Amarna letter EA 9

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Amarna letter EA 9
(Titled: Egyptian Gold and Carpenters)
BM 29785 EA 9 Reverse.jpg
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 9 is a tall, compact 38 line (capable of 55 lines) 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 (out of focus).

Contents

The letter is from King Burra-Buriyaš of Babylon (furthest country writing to Egypt) and is to the Pharaoh of Egypt (Egypt named Misri at Amarna letters time). Of note, the Pharaoh is named Neb-Kheper-Ra, (meaning King-Manifested-Ra), (King-transformed-(as)-Ra), and is spelled in cuneiform signs, Né-(ni)-eB iK-Pa-Ri, Ri-(iya), for "Neb-Kheper-Ra-(mine)", "(My) King, manifested Ra".

The introductory, and salutory Paragraph I, highlights, peace (šalāmu- shu-ul-mu ) for King Burnaburiash, and wishes peace, and well-being to the Pharaoh, and on the many contingents of the Pharaoh's charge, wife, army, the country, etc.

Paragraph II highlights the need for gold, for building a mausoleum for Burnaburiash's father, and is an involved paragraph discussing the ancestor father-king's relationships, and the desire for continued good relations, and the exchange of peace gifts between the 'brother kings'.

Paragraph III highlights the intrigues of economic and country relationships. Ascending country emissaries, and the vying for trade, and economic trading rights. A dialogue is contained in the paragraph, between the history, and what Burnaburiash would like to see done in the future.

The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20 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.

The letter

Burna-Buriash letter no. 4 of 6, title: "Ancient loyalties, new request"

(photo of Obverse, EA 9 )

Para I

(Lines 1-6) Say-(qabu (qí-bil-ma))to NibhurreReya,(Neb-kheper-Ra-ia), the king of Egy[pt-(Mizri), my brother]: "(message)-Thus"-("um-ma"), Thus, the king of Karad[un]iyaš, your brother. For me all goes well. For you, your household, your wives, your sons, your country, your ma[g]nates, your horses, your chariots, may all go very well.

Para II

(7-18) From the time my ancestors and your ancestors made a mutual declaration of friendship, they sen[t] beautiful greeting-gifts to each other, and refused no request for anything beautiful. My brother has now sent me 2minas of gold-(2-KU3-SIG17) as my greeting-gift. Now, (i)f gold (KUG.GI) is plentiful-(DAGAL), send me as much as your ancestors (sent), but if it is scarce, send me half of what your ancestors (sent). Why have you sent me 2minas of gold? At the moment my work on a temple is extensive, and I am quite busy with carrying it out. Send me much gold-(KU3-SIG17). And you for your part, whatever you want from my country, write me so that it may be taken to you.

Para III

(19-38) In the time of Kurigalzu, my ancestor, all the Canaanites wrote here to him, saying,"C[om]e to the border of the country so we can revolt and be allied [wi]th you!"

(Approximate end of Obverse side) See here:


(Approximate start of Reverse)
Obverse EA 9 - BM 29785.jpg
Obverse
My ancestor sent them this (reply), saying,"Forget about being allied with me. If you become enemies of the king of Egypt, and are allied with anyone elsewill I not then come and plunder you? How can there be an alliance with me?" For the sake of your ancestor, my ancestor did not listen to them. Now, as for my Assyrian vassals-(i.e. Ashur-uballit I, king), I was not the one who sent them to you. Why on their own authority have they come to your country? If you love me, they will conduct no business whatsoever. Send them off to me emptyhanded.
(A 4-Line spacing on Reverse)
I send to you as your greeting-gift 3minas of genuine lapis lazuli, and 5teams of horses for 5 wooden chariots. -EA 9, lines 1-38 (3 paragraphs) (complete)
Amarna letter. Letter from the Kassite king Burna-Buriash II (in Babylonia, Mesopotamia) to the Egyptian Pharaoh Amenhotep III. From Tell El-Amarna, Egypt. Circa 1350 BCE. British Museum.jpg

See also

Related Research Articles

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,.

Karduniaš

Karduniaš, also transcribed Kurduniash, Karduniash, Karaduniše, ) is a Kassite term used for the kingdom centered on Babylonia and founded by the Kassite dynasty. It is used in the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence, and is also used frequently in Middle-Assyrian and Neo-Assyrian texts to refer to the kingdom of Babylon. The name Karaduniyaš is mainly used in the letters written between Kadashman-Enlil I, or Burna-Buriash, the Kings of Babylon, and the Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt-(called: Mizri), letters EA 1-EA 11, a subcorpus of letters,. Much later, a version of the name was used in the Babylonian Talmud as Kardunya referring to similar locations. In the Assyrian texts its referred to as Kardu.

Hannathon, and of the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters, Hinnatuna, or Hinnatuni/Hinnatunu, is the Biblical city/city-state of Hannathon, ; in the Amarna letters correspondence as Hinnatuna, it is a site in southern Canaan, site uncertain. Ancient settlement of Tel Hanaton in Lower Galilee has been suggested as a candidate.

Amarna letter EA 19

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.

Amarna letter EA 252 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.

Amarna letter EA 35 Clay tablet letter from the King of Alashiya to the King (Pharaoh) of Egypt

Amarna letter EA 35, titled The Hand of Nergal, is a moderate length clay tablet letter from the king of Alashiya to the king (pharaoh) of Egypt. 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.

Amarna letter EA 325

Amarna letter EA 325, titled: "Preparations Completed (2)," is a shorter-length clay tablet Amarna letter from Yidya the governor-'mayor' of Ašqaluna-(Ashkelon). 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 15 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".

Amarna letter EA 26

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

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 5

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

Amarna letter EA 10

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.

Amarna letter EA 256

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

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 23

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.

Amarna letter EA 205

Amarna letter EA 205, titled: "Ready for Marching Orders (5)" is a short letter from the Ruler of city Ṭubu. The title references that six mostly identical, very short, letters were scribed by the same scribe, from small regional towns; the scribe also is the writer of Amarna letter EA 195. It is not known if each letter was written at the location of each town, or from an alternative site, or sites.

Amarna letter EA 38

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.

Amarna letter EA 39

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 34 Sasha Banks WWE

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

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.

References