To the north in Asia Minor, the Hittites were the most powerful of the early horse-people - - but they considered the mule to be at least three times more valuable in price than even a good chariot horse.

Sumerian texts from the third millennium BC stated the price of a mule was 20 to 30 shekels, seven times that of a donkey. At Ebla, the average price for a mule was 60 shekels.