Amarna letter EA 19 | |
---|---|
![]() EA 19. Tushratta to Pharaoh, mid-1300s BC. Lines, obverse, 1-41 (of 85). | |
Material | Clay |
Created | c. 1386 BC |
Discovered | Minya, Egypt |
Present location | London, England, United Kingdom |
Amarna letter EA 19 is a tall clay tablet letter of 13 paragraphs, in relatively pristine condition, with some minor flaws on the clay, but a complete enough story that some included words can complete the story of the letter. Entitled "Love and Gold", the letter is about gold from Egypt (gold mine production), love between father-king ancestors and the current relationship between the King of Mitanni and the Pharaoh of Misri (Egypt), and marriage of women from King Tushratta of Mitanni to the Pharaoh of Egypt.
Besides the Double Line Ruling, for paragraphing (7 paragraphs on obverse), an overwritten Single Line Rule is at clay tablet left margin, as well as cuneiform characters inscribed upon a vertical right margin line of Single Line Rule. (see left margin here: )
The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, around 1386 BC and 45 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.
Letter three [1] of thirteen between Tushratta and the Pharaoh of Egypt (named Misri in the letters). (Obverse only, Paragraphs I-VII):
In letter EA 19, 'gold' is referenced 21 times. It is used in connection with other gift names in the closing paragraph, P. XIII, as examples: '1 gold goblet', and '19 pieces of gold, its centerpiece being of genuine lapis lazuli set in gold.' [2] The entire list contains ten items, ending with: '10 teams of horses; 10 wooden chariots along with everything belonging to them; and 30 women (and) men.'
The first mention of 'gold', Akkadian hurāṣu, [3] occurs on the obverse, EA 9 (photo above), in paragraphs VI and VII. Unlike EA 9 (from Burna-Buriash II of Babylon) which just uses the sumerogram KUG.GI for 'gold' (sumerogram KUG.GI = hurāṣu), EA 19 uses the plural form in some of the cuneiform signs. For lines 34, 37, Para VI, and line 41, Para VII the form is KUG.GI.MEŠ. Of note KUG is used infrequently in the Amarna letters (Buccellati, 1979). [4] GI, or gi is used more commonly (probably mostly as a syllabic) in the Amarna letters (Buccellati, 143 times) [5] An example of its Amarna letter usage is a letter from Jerusalem, stating intrigues of people and surrounding cities. It is used in Jerusalem letter Amarna letter EA 289, titled A Reckoning Demanded, for the name of Tagi (Ta-gi, first usage tablet obverse, line 11).
King of Babylon:
Alashiya letters
Rib-Hadda letters: |
Labaya:
Others: |