Amarna letter EA 35

Last updated
Amarna letter EA 35
(Titled The Hand of Nergal)
Amarna letter. "Message from the king of Alashiya, your brother" to the Pharaoh of Egypt, possibly Akhenaten. C. 1350 BCE. From Tell e-Amarna, Egypt. British Museum.jpg
EA 35, Obverse
MaterialClay
SizeHeight: 5.75 in (14.6 cm)
Width: 3.875 in (9.84 cm)
Writing cuneiform
(Akkadian language)
Created~1375-1335 BC (Amarna Period)
Period/cultureMiddle Babylonian
Place Akhetaten
Present location British Museum, London
BM 29788 (E29788))

Amarna letter EA 35, titled The Hand of Nergal, [1] is a moderate length clay tablet letter from the king of Alashiya (modern Cyprus) to the king (pharaoh) of Egypt (photo, high resolution ). The letter has multiple short paragraphs, with scribed, single-lines showing the paragraphing. Paragraphs I-VII are on the letter's obverse; paragraph VIII starts at the bottom edge and continues, ending at Paragraph XIII on the clay tablet's reverse.

Contents

The letter is located in the British Museum, no. 29788. The clay surface shows a gloss, implying a quality of the clay preparation. Small edges/ corners of the clay tablet letter are broken, damaged, or missing.

The topics of the letter concern an epidemic afflicting the country: The Hand of Nergal , trade for silver and copper (copper from Alašiya), and timber. A discussion of politics, concerning island individuals, and the two countries' messengers concern the second half of the letter.

The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 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.

EA 35, obverse

Moran's non-linear letter English language translation (translated from the French language): [2]

(Lines 1-5)--S[ay to the k]ing of Egypt, my brother: [Message] of the king of Alašiya, your brother. [F]or me all goes well. For my household, my wives,1 my sons, my magnates, my horses, my chariots, and in my country, all goes very well. For my brother
(6-9)--may all go well. For your household, your wives, your sons, your magnates, your horses, your chariots, and in your country, may all go very well. My brother, I herewith send my messenger with your messenger – to Egypt.
(10-15)--I herewith send to you 500 (talents) of copper.2 As my brother's greeting-gift, I send it to you. My brother, do not be concerned that the amount of copper is small. Behold, theHand of Nergal3 is now in my country; he has slain all the men of my country, and there is not a (single) copper-worker.4 So, my brother, do not be concerned.
(16-18)--Send your messenger with my messenger immediately, and I will send you whatever copper you, my brother, request.
(19-22)--You are my brother. May he send me silver in very great quantities. My brother, give me thevery bestsilver, and then I will send you, my brother, whatever you, my brother request.
(23-26)--Moreover-( ša-ni-tam), my brother, give me the ox that my messenger requests,5 my brother, and send me, my brother, 2kukkubu-containers of "sweet oil," my brother, and send me one of the experts in vulture augury.6
(27-29)--Moreover-( ša-ni-tam), my brother, men of my country, keep speaking with m[e] about my timber that the king of Egypt receives from me. My brother, [give me] the payment due.7--(obverse EA 35, lines 1-29, with minor lacunae)

Specific signs, EA 35

ŠEŠ

Sign ŠEŠ, ( Cuneiforme, Lu.png Babylonian digit 0.svg ), is used throughout EA 35 (and the Alashiya letters). As brother, and mostly brother-mine, "...my brother,...", it is the sumerogramic use as ŠEŠ (brother Sumerogram). In EA 35 it averages about two uses per paragraph.

Cuneiform bar, (as .MAŠ)

Cuneiform bar, B120ellst.png (also maš) is used in EA 35 for "god Nergal". It is found in the text as D MAŠ.MAŠ. (EA 35:13, etc.), (as: B010ellst (CuneiformNA dingir).png B120ellst.png B120ellst.png ).

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letters</span> Egyptian archive of correspondence on clay tablets

The Amarna letters are an archive, written on clay tablets, primarily consisting of diplomatic correspondence between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru, or neighboring kingdom leaders, during the New Kingdom, spanning a period of no more than thirty years between c. 1360–1332 BC. The letters were found in Upper Egypt at el-Amarna, the modern name for the ancient Egyptian capital of Akhetaten, founded by pharaoh Akhenaten (1350s–1330s BC) during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.

