Egyptian Literature Part 32

"And _Khama.s.si_ my brother's envoy he sent (humbly?) to my presence, and (humbly?) he spoke my brother's message: I heard and then I said 'As I was friends with _Amenophis III_ thy father, lo! now ten times more with _Amenophis IV_ (_Nabkhuriya_) shall I be great friends.' So then I said to _Khama.s.si_ your envoy.

"And lo! my brother: the treasures of gold to be remitted you shall not send; and there (shall be) respite of gifts which your father spoke of sending. It is desired that my brother shall not send them.

"Lo! my brother, the treasures of gold which I asked of your father I may say that half of them will be carried off (or stolen) ... The lands are at strife(404) ..."

The rest of this letter, including all the back, is too much broken to be read. It appears to go on to speak of "destruction" and to refer to a state of disturbance. It mentions the envoy _Khama.s.si_, and says, "Of what he has brought the fourth part has been robbed." On the back _Gilia_ is mentioned with gold, and relations between the writer and Amenophis III.

He refers again to the message from Amenophis IV and to _Teie_ his mother; and invokes _Rimmon_ and _Amanu_. The words "unless they are conquered"

seem also to occur. This letter contained altogether 113 lines of writing.

26 B.-A list of presents. On the back, at the bottom of the left hand column, is the statement, "These are the things carried by the female slaves, all those things which _Dusratta_ King of _Mitani_ gave to _Amenophis III_ his brother, his kinsman, when he sent his daughter _Tadukhipa_ to the land of Egypt, to Amenophis III for marriage, he gave all these that day."

The list is a very long and difficult one. It begins with two horses, and a chariot plated with gold and silver, and adorned with precious stones.

The harness of the horses was adorned in like manner. Two camel litters appear to be next noticed, and apparently variegated garments worked with gold, and embroidered zones and shawls. These are followed by lists of precious stones, and a horse's saddle adorned with gold eagles.(405) A necklace of solid gold and gems, a bracelet of iron gilt,(406) an anklet of solid gold, and other gold objects follow; and apparently cloths, and silver objects, and vases of copper or bronze. An object of jade or jasper (_Yaspu_), and leaves of gold, are noticed (both jade and leaves of gold have actually been found in the oldest ruins at Troy), the former being perhaps noticed as coming from _Elam_, by trade with central Asia, where jade was found. Five gems of "stone of the great light" (perhaps diamonds) follow, with ornaments for the head and feet, and a number of bronze objects, and harness for chariots. Boxes of strong wood to contain treasures follow next, and apparently a collar with disks and carved lions, objects of silver and gold and strong wood, bronze ornaments for horses. The last noticed objects may be written tablets, including some on the ritual of the G.o.ds.

25 B.-A list similar to the last, perhaps part of the same inventory, as it includes women's ornaments. The tablet is much injured. The objects noticed include an earring with gems, and others of gold, with a large number of precious stones, a necklace with 122 gems set in gold, including "green stones"; bracelets and anklets of solid gold with jewels: an umbrella adorned with gold: boxes to hold treasures, and numerous objects of silver: horns of the wild bull, and wooden objects adorned with gold: cups of gold adorned with gems: other bracelets and anklets of gold with pendants and stars of jewels: a pair of gold earrings with pendants and stars of precious stones: silver anklets for women, and earrings with gold pendants. In each case the weight of gold and the numbers of the gems are stated.

These inventories of Tadukhipa's marriage outfit show how far advanced was the civilization of western Asia in the fourteenth century B.C., and indicate not only the native wealth of gold, silver, copper, and bronze, from Asia Minor and the Caucasus, but also a trade which brought jade from central Asia. The art of the age is similar to that of the objects found at Troy and Mycenae, and represented on the Egyptian bas-reliefs, which give pictures of the tribute from Phnicia. From other tablets in the collection we obtain similar information, including the use of ivory, as also from the records of tribute to Thothmes III in 1600 B.C.

11 B. M.-"To ... Princess of the Land of _Egypt_(407) thus _Dusratta_ King of _Mitani_. I am at peace: Peace be to thee.... Peace be to thy son; peace be to _Tadukhipa_ thy daughter-in-law. To thy land and to all that is thine be much, much peace.

