Egyptian Literature / Comprising Egyptian tales, hymns, litanies, invocations, the Book of the Dead, and cuneiform writings

The Amorite Treachery

No. 35 B.—“To the King my Lord my God my Sun Aziru thy servant; and seven times at the feet of my Lord my God my Sun I bow.” The letter is much broken, but promises he will never rebel, and says he is sincere. He desires land of the King (at Simyra), and says the men of the government are friendly, but that the city of Simyra is to be made promptly to fulfil its engagements.

35 B. M.—“To the Great King my Lord my God my Sun thus (says) this thy servant Aziru. Seven times and seven times at the feet of my Lord my God my Sun I bow. My Lord I am thy servant, and (from my youth?) in the presence of the King my Lord, and I fulfil all my orders to the sight of my Lord. And what they who are my (agents?) shall say to my Lord as to the chiefs who are faithful, in the sight of the King my Lord, will not you hear me speak, I who am thy servant sincere as long as I live? But when the King my Lord sent Khani,184 I was resting in the city of Tunip (Tennib) and there was no knowledge behold of his arriving. Whereupon he gave notice, and coming after him also, have I not reached him? And let Khani speak to testify with what humility, and let the King my Lord ask him how my brethren have prepared to tend (him), and Betilu will send to his presence oxen and beasts and fowls: his food and his drink will be provided. I shall give horses and beasts for his journey; and may the King my Lord hear my messages, with my assurances in the presence of the King my Lord. Khani will march much cared for in my sight, he accompanies me as my comrade, like my father; and lo! my Lord says, ‘You turn away from the [pg 202] appearance of Khani.’ Thus thy Gods and the Sun-God truly had known if I did not stay in the city of Tunip. Moreover because of the intention to set in order the city of Simyra, the King my Lord has sent word (and) the Kings of the land of Marshasse (Mer'ash) have been foes to me. They have marched on my cities: they have observed the desire of Khatib,185 and has not he promised them? lo! hastily he has promised them. And truly my Lord has known that half of the possessions that the King my Lord has given Khatib takes: the tribute, and the gold and the silver that the King my Lord has given me; and Khatib takes all the tribute; and truly my Lord has known. Moreover as against my Lord the King's having said, ‘Why dost thou yield service to the messenger of the King of the land of the Hittites, and dost not yield service to my messenger?’ this region is the land of my Lord, he establishes me in it, with men of government. Let a messenger of my Lord come, and all that I speak of in the sight of my Lord let me give. Tin and ships, men186 and weapons, and trees let me give.”

40 B.—“To Dudu187 my Lord my father thus (says) Aziru your son your servant: at the feet of my father I bow. Lo! let Dudu send the wishes of my Lord ... and I ... Moreover behold thou shalt not reject (me) my father, and whatever are the wishes of Dudu my father, send, and will not I ... Behold thou art my father and my Lord: I am thy son: the land of the Amorites is your land; and my house is your house.188 Say what you wish and I will truly perform your wishes.” The latter part is broken, but states that he will not rebel against the wishes of the King or those of Dudu.

38 B.—“To Dudu my Lord my father thus Aziru thy servant. At my lord's feet I bow. Khatib will march, and has carefully followed the messages (or orders) of the King my Lord before (he goes); and what is good increases; and I have been gladdened very much; and my brethren, men serving the King my Lord, and men who are servants of Dudu my Lord. They had feared exceedingly. Behold he will march, to command for the King my Lord with me. From the [pg 203] orders of my Lord my God and my Sun, and from the orders of Dudu my Lord, I will never depart. My Lord now Khatib goes forth with me, and also he will march to strengthen me. My Lord, the King of the land of the Hittites will march from the land of Marhasse (Mer'ash), and has he not boasted to meet me? and the King of the Hittites will rebel, and behold I and Khatib will march. Let the King my Lord hear my messages. I have feared without the countenance of the King my Lord, and without the countenance of Dudu; and now (my Gods and my messenger189). And truly these are my brethren—Dudu and the great men of the King my Lord; and truly I will march; and since O Dudu both the King my Lord and the chiefs thus are ready, everything against Aziru is forgiven which has been unfavorable for my God,190 and for us. And now I and Khatib have appeared servants of the King. Truly thou knowest Dudu, behold I go forth mightily.”

31 B.—“To Khai191 my brother thus (says) this thy brother Aziru. With thee (be) peace indeed, and from the Egyptian soldiers of the King my Lord there is much safety. Whoever (is) against it the promise remains, in sight of the King my Lord; being formerly promised it remains. I and my sons and my brethren are all servants of the King: it is good for me. Now I and Khatib will both march, behold, with speed. O Khai, as among you truly it is known, lo! I have been troubled. From the orders of my Lord there is no rebellion, nor from your orders. I am a servant of my Lord. The King of the land of the Hittites dwells in the land of Marhasse (Mer'ash) and I have feared his appearance. They who are in the West lands192 have armed. He gathers; and while the city of Tunip is unoccupied, he dwells two swift marches from the city. And I have been afraid of his appearance; and contrary to messages of promise he goes forth to his rebellions. But now we shall both march, I and Khatib, with speed.”

