Egyptian Literature Part 30

60 B. M.-"To the King my Lord my Sun my G.o.d thus _Mayaya_." The important part of this short letter is broken, but it appears to say: "Have not they devoured _Yankhamu_ ... this conquest of all the lands from men of blood, and the devouring of thy land."

65 B. M.-(_Sibtiaddu?_) writes as a servant of the King with the usual salutation, and has heard the message. "Behold what _Yankhamu_ (says). I am a faithful servant at the foot of the King. Let the King my Lord know it. I guard much the King's city which is with me."

147 B.-From (_Khiziri?_), the King's servant. He will meet the soldiers, and has received a message from _Maya_ about a tax.

148 B.-_Ruzbanya_, of _Taruna_, is a servant of the King. The letter is broken. He was of old a servant of the King.

150 B.-From _Nurtu_.... He listens to the _Paka_, and will fortify until the King comes to his tribe. He fills a good-sized tablet, without giving any information of interest.

76 B. M.-_Zidriyara_ writes, with the usual compliments, to acknowledge a message.

141 B.-_Zidriyara_ is faithful, as of old, and a friend of the rulers, and listens to all the King's messages.

140 B.-_Zidriyara_ hears the message of the King, whose servant he is-"the Sun from among the Heavenly G.o.ds who has spoken"-and he will not neglect the messages of the King his lord, or of the _Paka_ who is established with him.

135 B.-Apparently without a name. He is only a dog, but will march with chariots and horses to meet the Egyptian soldiers (_bitati_).

130 B.-_Sutarnamu_, of his city _Zicaruenu_,(364) bows to the King. He asks for soldiers of garrison, as they are obstructing the district of the King's land near him. Probably the site is the present village _Dhikerin_, near Gath on the south, which was the Caphar Dikerin of the Talmud (Tal.

Jer. "_Taanith_," iv. 8), in the region of Daroma (now _Deiran_), near Ekron (see Ekha ii. 2). He asks for soldiers.

131 B.-_Samuaddu_, of the town of _Sama'una_, listens to all the King's messages. Perhaps _Sammunieh_, an ancient and important ruin immediately east of Kirjath Jearim (_'Erma_), on the way to Jerusalem, by the Valley of Sorek, is the place intended.

Nos. 79, 80, 81 B. M. are short and broken letters, which appear only to acknowledge messages received. No. 80 is from a certain _Nebo_...; in No.

79 there appears to be no personal name, and in No. 81 it is destroyed.

The names of these villages establish a regular chain of posts from Gaza, by Lachish, to the valleys of Sorek and Elah, which seem to have been the most eastern parts of the country in which chariots were to be found.

There is no mention of chariots at Jerusalem, or at any village which was not accessible by a flat valley-road. By these posts communication was kept up, it would seem, with Jerusalem; and the messengers probably travelled by this route, avoiding Ajalon. It was by this route that Adonizedek proposed that Amenophis should come up to help him. Whether any such expedition was attempted, none of the letters seem to indicate. The troops had been withdrawn, and the Egyptian policy seems to have been to call out the native levies of the Amorite charioteers. Perhaps, when the five kings had been killed at Makkedah, no further steps were taken, but the lowlands remained unconquered till the time of Samuel and David. Even in Solomon's time Gezer was only received as the dower of the daughter of the Pharaoh (1 Kings ix. 16) who had burned the place and killed its Canaanite population. In Judges we read that Judah "could not drive out the inhabitants of the Shephelah (or lowlands) because they had chariots of iron" (i. 19). The coast road was still open when Dusratta was writing to his son-in-law Amenophis IV twenty years later; and all lower Galilee was, for some few years, with Philistia and Syria, reconquered by Rameses II, who, however, never entered the Judaean mountains.

This concludes the sum of 176 letters from Palestine, the translation of which has occupied me for nearly two years. I have no doubt that it may be improved upon in detail; but the general results seem to be too well corroborated, by comparison of the numerous epistles, which throw light on one another, to admit of any very important changes.