"Thou hast known of me how I loved _Amenophis III_ thy husband, and _Amenophis III_ because he was thy husband how he loved me. As for _Amenophis III_ thy husband he heard what I said; and _Amenophis III_ because he was thy husband, sent messages to me; and what he said to thee my ... both _Mani_ has known, and thou ... hast known all of these things-the messages we zealously uttered. There was nothing thus that he has not known of them.

"Now you said to _Gilia_, 'Say to your Lord, _Amenophis III_ was friends with your father, and why should his favor be less than to your father?

Nay, indeed, what he shall send to our place shall not ... will not you hasten to ... your friends.h.i.+p with _Amenophis III_ ... making it greater; and a.s.sure him ... that you will gladly send ...'

"... to your husband friends.h.i.+p ... so now ... your son, ten times more ... and the messages....

"... why from ... our good faith, and ... is given to me ... thus I ...

_Amenophis IV_ (_Nabkhuriya_) ... and now behold ... to give is not....

"... when by your desire I ... and to the presence of _Amenophis IV_ ...

and you wished thus ... do not desire, and ... the treasures of gold to be remitted, let _Amenophis IV_ receive. (There is nothing, indeed, he may not desire?) that is not ... ten times more than his father let him increase in friends.h.i.+p toward me, and in power."

"... you yourself, your envoys, with the envoys of _Amenophis IV_, with ... let them be sent to _Yuni_ my wife,(408) for what is wished; and the envoys of _Yuni_ my wife let them be sent to (thee) as to what is wished.

"Now as to thy present ... a goodly stone, also (a coronet?) and a ... of stones."

It seems clear from this letter, and from 24 B., that _Teie_ (or _Thi_) the Queen of Egypt, was related to Dusratta, but it is not clear that she was his sister. _Gilukhipa_, the sister whom he names, is known from Egyptian sources to have been the daughter of _Suttarna_, Dusratta's father, and she came to Egypt with 317 ladies in her train.

It is also to be remarked that Dusratta invokes the Egyptian G.o.d _Amen_ both when writing to Amenophis III and also when writing to Amenophis IV, so that there does not appear to have been any change of religion in Egypt during the reign of the latter-at least, at the time when he wrote.

Amenophis III also married at least one Babylonian princess, as will appear in the letters that follow.

RIMMON NIRARI'S LETTER

30 B.-"To the Sun G.o.d the King my Lord the King of Egypt, thus _Rimmon-Nirari_(_409_)_ thy servant_. I bow at my Lord's feet. Lo!

_Manakhbiya_ (Thothmes IV) made my father King ... to rule in the Land of _Markha.s.se_ (or _Nukha.s.se_), and established men to dwell with him; and as the King of ... was disputing for the kingdom, which has been made ...

which he established for him ... he gave him..."

About twenty lines of the letter are here destroyed; the broken lines below continue thus:

"And lo! my Lord ... and the King of the land of the _Hitt.i.tes_ why ... my Lord the letters ... and fearing ... and lo! the King of _Egypt_ ... and now my Lord against ... and to the hands ... to our Lord ... thy Lord in the years that may come.... Do not scorn, since the land was faithful in service to the King my Lord. And if G.o.d commands my Lord to go forth, let my Lord also send a chief, to be sent up to him with his soldiers and with his chariots."

CALLIMMASIN'S LETTERS

1 B.-"To _Amenophis III_ the King of _Egypt_ by letter thus _(Cal)limmasin_(410) the King of _Carandunias_ (Babylonia) thy brother. I am at peace. To thee, to thy house, thy wives, thy land, thy chariots, thy horses, thy ... be much peace.

"Because of the youngest of my daughters, whom you send to wed, _Irtabi_ whom you remember, they took this message. My father formerly sent a message. You collected many soldiers, you approved his message, and you sent making a present to my father.

"Now I send thee this envoy. In the sixth year you seek for this, and in the sixth year you send thirty _manahs_ of gold (instead of?) silver for my present. I return the same gold. _Casi_ your envoy has known its (value?) which he has seen. I send thy envoy well instructed as to our opinion. For I followed ... and the present that he is instructed to ...

is thirty _manahs_ of gold, which you ... a gift of alliance."

