--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Kheta, or Hittites, were certainly…" description: "\"“The Kheta, or Hittites, were certainly not Semites, yet the Hyksos names are definitely Semitic. In fact it is most probable that the Hyksos, or Sheph..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/leonard-william-king-10036_hittites_the-kheta-or-hittites-were-certainly-not_397406.jpg" --- # The Kheta, or Hittites, were certainly not Semites, yet… ![“The Kheta, or Hittites, were certainly not Semites, yet the Hyksos names are definitely Semitic. In fact it is most probable that the Hyksos, or Shepherd Kings, were, as the classical authorities say they were, and as their name (hiku-semut or hihu-shasu,) "princes of the deserts" or ("princes of…” quote by Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/leonard-william-king-10036_hittites_the-kheta-or-hittites-were-certainly-not_397406.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/leonard-william-king-10036_hittites_the-kheta-or-hittites-were-certainly-not_397406.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/755/leonard-william-king-10036_hittites_the-kheta-or-hittites-were-certainly-not_397406.jpg) > ““The Kheta, or Hittites, were certainly not Semites, yet the Hyksos names are definitely Semitic. In fact it is most probable that the Hyksos, or Shepherd Kings, were, as the classical authorities say they were, and as their name (hiku-semut or hihu-shasu,) "princes of the deserts" or ("princes of the Bedawîn") also testifies, purely and simply Arabs.”” [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that the Hyksos were likely Arab, not Semitic, based on linguistic and historical evidence **In simple terms:** Hyksos probably Arab, not Semitic, per name and sources Key Takeaway Recognize the complexity of ancient identities Themes history ethnicity identity ancient cultures Mood analytical curious Type historical academic When to use this quote - academic research - teaching ancient history - museum curation - cultural heritage projects Key Concepts Linguistics archaeology political anthropology Questions to Reflect On - What sources support the Arab identification? - How do modern national narratives affect interpretations of ancient peoples? A Different Perspective Evidence is limited and interpretations vary ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [“Hyksos ... have been practically Hittites ... the theory of de Cara, which connects the Hyksos with the Hittites and these with the Pelasgi and Tyrseni.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/hyksos-have-been-practically-hittites-the-theory-of-de-cara-which/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“This is a very interesting theory, which, when carried out to its logical conclusion, would connect the Hyksos and Hittites racially with the pre-Hellenic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/this-is-a-very-interesting-theory-which-when-carried-out-to-its/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [You can't cast Hittites as Trojans; I'd love to do it, but sadly, there are none available!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farr/you-can-t-cast-hittites-as-trojans-i-d-love-to-do-it-but-sadly-there/) [David Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farr/) > [“Elephants' tusks were among the tribute paid by the Hittites to the Assyrian kings. It may be that the extinction of the elephant in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/elephants-tusks-were-among-the-tribute-paid-by-the-hittites-to-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Jebusites ... belonged to one or other of these two great races; perhaps, indeed, to both (i.e., Amorites and Hittites).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-jebusites-belonged-to-one-or-other-of-these-two-great-races/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“Amorites must have been in possession of Palestine long before the Hittites arrived there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/amorites-must-have-been-in-possession-of-palestine-long-before-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Hittites, in fact, must be regarded as the first teachers of the rude populations of the West. They brought to them a culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-hittites-in-fact-must-be-regarded-as-the-first-teachers-of-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Hittites and Amorites were therefore mingled together in the mountains of Palestine like the two races which ethnologists tell us go to form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-hittites-and-amorites-were-therefore-mingled-together-in-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Hittites were intruders in Syria as well as in Western Asia Minor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-hittites-were-intruders-in-syria-as-well-as-in-western-asia-minor/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“Hettites appeal to us not alone because of the influence they once exercised on the fortunes of the Chosen People, not alone because a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/hettites-appeal-to-us-not-alone-because-of-the-influence-they-once/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The great Hittite stronghold on the Euphrates, which had been for so many centuries the visible sign of their power and southern conquests, became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-great-hittite-stronghold-on-the-euphrates-which-had-been-for-so/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“There are no traces of the Hittites at Shechem or on the eastern side of the Jordan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/there-are-no-traces-of-the-hittites-at-shechem-or-on-the-eastern-side/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“Like the Egyptians, the Hittites sat when eating.