The Amarna Letters: The Jerusalem Correspondence

EA 280

To the king, my Lord,

My God, My Sun,

Thus says Shuwardata

Your servant, the dust of your feet.

At the foot of the king, my master,

My God and My Sun

Seven times and seven times I fall.

The King, my lord sent me

(10)To engage Keilah

in battle.

I was fighting,

(But) now there is peace with me;

My city has been saved

for me.

Why did

Abdi-Hepa send a message

To the people of Keilah (saying),

"Take silver and (20)come here behind me?"

Now the king, my lord, should know

that Abdi-Hepa has taken my city

from me. Secondly, let the king my Lord, investigate.

If I have taken a man,

an ox, or as much as one donkey from him,

then he is justified.

(30) Further, Labaya,

who took our cities is dead.

And now, Abdi-Hepa has become

a second Labaya, for

he took our cities.

Now let the king think about

his servant on account of this deed.

And he will not do anything

until the king sends

word to his servant.


EA 286

To the king, my Lord, speak:

Thus Abdi-Hepa , your servant.

At the two feet of my Lord, the king

seven times and seven times I fall.

(5) What have I done to the king, my master

(that) they have spread calumny about me

before the king, the master, (saying) "Abdi-Hepa

has gone away from the king, his master."

It was not my father

(10) and not my mother who put me here

in this position.

The strong arm of the king

has caused me to enter the house of my father.

Why should I commit

(15) a crime against the king, my Lord

while the king, My Lord, is alive?

I said to the commisioner of the king, my Lord,

'Why do you love the Habiru but (20)hate the governors?

It is for this reason that they malign me before the king, my Lord,

Because it is said, "The lands of the king, my Lord

are lost." In this way they malign me to the king my master.

(25) But let the king, my Lord know,

that after the king, my Lord, established

the men of the garrison,

Yanhamu took it all.

[Broken text]......Egypt,

the king, my Lord,

there are no (more) men of the garrison,

(35) So let the king take care of his land.

All of the land of the king is lost.

Ilimilku has destroyed all of the king's land.

Therefore, let the king, the lord, tke care of his land.

As for me, I say, "I would go before

the king, my lord. Indeed, I would see

the two eyes of the king, my lord."

For the hostilities against me are strong,

so I am not able to come before the king, my lord.

May it seem right to the king,

(45) and let him send the garrison,

so that I might enter and might see the two eyes of

the king, my lord. As long as the king, my lord

lives, as long as the comissioners go forth,

I will say, "The lands of the king are lost."

But you are not listening to me,

[and] all of the governors are lost.

The king, the lord, has no governors.

Let the king concern himself with the garrison,

and let the forces of the garrison of the king my lord go out.

(55)The king has no more lands.

The Habiru have plundered all the lands of the king.

If the forces of the archers are here this year, then

the lands of the king, my lord, may be [saved]

But if there is no force of archers,

(60)then the lands of the king, my lord, will be lost.

Abdi-hepa,your servant, says this to the scribe of the king, my lord:

Bring eloquent words to the king, my lord. All the lands of the

king my lord, are lost.


EA 288

Speak to the king, my lord, my sun,

Thue Abdi-hepa, your servant.

At the two feet of the king, my lord,

seven tmes and seven times I fall.

(5)Look! The king, my lord, has established

his name from the rising of the sun

to the seting of the sun. They have

committed villany against me.

Look! I am not a governor

(10) or an officer of the king my lord.

Indeed! I am a friend of the king, my lord,

and a bearer of royal tribute.

It was not my father nor my mother,

but the strong arm of the king that

(15) established me in the house of my father.

[the text is broken]

....reached me....

I gave ten servants to him.

Shuta, the royal commissioner of the king came

(20) to me. I gave 21 young women,

and 80 prisoners to Shuta as a gift to the king, my lord.

Let the king take thought for his land;

the land of the king is plundered.

(25) All of it has been seized from me. There is hostility against me,

as far as the land of Sherri, as far as Gint-kirmil,

are all at peace, that is, for the Hazianuti,

But there is hostility against me.

I have become like the Habiru.

(30)But I cannot see the two eyes of the king,

my Lord. Because of the hostility that is

against me, I have become

like a ship in the midst of the sea.

The strong arm of he king

(35)can conquer Nahrima

and Kapsi, but now

the Habiru are taking the lands

of the king.

There is not one city-state ruler

(40)belonging to the king, my lord. All of them are lost.

Look! Turbazu was killed

in the gate of the city of Zilu, but the king [did nothing].

Look! Zimrida of Lachish

was killed by servants who acted with the Habiru.

(45)Yaptih-Adda was slain

in the gate of Sillu....

Should not the king inquire of them?

So let the king take care of his land,

and let the king take care of

(50)the garrison for the land of tribute.

Because if there is no garrison

this year, all of the lands

of the king, my lord, will be lost.

Do not let them say to the king, my lord

(55)that the land of the king, my lord,

is lost,

or that every one of the city-state rulers are lost.

If there is no garrison

thisyear, let the king send

a governor, and let him take me

(60)to you with my brothers.

We are willing to die with the king, our lord.

To the scribe of the king my lord,

Abdi-Hepa, your servant says: At your two feet

I have fallen. Send eloquent words to the king.

I am your servant and your son.


Translation by Charles E. Carter, (c) 1997. To be quoted only by permission, but may be linked with other documents for educational purposes providing this message is reproduced.