The rest is too broken to read. It mentions five women sent, and ten wooden chariots-the latter as presents. The next letter is from Egypt.

Either a copy or an original never sent.(411)

1 B. M.-"To _Callimmasin_ King of _Carandunias_ my brother, by letter thus _Amenophis III_ the great King, the King of _Egypt_ thy brother. There is peace to my region. To thy region be peace: to thy house, to thy wives, to thy sons, to thy Lords, to thy horses, to thy chariots, and in thy hands be much peace. I am at peace. There is much peace to my house, to my wives, to my sons, to my Lords, my horses, my chariots, my army; and in my lands there is much peace.

"Now I heard the message you sent about her to me. Thus it was, 'Now you ask my daughter as your wife, but my sister whom my father gave thee, being good to you, has any seen her whether she has lived or whether she has died?' This is the message that you send in your letter. But did you ever send as your envoy, one who has known your sister, and who has spoken with her, and understood her? And let one speak with her. The chiefs you send are useless, your envoy _Zakara_ is one who is a chief(?). There is not one among them related to your father, and ... concerning this my envoy is with thee, and has spoken to her ... her heart ... concerning this, and she has given ... to her mother. And lo! you send this, 'You spoke to my envoys, and they gathered your wives: a lady appeared before you (saying) thus, Behold your queen who is brought out before you all.

But my envoys knew her not (to be) my sister.' Now satisfy yourself as to what you thus send, 'My envoys knew her not,' and you say, 'Who was it that was recognized by her?' Why do not you send as your envoy one who shall tell you a true message as to the salutation from your sister, I pray you? And you said that they disputed as to her appearance. But you can see her with the King. And lo! you send thus, 'Who was the princess-a daughter of one who was a native, or was she one of the land of (my neighbors?), or was she the daughter of the Land of _Khani Rabbatu_, or the princess of the Land of _Ugarit_, that my envoys so saw, and who was it that spoke to them to satisfy that nothing wrong was done?' And does not your message say all this? But if she has died-your sister, and I am concealing, as you pretend, her ... in former times, which we ... the G.o.d _Amanu_ ... (I rejoice that the wife I love?) ... she has been made queen ... I deny that ... beyond all the wives ... that the Kings of _Egypt_ ...

in the land of _Egypt_. And lo! you send thus 'Both my daughters ... as wives of the Kings of the land of _Carandunias_.' But if the ... of my envoys is friendly, and they have said 'With these things our Lord has sent us, as a present, to satisfy thee concerning thy message: the princess salutes the Kings, and all her friends your daughters.' Take thou possession from him of whatever is with them, and send me a letter, and arrange with thy sister who is with me, and make sure of everything; and I have sent to thee an overseer, so to make known to your daughters, in order to perceive the evil that they teach you. And lo! you send 'The messages that my father has left, do not these messages of his say concerning this, that he established alliance between us?' This is the message you send. Now you and I have fulfilled the alliance, and the portion is before your envoys as they will say in your presence. Is not all to be given by us to her who (is) to come to the land of Egypt (whom) they shall bring before me? And (choose?) one of them. (Now) I have sent silver, gold, unguents, cloths, all whatsoever the land can give, and the overseer will say what is the value of that which he has brought-every gift to be weighed to you, that my envoy is to give. And we have been shamed by the evils that they speak. They have refuted the abominations-the evil things that they told you of us. And I was grieved when they ... us all these things. For is it not of their deceit that they told you thus? And I appointed them not to ... them about this. And lo!

you send thus, you say thus to my envoys, 'There are no soldiers of my Lord, and is not (a young girl?) to be given them?' This is thy message: 'Thy envoys said for thee that none are going forth. It might be done safely if there were soldiers, if there be none it is impossible to arrange for us what I am asked by him. If there are soldiers I grant it you, if there are horses I grant you this.' This reason your envoy made use of with us, who put me to shame-the evil man whom you sent. I pray thee if they feared to be slain, and lamented evils when she went out, lo!

all was in your hands. Thus let my chariots be granted from among the chariots of the ruling chiefs: do not you regard them as a possession? You can send them wherever you please. Are not they all a possession? Are not there, I pray you also, chariots, are not there I pray you horses with me?

