Covenant (historical)
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In a historical context, a covenant applies to formal promises that were made under oath, or in less remote history, agreements in which the name actually uses the term 'covenant', implying that they were binding for all time.[citation needed]
One of the earliest attested covenants between parties is the so-called Mitanni treaty, dating to the 14th or 15th century BC, between the Hittites and the Mitanni. Key elements of this type of Hittite international covenant treaty included a preamble identifying the king, a historical prologue that detail the monarch's deeds, the stipulated obligations of the vassal state, where the covenant would be stored, as well as an outline of the blessings if the document is obeyed and curses if the terms were broken.[1]
Historically, certain treaties and compacts have been given the name "covenant", notably the
The term covenant could be used in English to refer to either the
In modern law, covenant is described as "a promise or agreement under consideration, or guarantee between two parties" and is distinguished from modern contract by the seal or symbol of guarantee.[4]
References
- ISBN 978-0-8028-2586-5.
- ISBN 978-1-84383-118-1.
- ISBN 978-1-4128-0816-3.
- ISBN 978-1560001515.