32 B. repeats the preceding—perhaps to another correspondent: it mentions Dudu, and says: “I have been afraid of [pg 204] this rebel son of a dog, and I have been troubled. Now he has sent a message from the Western land—the land of my Lord: they will both march together, and I have been afraid for my Lord's land.”

33 B., much broken at the top, refers to the existing promise or treaty, and continues: “I cause the land of my Lord to be guarded, and my countenance is toward the men who are servants of the King my Lord in peace. My Lord now I and Khatib are made friends,193 and let my Lord know behold I have ... in haste. The King of the land of the Hittites dwells ... and I have been afraid ... have armed ... of the land ... my Lord I remain quietly ... in the West land ... King my Lord to defend his land ... and now behold in the land of Marhasse he dwells—two swift marches from the city of Tunip; and I fear his wastings. Let the city of Tunip be defended: my Lord is a shield to men who serve him; mayst thou hear what is said and my sons will ... forever.”

39 B., broken at the top. “I have strengthened this ... I have strengthened this wall in front of the mouth of the great pass,194 and my Lord's fortress. And let my Lord hear as to the servants of his servant—thy servant Aziru: they will keep watch: strife surrounds us: I trust there will be an expedition; and let us watch the lands of the King our Lord. Moreover to Dudu my Lord. Hear the message of the King of the land of Marhasse to me. They said: ‘Your father195 what gold has this King of Egypt given him, and what has his Lord promised him out of the Land of Egypt; and all the lands, and all the soldier slaves they have fought against?’ (thus) they said ... to Aziru ... out of the Land of Egypt, and behold the slaves come round from the Land of ... Ni196: they have rebelled; and I repeat that thirty chiefs push on against me ... land of Egypt he remains ... my Lord to Aziru ... soldiers ... Marhasse.”

[pg 205]

34 B.—“To the King my Lord my God my Sun thus (says) this Aziru thy servant: seven times and seven times at the feet of my Lord I bow. Now what you wish is desirable. Sun God my Lord I am thy servant forever; and my sons serve thee.... Now two men ... I have commanded as envoys ... what he says ... and let him rule ... in the land of the Amorites.”

34a B.—The salutation of the usual type is here injured. The letter continues: “My Lord my God my Sun, I am thy servant and my sons and my brethren, to serve the King my Lord forever. Now all my Lord's wishes, and what he causes to be despatched, duly ... the King my Lord having despatched. Now eight chiefs who are great, and many (decrees?) we ... all of which ... from ... the King my Lord ... And the Kings of the Land of Marhasse will follow with ... and are these not promised (or leagued) to the city Simyra these thirty years? I turn me to the city Simyra. My Lord I am thy servant forever, and a King of men who are friends; will not my (agents?) ... my Lord (wilt not thou hear?). And the King is my Lord my God and my Sun: let him send his messenger with my messenger, and let them go up who serve the King ...”

36 B.—“To the King ... thus Aziru: seven times and seven times at ... of my God and Sun. Behold truly thou hast known this, O King my Lord; behold I am thy servant forever; from my Lord's commands I never rebel: my Lord from of old (it has been) thus. I am kind to the men who are servants of my King; but the chiefs of the city Simyra have not kept faith righteously with us; and behold neither one nor all are with us: my Lord the King did not you cause to be asked? The King my Lord has known that the chiefs are sinful; and why ask, ‘What does he contend for?’ I say nay ...”

From these letters by Aziru, we must conclude either that he was a great liar or that he was induced to change sides later. The other correspondents seem to have believed that he had long deceived the King of Egypt; but, in the end, his invasion of Phoenicia—perhaps cloaked by pretences of hostility to the Hittite league—caused him, as we shall see, to be proclaimed a rebel. The quarrel with Simyra may have been due to his [pg 206] being pushed south, out of his dominions, but is here said to be due to a Phoenician league with his foes. It does not appear who Khatib was. Perhaps the name was Hittite,197 and he may have been the Prince of Hamath or of Emesa. The following letter from Aziru's father, Abdasherah, belongs to a later period of the war, when Ullaza and all the cities north of Gebal had been conquered by the Amorites. It is couched in the same insidious language; and the letters of Ribadda, which follow, show that Amenophis was not open to conviction for a long time, though warned by his true friends. The proclamation is still later, after the attack on Sidon, and may fitly conclude the Amorite correspondence.

