Amarna letter EA 270

Last updated July 22, 2023

Amarna letter EA 270, titled: "Extortion,"^[1] is an ovate-shaped, medium-sized, tall letter, approximately 3 in wide x 4 in tall, from Milkilu the mayor/ruler of Gazru (Gezer), of the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters.

The Canaanite city-states were visited by the scribes, with short 'status reports' sent to the Pharaoh (King) reporting on city or regional accounts, for example the troubles with the habiru, or other external affairs. Many of the Canaanite letters are short, with some nearly identical phraseology of words, as well as the layout of the individual clay tablet letters. Milkilu authored EA 268 through EA 271. Amarna letter EA 270-(29 lines) is nearly identical in shape to EA 271-(27 lines), with the beginning lines of the obverse, nearly identical in wording, and spacing.

The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 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 EA 270 (see here: 1–Photo (Obverse & Reverse): , 2–Line art, etc.), is numbered BM 29845, from the British Museum.

The letter

EA 270: "Extortion"

EA 270, letter four of five. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation, and English from French.)^[2] (Obverse & Reverse):

Lines 1-8)--Say to the king, my lord, my god, my Sun: Message of Milkilu, your servant, the dirt at your feet. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord, my god, my Sun, 7 times and 7 times.

(9-16)--May the king, my lord, know the deeds that Yanhamu keeps doing to me since I left the king, my lord.

(17-21)--He indeed wants 2000 shekels of silver from me, and he says to me, "Hand ov[er]¹your wife and your sons, or I will kill (you)."

(22-29)--May the king know of this deed, and may the king, my lord, send chariots and fetch me to himself lest I perish.--(complete EA 270, only minor, restored lacunae, lines 1-29)-->

Akkadian text

The Akkadian language text: (obverse & reverse)^[3]

Akkadian:

(Line 1)--a-na 1(disz)-LUGAL EN-ia —(To King-Lord-mine...)

(2)--dingir-meš-ia (d)UTU-ia —((of) gods(pl)-mine, Sun-god-mine)

(3)--qí-bí-ma —(speak(-ing)!...)

(4)--um-ma 1. MiL-Ki-Li, ARAD-ka —('message thus' 1. Milkilu , Servant-yours...)

(5)--ep-ri ša GÌR-MEŠ-ka —(dirt [which at] feet(pl)-yours)

(6)--a-na GÌR-MEŠ LUGAL EN-ia —(at feet(pl), King-Lord-mine)

(7)--dingir-meš-ia (d)UTU-ia —((of) gods(pl)-mine, Sun-god-mine)

(8)--7-šu ù 7-tá-a-an am-qut—(7 times and 7 times (again)...--...I bow(-ing))(am bowing)

(9)--yi-de LUGAL be-li—(Know!...King-Lord)

(10)--ip-ši ša yi-pu-šu-ni—

(11)--1. iYa-aN-Ha-Ma —(1. YaN-HaMu )

(12)--iš-tu a-sé-ia

(13)--iš#-tu-mu-hi LUGAL EN-ia —(To King-Lord-mine...)

(14)--a#-nu-ma yu-ba-ú#

(15)--2 li-im kù-BABBAR#—(2000 shekels silver)

Reverse

(16)--iš-tu qa-ti-ia —(from hand)

(17)--ù yi-iq-bu—(and Say:...)

(18)--a-na ia-ši id-na-mi#—(to me, alone)

(19)--DAM-ka ù —(Wife-yours, and)

(20)--DUMU-MEŠ-ka ù lu-ú—(Sons(pl)-yours, and... may it be...)

(21)--i-ma-ha-ṣa ù lu-ú—("I Strike Down!"... and... may it be...)

(22)--yi-de LUGAL —(Know!...King...)