Royal Letters

DUSRATTA'S LETTERS

No. 9 B. M.-"To _Neb-mat-ra_ (Amenophis III) King of _Egypt_ my brother, by letter, thus _Tuseratta_(365) King of _Mitani_(366) thy brother. I am at peace. Peace be to thee; to _Gilukhipa_ my sister be peace. To thy house, thy wives, thy sons, thy lords, thy terrible army, thy horses, thy chariots, and in thy land, be much peace. Since I have sat on my father's throne, and have conquered. But (_Pirkhi?_) made a lawless command in my land, and smote his Lord; and because of these things, they have striven to right me, with who so loved us well; and because my land submitted to this lawless order I was not afraid, but the chiefs who supported _Artasu-mara_ my brother, with all that were theirs, I slew. As thou wast well with my father, and because of these things, I send this. I say to you, as my brother hears, and will rejoice; my father loved thee, and thou therefore didst love my father; and my father, as he saw this, gave thee my sister; and now ... as thou wast with my father. When my brother saw these things, he brought all those in the land of the _Hitt.i.tes_ as foes to my land; and _Rimmon_ my Lord gave them to my hand; and I slew him among them, so that not one returned to his land.(367) Now I have sent thee a chariot with two horses, a young man and a young woman, of the spoil of the land of the _Hitt.i.tes_. I have sent thee, as a present to my brother, five chariots, and five yoke of horses; and as a present to _Gilukhipa_(368) my sister, I have sent her (trinkets?) of gold, a pair of gold earrings, and ... of gold, and goodly stones, each(?). Now _Gilia_, a prudent man, and _Tunipripi_(369) I send to my brother; speedily let him reply to me; so I shall hear my brother's salutation, and shall rejoice.

Let my brother wish me well; and let my brother send envoys: so my brother's salutation shall come to me, and I shall hear."(370)

22 B.-The salutation calls Amenophis III his "kinsman," but does not name his sister.

"_Mani_ my brother's envoy has come to honor me: to take my brother's wife the Queen of _Egypt_;(371) and I received the letter that came: I learned the declaration of his (order?). My heart has been much gladdened by my brother's message, as my brother will see; and it rejoiced that day exceeding much: that day and night they made (rejoicings?).

"And, my brother, all the message that _Mani_ came to bring has been performed. This same year behold, my brother, I will ... his wife, the Queen of _Egypt_, and I will send ... hence forth the land of _Khanirabbe_ and the land of _Egypt_. And because of these things that _Mani_ has spoken, I send back, my brother, _Gilia_ and _Mani_ with speed, to ...

these things; and let not my brother blame them ... as to delay in being despatched; for there was no delay to ... for my brother's wife; and lo!

delay is.... In the sixth month I have sent _Gilia_ my envoy, and _Mani_ my brother's envoy: I will send my brother's wife to my brother. So may _Istar_ the Lady of Ladies my G.o.ddess, and _Amanu_(372) my brother's G.o.d, give peace ... I have sent to my brother; and my brother as ... increased his (love?) very much, and ... as the heart of my brother was satisfied; and ... (for our children?) my brother ... more than before ... I have despatched _Khai_, my brother, trusting his ... and I give the letter to his hands ... and let him bear his message ... I have sent ... going to my brother ... my brother, are not his soldiers..."

The next five lines referring to the wife are too broken to read. The back of the tablet continues:

"... which my brother sent ... all that my brother has caused to be collected ... in presence of all of them they have been (given?) us ...

all these things, beyond expectation thereof, and the gold ... which they have paid-and he has indeed lavished very much ... them, any or all these things; was not the gold ... They say 'In the land of _Egypt_ there is plenty more gold for thee my brother, because he loves thee very much ...

and will love (and being so?) is not there, behold, anything needful, anything beside, from the land of Egypt in addition? So send to me, accordingly, him by whom these are given, and there shall be no lack.'

Thus indeed (said) I 'As to anything (further?) do not I say to your faces-He loves me, and my land, exceeding much, does this King of _Egypt_?'

"And my brother has taken me to his heart: all is as my heart desired; and is it not understood; when he sends shall not I hasten me for my brother: shall not I increase in longing toward my brother: as my brother does also? _Mani_, my brother's envoy, has brought my brother's ... which was with _Mani_. I have honored their ... and I have honored them very much.

Now _Mani_ will take this; and my brother we direct him to ... how I have received from him very much: he will tell my brother this, and my brother will hear what we have done (as I have sent list of gifts of this and that, and he shall not refuse it?).

"And may my brother send untold gold; and may my father's power increase with me, as my brother has increased my favor, as my brother has cherished me much, in the sight of my country, in the sight of the whole of my brethren. May _Rimmon_ and _Amanu_ appoint that my brother's wishes be ever fulfilled; and for myself, my brother, that my wishes may be fulfilled, as men whom the Sun-G.o.d loves. And so now the G.o.ds shall indeed decree for us this prayer, ... we shall join as friends forever.

"For my brother's present I have sent to my brother a (double-edged weapon?) ... and (?) of emeralds, and pure gold ... enclosed in a box, and ... of alabaster, and pure gold, for a box ..."

21 B.-"To _Amenophis III_, the Great King, King of _Egypt_, my brother, my kinsman(373) whom I love, and who loves me, by letter thus _Dusratta_, the Great King, King of _Mitani_, thy brother, thy kinsman who also loves thee. I am at peace, etc.

