with a series of curses to those who break the bond (it has been noted that Deuteronomy resembles the literary style of an ancient near-eastern vassal-treatise, complete with curses at the end for those who break the covenant). Some of the curses enumerated in the Vassal-Treaties are quite creative considering that modern curses consist of little more than commands to go do various things to yourself. Some of the more interesting examples of the curses:
84. Just as a honeycomb is pierced through and through with holes, so may holes be pierced through and through in your flesh, the flesh of your women, your brothers, your sons and daughters while you are alive.
86. May they squash you as a fly in the hand of your enemies, may your enemies mash you.
92. May they cause you, your brothers, your sons and daughters to go backwards like a crab.
97. Just as the squeak produced by this door pivot, so may you, your women, your sons and daughters never rest nor sleep, not even your bones should stay together.
103. Just as (this) shoe is slit, [… so may your shoe be slit] in a terrain of thorns […].
My personal favorite?
87. Just as this bedbug stinks, so may your breath stink before God, king, and men.
I’m not pronouncing curses on anyone, mind you. It’s just interesting to me how graphic these curses were, and how seriously even the ancient pagans viewed the crime and sin of covenant breaking.
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