(23)--ip-ša an-na-am —(make...this)

(24)--ù lu-ú yu-uš-ši-ra —(and,..may it be [you] send(issue))

(25)--LUGAL-be-li—(King...Lord)

(26)--GIŠ-GIGIR-MEŠ(Chariots) ù lu-ú—(Chariots(pl)... and may it be)

(27)--yi-ìl-te-qé-ni —("fetch"(check or test))

(28)--a-na mu-hi-šu la-a —(to himself ((and)) NOT...)

(29)--ih-la-aq—(die! (disappear))

External links

Photo, EA 270: Obverse & Reverse,
Line art, EA 270: Obverse & Reverse, CDLI no. 270947 (Chicago Digital Library Initiative)
Photo, EA 271: Obverse, CDLI no. 271040 (Chicago Digital Library Initiative)

Related Research Articles

Amarna letter EA 252, titled: Sparing One's Enemies, is a square, mostly flat clay tablet letter written on both sides, and the bottom edge. Each text line was written with a horizontal line scribed below the text line, as well as a vertical left margin-line, scribe line on the obverse of the tablet. The letter contains 14 (15) lines on the obverse, continuing on the bottom tablet edge to conclude at line 31 on the reverse, leaving a small space before the final tablet edge. At least 4 lines from the obverse intrude into the text of the reverse, actually dividing the reverse into a top half and bottom half, and even creating a natural spacing segue to the reverse's text, and the story.

Amarna letter EA 365, titled Furnishing Corvée Workers, is a squarish, mostly flat clay tablet, but thick enough (pillow-shaped), to contain text that continues toward the right margin, the right side of the obverse side, and also to the right side of the reverse side of the tablet.

Amarna letter EA 364, titled Justified War, is a clay tablet letter from Ayyab, ruler of Aštartu, to Pharaoh Akhenaten.

Amarna letter EA 86, titled: Complaint to an Official, is a somewhat moderate length clay tablet letter from Rib-Hadda of city-state Byblos to Amanappa, an official at the court of the Pharaoh.

Amarna letter EA 144, titled: "Zimreddi of Sidon," is a square-shaped, mostly flat clay tablet letter written on both sides and the bottom edge. It is from a vassal state in Canaan, and is written by the 'mayor' of Sidon, the author of Amarna letter EA 144, and Amarna letter EA 145. Zimreddi is also referred to in a few other Amarna letters.

Amarna letter EA 271, titled: "The Power of the 'Apiru," is a moderately short, tallish, rectangular clay tablet letter, approximately 3 in wide x 4 in tall, from Milkilu the mayor/ruler of Gazru (Gezer), of the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters.

Amarna letter EA 287, titled: "A Very Serious Crime," is a tall, finely-inscribed clay tablet letter, approximately 8 in tall, from Abdi-Heba the mayor/ruler of Jerusalem, of the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters. The scribe of his six letters to Egypt were penned by the "Jerusalem scribe"; EA 287 is a moderately long, and involved letter. The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 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.

Amarna letter EA 362, titled: "A Commissioner Murdered," is a finely-inscribed clay tablet letter from Rib-Haddi, the mayor/'man' of the city of Byblos,. Byblos, being a large coastal seaport Mediterranean city, was a city that was aligned with Egypt (Miṣri), and housed an Egyptian community. Rib-Haddi, as the city-state leader wrote the largest number of letters to the Pharaoh, in a sub-corpus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters.

Amarna letter EA 286, titled: "A Throne Granted, Not Inherited," is a tall, finely-inscribed clay tablet letter, approximately 8 in tall, and 3.5 in wide, from Abdi-Heba the mayor/ruler of Jerusalem, of the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters. The scribe of his six letters to Egypt were penned by the "Jerusalem scribe"; EA 286 is a moderately long, and involved letter.