Demand all my horses: the chariots behold you shall send to meet you at the stations. As for me you shall send me the girl, and send out one to lead (her) to me."

3 B. M.-This is broken at the top, but supposed to be from _Callimmasin_.

"... my envoys ... the many ... that they send to me I ... Thou my brother without ... for thy daughter to wed, as I send ... (you say) thus, 'From of old a daughter of the King of Egypt was not given for anything.' Why so? Thou art a King, and doest thy will. As they spake this message to me I then sent thus, 'Many of (your) daughters are grown up. So send one who is grown up as (I ask for) her.' Who says thus, 'There is no daughter of the King to give.' Thou hast sent without enquiring as to this. Thou dost not rebuke alliance and good-will, as you send approaching me eagerly as to a taking to wife. And I sent to you because of these things, in brotherhood and good-will, because eagerly approaching me as to taking a wife. My brother, why not send a woman? Why am I repulsed? I myself have sent like thee, I have intrusted a woman. As there were daughters I did not refuse thee. Why a.s.sociate by taking a wife as ... I have sent to thee to know this ... all your ... so ... they said your ... Lo! my daughter whom I have sent(412) ... you do not take unwillingly, consenting to whatever you desire ... and as for the gold that I send you, your envoy has agreed with me as to the amount of the gold I.... Behold speedily, within this year, whether in the month of June (_Duzu_) or in the month of July (_Ab_),(413) this message being taken away, let her whom I have taken be.... If within this year, in June or in July, I send you the gold, you shall send ... the daughter whom I am given by you, and you in return shall send the gold for your ... But if in June or in July the gold is not sent, do not cause her whom I have taken to be sent away. And in return for what will you send to be carried away her whom I have taken. Why, indeed, is it necessary to trouble about gold? Truly sending 3,000 (pounds?) of gold have not I completed the exchange for you, and have not I given my daughter to take to wife?"

a.s.sURUBALID'S LETTER

9 B.-"To _Amenophis IV_ (the great King?) the King of _Egypt_ my brother, thus _a.s.surubalid_,(414) King of _a.s.syria_ the great King thy brother.

Peace be to thee, to thy house, and to thy land. I was very glad when I saw your envoys. Let me send your envoys again with my message. I have sent as a present for you a chariot (of the royal forces?) of my ... and two horses swift and sure. A chariot (without harness?) and a precious stone.

"The sending of gold from your land that has formerly come across to the great King has ceased.(415) Why should he be repulsed from your sight?

They have taken as much gold as there was; as much as I have received, which also I have needed, is caused to be sent.

"In the time of _a.s.surnadinakhi_(416) my ancestor they sent to the land of Egypt twenty (pounds?) of gold.

"In the time that the King of _Khani-Rabbatu_ sent to your father, to the land of Egypt, they sent him twenty (pounds) of gold.

"... To the King of _Khani-Rabbatu_ and to me ... you have sent gold. I sent ... and you ... from the hands of my envoys....

"If fortunately your face is favorable send gold, and let him who executes the message take what is needed. In return let our envoys be sent to thee from us. Your envoys who have tarried with me needing men to guide them it is granted, in order that I may send this. They took from me men to guide them as they went down. Do not disgrace my envoys, and do not delay them for me. Why should we not in future send out envoys? In future they will carry news, in future they will be sent out to the King to carry the news.

And in future let it be declared 'Whosoever of us is treacherous let him be destroyed for the King.' I have received (envoys) thirteen times, why should not other envoys beside from the King in future again..."

LETTERS FROM BURNABURIAS

2 B. M.-"To _Amenophis IV_ (_Nibkhuarririya_) King of _Egypt_, by letter thus _Burnaburias_ King of _Caradunias_(417) thy brother. I am at peace.

May there be much peace to thee, to thy house, thy wives, thy sons, thy land, thy Lords, thy horses, thy chariots.