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/like-the-egyptians-the-hittites-sat-when-eating/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) ## More by Leonard William King > [“The great pyramid-builders of the IVth Dynasty seem to have been the last true Memphites.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/the-great-pyramid-builders-of-the-ivth-dynasty-seem-to-have-been-the/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“The idea was that in Palaeolithic days, contemporary with the Glacial Age of Northern Europe and America, the climate of Egypt was entirely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/the-idea-was-that-in-palaeolithic-days-contemporary-with-the-glacial/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“As far as we can tell, then, Aha and Narmer were the first conquerors of the North, the unifiers of the kingdom, and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/as-far-as-we-can-tell-then-aha-and-narmer-were-the-first-conquerors/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“The country to the north of Babylonia was known as Assyria at the time of the kings of the First Dynasty of Babylon, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/the-country-to-the-north-of-babylonia-was-known-as-assyria-at-the/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“For the First Dynasty of Babylon, to which the famous Hammurabi belonged, was very probably of Arab origin, to judge by the forms of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/for-the-first-dynasty-of-babylon-to-which-the-famous-hammurabi/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“After the reconsolidation of the Egyptian people, with perhaps an autocratic class of Semitic origin and a populace of indigenous Nilotic race, we have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/after-the-reconsolidation-of-the-egyptian-people-with-perhaps-an/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“For the culture of the Semites was Sumerian, the Semitic races owing their civilization to the Sumerians. 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H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“There are no traces of the Hittites at Shechem or on the eastern side of the Jordan”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/there-are-no-traces-of-the-hittites-at-shechem-or-on-the-eastern-side/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The great Hittite stronghold on the Euphrates, which had been for so many centuries the visible sign of their power and southern conquests, became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-great-hittite-stronghold-on-the-euphrates-which-had-been-for-so/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“This is a very interesting theory, which, when carried out to its logical conclusion, would connect the Hyksos and Hittites racially with the pre-Hellenic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/this-is-a-very-interesting-theory-which-when-carried-out-to-its/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) > [“Hettites appeal to us not alone because of the influence they once exercised on the fortunes of the Chosen People, not alone because a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/hettites-appeal-to-us-not-alone-because-of-the-influence-they-once/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Hittites were intruders in Syria as well as in Western Asia Minor.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-hittites-were-intruders-in-syria-as-well-as-in-western-asia-minor/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Hittites and Amorites were therefore mingled together in the mountains of Palestine like the two races which ethnologists tell us go to form…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-hittites-and-amorites-were-therefore-mingled-together-in-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Hittites, in fact, must be regarded as the first teachers of the rude populations of the West. They brought to them a culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-hittites-in-fact-must-be-regarded-as-the-first-teachers-of-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“Amorites must have been in possession of Palestine long before the Hittites arrived there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/amorites-must-have-been-in-possession-of-palestine-long-before-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“The Jebusites ... belonged to one or other of these two great races; perhaps, indeed, to both (i.e., Amorites and Hittites).”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/the-jebusites-belonged-to-one-or-other-of-these-two-great-races/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [“Elephants' tusks were among the tribute paid by the Hittites to the Assyrian kings. It may be that the extinction of the elephant in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-h-sayce/elephants-tusks-were-among-the-tribute-paid-by-the-hittites-to-the/) [A. H. SAYCE](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-h-sayce/) > [You can't cast Hittites as Trojans; I'd love to do it, but sadly, there are none available!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farr/you-can-t-cast-hittites-as-trojans-i-d-love-to-do-it-but-sadly-there/) [David Farr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farr/) > [“Hyksos ... have been practically Hittites ... the theory of de Cara, which connects the Hyksos with the Hittites and these with the Pelasgi and Tyrseni.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-william-king/hyksos-have-been-practically-hittites-the-theory-of-de-cara-which/) [Leonard William King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-william-king/) Browse all 14 Hittites quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The Kheta, or Hittites, were certainly not Semites, yet the Hyksos names are definitely Semitic. 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