Amarna letter EA 245, titled: "Assignment of Guilt," is a medium length clay tablet Amarna letter from Biridiya the governor-'mayor' of Magidda. It is letter number four of five from Biridiya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 325</span>

Amarna letter EA 325, titled: "Preparations Completed (2)," is a shorter-length clay tablet Amarna letter from Yidya the governor-'mayor' of Ašqaluna. It is a letter addressing the Pharaoh in high terms, as well as stating the 'governor of Ašqaluna' is making preparations for the arrival of the Pharaoh's archer-army, the archers. EA 325 is a vassal-state letter, and has some similar appearances, for example appearing like letters EA 270 and EA 271.

Amarna letter EA 26, titled To the Queen Mother: Some Missing Gold Statues, is a shorter-length clay tablet Amarna letter from Tushratta of Mittani. Unlike the next letter EA 27 from Tushratta, which is more than twice as tall, and about twice as wide-(XXVII paragraphs), EA 26 is topical and synoptic about recent events about the desire for 'gold statues'. The letter is addressed to the Pharaoh's wife, Teye, and its dimensions are approximately: 6.0 inches (15 cm) tall, 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide, and 1.0 inch (3 cm) thick.

Amarna letter EA 100, titled: "The City of Irqata to the King" is a short-, to moderate-length clay tablet Amarna letter from the city-state of Irqata,, written to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Only one other city sent a clay tablet Amarna letter to the Pharaoh, namely Tunip, letter EA 59, titled: "From the Citizens of Tunip".

Amarna letter EA 256, in short EA 256, catalogued under the title Oaths and Denials, is one of a total of about 350 so-called Amarna letters, belonging to an official correspondence dating to the mid-14th century BC. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, on the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.

Amarna letter EA 323, titled: A Royal Order for Glass, is a smaller, square, mostly flat clay tablet letter written on both sides, but only half of the reverse; it is also written on the bottom, and is a letter from 'governor' Yidya, and is a short letter like many of his other Amarna letters, numbered EA 320 to EA 326.

Amarna letter EA 288, titled Benign Neglect, is a tall, finely-inscribed clay tablet letter, approximately 7.5 in tall x 4.5 in wide, broken into two pieces, from Abdi-Heba the mayor/ruler of Jerusalem, of the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters. The scribe of his six letters to Egypt were penned by the "Jerusalem scribe"; EA 288 is a moderately long, and involved letter.

Amarna letter EA 34, titled: "The Pharaoh's Reproach Answered", is a moderately tall clay tablet Amarna letter from the King of Alashiya.

Amarna letter EA 299, titled: "A Plea for Help", is a fairly short clay tablet Amarna letter from "governor" Yapahu of city-state Gazru. The clay tablet surface has been partially eroded, but the cuneiform is still mostly legible.

Amarna letter EA 75, titled: "Political Chaos", is a short to moderate length letter from Rib-Hadda, who wrote the largest number of Amarna letters in a sub-corpus, from the city-state of Byblos; Byblos contained an Ancient Egyptian colony, and was aligned with a few neighboring townsites.

Amarna letter EA 147, titled A Hymn to the Pharaoh, is a moderate length clay tablet Amarna letter from Abimilku of Tyre-(called Ṣurru in the Abimilku letters, and an island, until the time of Alexander the Great, 330 BC). The letter is a twin letter to EA 149, which is identical in length, and complexity, and EA 147 appears to precede EA 149.

References

↑ Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 270, Extortion, pp. 316-317.
↑ Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 270, Extortion, pp. 316-317.
↑ Line art, and Akkadian, EA 270: Obverse & Reverse Archived 2015-05-04 at the Wayback Machine , CDLI no. 270947 (Chicago Digital Library Initiative)

Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)
Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh , Parpola, Simo, Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, c 1997, Tablet I thru Tablet XII, Index of Names, Sign List, and Glossary-(pp. 119–145), 165 pages.

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[1] Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 270, Extortion, pp. 316-317.

[2] Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 270, Extortion, pp. 316-317.

[3] Line art, and Akkadian, EA 270: Obverse & Reverse Archived 2015-05-04 at the Wayback Machine , CDLI no. 270947 (Chicago Digital Library Initiative)

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