97 B.—“To the King my Son my Lord thus Abdasratu198 thy servant, the dust of thy feet. At the feet of the King my Lord seven times and seven times I bow. Behold I am the King's servant, and a dog who is his neighbor (or his ‘friend’?); and all the land of the Amorites is his. I often said to Pakhanati199 my Paka (Egyptian resident), ‘Let him gather soldiers to defend the people of this King.’ Now all (cursed?) as King, the King of the Phoenician (Kharri) soldiers ... Kharri: the King shall ask if I do not guard the city of Simyra (and) the city Ullaza. Lo my Paka is in her: I proclaim the Sun-King; and I have (given orders?) to obey. The city Simyra is a neighbor,200 and all the lands are the King's—my Sun, my Lord; I watch for him: and I know that the King my Lord is very glorious; and Pakhanati my Paka is established to judge therein.”

Copy of a Proclamation against Aziru, sent to Egypt by Khanni, when sent again to Syria

92 B.—“To the Chief of the Amorite city by letter thus (says) your Lord. A chief of the city of Gebal has said thus [pg 207] in his petition: ‘Send him away from my gate (he says); he is robbing me and disputes with me in my chief city.’201 And I have heard this and much beside which they have said to me as I now speak to say.

“Thou hast sent to the King thy Lord (saying thus), ‘I am thy servant as all former guardians202 who have been in this city.’ And you do well to say thus. (But) I hear so to say a ruler of ours whose petition (is), ‘Send him away from my gate, (he is) out of his city.’ And in the city Zituna (Sidon) he abides, and has subjected himself among chiefs who are governors; and, though certainly knowing what is said, thou dost not confess the persecution of these chiefs. If thou art, as is assured, a servant of the King, how is his cutting off lawful in the sight of the King your Lord? Thus this ruler beseeches me, ‘Let a supplicant be protected, for he is disputing my chief city with me.’ And if you do as is asserted, and not according to all the messages that I send against these things, you are hindering the King traitorously. So will be understood all that has been said.

“And now a certain Chief hears of a gathering with the Chief of the city of Ciidsa (Kadesh on Orontes, the capital of the southern Hittites); devising hostilities, ready to fight, you have made alliance. And if so, why dost thou so? Why should a chief foregather with a chief save that he is on his side? But if you cause what is assured to be done, and you respect the orders to yourself and to him, I say nothing more as to the messages you formerly made (and) as to what was pretended by you in them. But thou art not on the side of the King thy Lord.

“Lo! this is the message, that their fortress burns in flames through (your burning?) and thou ragest against everything grievously. But if thou dost service to the King thy Lord, what is it that I will not do to interceding with the King? If then thou ragest against everything, I make God my witness; and if you persist, God is my witness, that messages of war (will be) in your midst, and by the might of the King thou diest, and as many as are with thee.

[pg 208]

“But do service to the King thy Lord and live. And thou thyself knowest that the King does not deem needful a subjection of the land of Canaan.203 So he is wroth. And as I sent, truly was commanded me of the King my Lord this year and not ... in another year. My son (this) contumacy in the sight of the King thy Lord is vain.

“And now the King thy Lord is anxious as to thee this year. If it is difficult for thee to come, then send thy son. And thou beholdest a King at whose commands many lands tremble: and dost not thou (fear?): thus truly is ordered this year concerning us; failing to go to the presence of the King thy Lord, send thy son to the King thy Lord as a hostage, and let him not delay at all.

“And now the King thy Lord hears, for I send to the King. Thus truly has the King commanded me—Khanni—a second time a messenger of the King. Truly it is to fetch to his hands men who are the foes of his house. Behold now I have been sent, as they are troublous; and moreover thou shalt bind them, and shalt not leave one among them. Now I am desired by the King thy Lord to name the men who are foes of the King in the letter from Khanni the King's messenger; and once more I am obeying the King thy Lord; and thou shalt not leave one among them. A chain of bronze exceeding heavy shall shackle their feet. Behold the men thou shalt fetch to the King thy Lord. Sarru with all his sons; Tuia; Lieia with all his sons: Pisyari204 with all his sons: the son-in-law of Mania with all his sons, with his wives, the women of his household: the chief of Pabaha,205 whose wickedness is abhorred, who made the trumpet to be blown: Dasarti: Paluma: Numahe—a fugitive in the land of the Amorites.

“And knowest thou not that the glory of the King is as the Sun in heaven; his soldiers and his chariots are many. From the shore lands to the land of Gutium,206 from the rising of the [pg 209] Sun to the going down of the same, there is much salutation.”

The attack on Sidon was thus apparently the fact which opened the eyes of Amenophis. It appears to have preceded the final success, when the wealthy city of Gebal was taken by Aziru.

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