"To my brother whom I love I have given his young wife.(374) May the Sun-G.o.d and _Istar_ ... her face. As my brother desires: may ... and may my brother rejoice, in the day when ... the Sun-G.o.d and the G.o.d ... giving joy to my n.o.ble brother, ... let them grant it to be ... and may my brother ... forever.

"_Mani_ my brother's envoy, and _Khani_(375) my brother's interpreter, as you cause them to be sent, plenty of (provisions?) I shall give them ...

them much; as they performed their orders I made all the people protect them. If they do not may my G.o.ds, and my brother's G.o.ds, guard them. Now I have sent _Nahramani_ who is careful in my brother's affairs, and I have sent (an ornament?) of precious stones-of precious stones and gold, as a present to my brother; and may my brother be granted to live a hundred years."

8 B. M.-The salutation is the same as before, but the writer's name is spelt "_Tusratta_" instead of _Dusratta_. The letter is the best preserved in the whole collection.

"Since your forefathers were friendly with my forefathers, thou therefore wast very greatly friendly with my father. So you love me: we are zealous friends. Ten times more you increase it than to my father. The heavenly G.o.ds shall decree that we shall be friends. May _Rimmon_ my G.o.d, and _Amanu_, so p.r.o.nounce, even forever.

"And so my brother sent _Mani_ his envoy. Thus indeed my brother (said) 'Does not my brother's heart desire that thy daughter (be) the wife of my young son(376)-as a princess of _Egypt_' and I spoke as to my intention about it; and my brother desiring that she should be made ready for _Mani_, and to show her, so he beheld her, and praised her much. And may they lead her in peace into the land of my brother. May _Istar_ and _Amanu_ make her agreeable to my brother's heart.

"_Gilia_, my envoy, set forth my brother's message before me. So I heard and it was very good; and so I rejoiced very much. Thus truly I say 'This is thus arranged between us so that we may be zealous friends.' Now with firm faith forever let us be friends.

"So I shall send to my brother, and I say thus myself, so let us be much more friendly; and do not you respond to us? And I say thus, that my brother has enriched me ten times more than my father.

"And I have asked much gold of my brother: so he has given me more than to my father. My brother indeed sent to me; and to my father you sent much gold: much (merchandise?) of gold; and besides all the gold you sent him you have sent me bricks of gold (lavished?) like copper.

"I sent _Gilia_ (humbly?) to my brother, and asked for gold. Thus indeed I (said) 'Truly my brother has given me more than to my father, and may he send me untold gold.'

"May my brother send me more than to my father; and now I say thus to my brother: the (loan?) that my grandfather made, so I may (say), as (one thinking little of wealth?) he made it for thee; and now as regards (what) I say, the gold that my brother shall send, let him send it when he likes.

"Lo my brother has sent the gold saying 'It is due to you,' But no. No more was due; and he had satisfied the account; and when he had satisfied the account I was glad thereof exceedingly; and whatever my brother sends I have been very glad thereof.

"Now behold I sent to my brother-and may my brother extend his kindness to me more than to my father; now I asked gold of my brother, and whatever gold I asked of my brother, he has sent the double of what was asked. One (sum) for the (loan?), and a second of good-will.

"And may my brother send me untold gold; and may he send me more than to my father; and so may the G.o.ds decree, that much more gold beside be in my brother's land, as there now is in my brother's land; and ten times more than there now is, may it increase.(377) And let not my brother refuse the gold that I ask by my brother's wish; and, as for me, let me not refuse my brother's wish; and may my brother send me very much gold uncounted; and whatever my brother needs let him send and take. Let me return the gift that my brother desires for his household. This land is my brother's land, and this house is my brother's house.

"Now I send _Gilia_ my envoy to my brother. Let him not refuse him. Let him speedily command him: let him send him away. So hearing my brother's salutation let me rejoice exceeding much. Let me ever hear my brother's salutation. And these messages that we send, let my G.o.d _Rimmon_ and _Amanu_ decree that they may arrive through their mercy. And as now it is prayed therefor, so we are friends; and as now so forever may we be friends.

"Now as to the gifts for my brother: I have sent as my brother's gifts a quant.i.ty of solid gold, and precious stones: (its value?) includes the amount of twenty precious stones, and nineteen pieces of gold. The weight of precious stones and gold remaining includes the amount of forty-two precious stones and twenty pieces of gold _Zuzas_ of Istar: (this is) the weight of precious stones and gold remaining; and ten yoke of horses, and ten chariots, with all that belongs to them, and thirty female slaves."