Milkilu, and more properly Milk-ilu, or Milku-ilu, with an alternate version of Ili-Milku, was the mayor/ruler of Gazru (Gezer) of the 1350–1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence. Adda-danu, and Yapahu were also mayors of Gazru.

Pirissi and Tulubri are a pair of messengers of the 1350–1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence. Pirissi and Tulubri are the messengers of King Tushratta of Mitanni, and are referenced in Amarna letters EA 27, 28, and EA 29,.

Abimilki around 1347 BC held the rank of Prince of Tyre, during the period of the Amarna letters correspondence. He is the author of ten letters to the Egyptian pharaoh, EA 146–155. In letter EA 147, Pharaoh Akhenaten confirmed him as ruler of Tyre upon the death of his father, and in EA 149, referred to him with the rank of rabisu (general).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 19</span>

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, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 161</span> Antiques

Amarna letter EA 161, titled An Absence Explained, is a tall clay tablet letter of 8 paragraphs, with single paragraphing lines. The surface is somewhat degraded, but most cuneiform signs that remain, allow for a relative complete translation context for the letter, and the eight paragraphs. The clay tablet is no. BM 29818 at the British Museum; the number is visible at the top of the tablet, above Para I-(in black ink, the top half of the number visible).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 9</span>

Amarna letter EA 9 is a tall, compact 38 line clay tablet letter of 3 paragraphs, in pristine condition, with few flaws on the clay. The photo of the reverse (pictured) shows half of Paragraph III, and some of the signs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 252</span> 14th century BCE clay tablet letter from Labaya to an Egyptian Pharaoh

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 15</span> Assyrian clay tablet

Amarna letter EA 15, titled Assyria Joins the International Scene, is a shorter-length clay tablet Amarna letter from Ashur-uballit I of the Land of Assyria,. He addresses the Pharaoh in line 1, the "King (of) Land Miṣri-(Egypt)", thus the use of "Land (of) Assyria".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 5</span>

Amarna Letter EA5, one of the Amarna letters, is a correspondence between Kadašman-Enlil I and Amenhotep III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 10</span>

Amarna Letter EA10 is the letter of the Amarna series of diplomatic correspondence designated EA 10, which is written in cuneiform writing showing the continuation of a correspondence between Burna-Buriash II an ancient king of Babylon, and Akhenaten, an ancient pharaoh of Egypt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 323</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 23</span> Short letter

Amarna letter EA 23, titled: "A Goddess Travels to Egypt", is a short letter to Pharaoh from Tushratta. Due to the ill health of Pharaoh, a statue of Goddess Šauška is being sent to Egypt, to aid in the health of Pharaoh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 38</span>

Amarna letter EA 38, titled A Brotherly Quarrel, is a letter from the King of Alashiya. One identifier of many of the Amarna letters, is the use of paragraphing. Six paragraphs are in this letter, with much of the letter's reverse – uninscribed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 39</span>

Amarna letter EA 39, titled: "Duty-Free", is a fairly short letter from the King of Alashiya. Almost half the letter, Para I, is a shortened greeting formula. The letter is requesting the Pharaoh to let messengers pass freely, as they are also being represented as merchants; this also applies to their shipping.

Amarna letter EA 254, titled: "Neither Rebel nor Delinquent (2)", is a moderate length, tall, and mostly flat rectangular clay tablet Amarna letter,. The letter is from Labaya of city-state Šakmu . It is an undamaged letter, in pristine condition, with cuneiform script on almost all surfaces: Obverse, Bottom, Reverse, and Left Side. Letter EA 254 is numbered VAT 335, from the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 156</span>

Amarna letter EA 156, titled: "Aziru of Amurru", is a very short letter from Aziru, the leader of the region of Amurru. EA 156 is the first letter in a series of 16 letters regarding Aziru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 158</span>

Amarna letter EA 158, titled: "Father and Son", is a moderate length letter from Aziru, the leader of the region of Amurru. The letter is written to the Egyptian official, Tutu/ (Dudu). EA 158 is the third letter in a series of 16 letters regarding Aziru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amarna letter EA 34</span>

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 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

  1. ↑ Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 35, The Hand of Nergal, pp. 107-9.
  2. ↑ Moran 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 35, The Hand of Nergal, pp. 107-9.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.