  No. 36 B. M.—“To King Annumuria127 (Amenophis III) Son of the Sun, my Lord thus (says) this thy servant Akizzi.128 Seven times at the feet of my Lord I bow. My Lord in these my lands I am afraid. Mayst thou protect one who is thy servant under the yoke of my Lord. From the yoke of my Lord I do not rebel. Lo! there is fear of my foes. The people of this thy servant are under thy yoke: this country is among thy lands: the city Katna129 is thy city: I am on the side of my Lord's rule (yoke). Lo! the soldiers and the chariots of my Lord's government have received corn and drink, oxen and beasts (oil and honey?), meeting the soldiers and the chariots of my Lord's dominion (coming?) to me. And now let my Lord ask the great men of his dominion. My Lord, all lands tremble before thy soldiers and thy chariots. If these lands are under the dominion of my Lord's land, and they are seizing them, let him order his soldiers and his chariots this year, and let him take the land of Marhasse,130 the whole of it, to the yoke of my Lord, when—my Lord—the soldiers of the slaves131 are132 ... For six days ago he went out into the land of Hu(ba), and truly Aziru is sending them, and if in this year my Lord does not send out the soldiers and the chariots of his government ... to meet Aziru (and) make him flee ... all will rebel ... My Lord, know him. My Lord (know) the men who are [pg 192] 37 B. M.—“To King Annumuria, Son of the Sun, my Lord, thus (says) Akizzi thy servant: seven times ... at the feet of my Lord I bow. My Lord, now there is flight and no breathing of the ... of the King my Lord. And behold now the ... of this dominion of my Lord, in these lands ... and behold now ... the King of the land of the Hittites ... sends forth ... and the heart of ... smites him. And now behold the King my Lord sends to me, and is complaining ... with me as to the rule of the King of the land of the Hittites. And as for me ... the King of the land of the Hittites. As for me I am with the King my Lord, and with the land of Egypt. I sent and ... as to the rule of the King of the land of the Hittites.” [pg 193]This text is much damaged; it goes on to speak of Aidugama,134the Hittite King, in the country of the King of Egypt, who has taken various things—enumerated, but not intelligible—including, perhaps, ships or boats, and dwellings; and it mentions Neboyapiza. It then continues: “My Lord: Teuiatti of the city of Lapana,135 and Arzuia of the city Ruhizzi,136 minister before Aidugama; but this land is the land of the dominion of my Lord. He is burning it with fire. My Lord, as said, I am on the side of the King my Lord. I am afraid also because of the King of the land of Marhasse, and the King of the land of Ni, and the King of the land of Zinzaar,137 and the King of the land of Canaan. And all of these are kings under the dominion (or, of the rule) of my Lord—chiefs who are servants. As said let the King my Lord live and become mighty, and so O King my Lord wilt not thou go forth? and let the King my Lord despatch the bitati138 soldiers, let them expel (them) from this land. As said, my Lord, these kings have ... the chief of my Lord's government, and let him say what they are to do, and let them be confirmed. Because my Lord this land ministers heartily to the King my Lord. And let him speed soldiers, and let them march; and let the messengers of the dominion of the King my Lord arrive. For my Lord Arzuia of the city Ruhizzi, and Teuiatti of the city Lapana, dwelt in the land of Huba,139 and Dasru dwelt in the land Amma,140 and truly my Lord has known them. Behold the land of Hobah was at peace my Lord in the days of this government. They will be [pg 194] 96 B., a letter mainly complimentary, from Neboyapiza142 to the King of Egypt, ends as follows: “Behold I myself, with my soldiers and my chariots, with my brethren and with (men of blood?) and with my people the men of my kindred go to meet the Egyptian soldiers, as far as the ground which the King my Lord will name.” 142 B.—“To the King my Lord thus saith this thy servant. At the feet of my Lord my Sun seven times on my face, seven times I bow. My Lord I am thy servant, and they will devour me—Neboyapiza: we abide before thy face, my Lord, and lo! they will devour me in your sight. Behold every fortress of my fathers is taken, by the people out of the city Gidisi.143 And my fortresses (say) ‘Speed us avengers.’ I make ready, and (because that?) the Pakas144 of the King my Lord, and the chiefs of his land have known my faithfulness, behold I complain to the ruler being one approved; let the ruler consider that (Neboyapiza) has given proof ... for now they have cast thee out. As for me, I have (gathered?) all my brethren, and we have made the place strong for the King my Lord. I have caused them to march with my soldiers and with my chariots, and with all my people. And behold Neboyapiza has sped to all the fortresses of the King my Lord. Part of the men of blood are from the land Ammusi,145 and (part) from the land of Hubi, and it is won (or reached). But march fast, thou who art a God146 and a Sun in my sight, and restore the strongholds [pg 195] It appears, from other letters, that the city of this chief was the important town Cumidi, now Kamid, in the southern Lebanon, at the south end of the Baalbek plain, west of Baal Gad. In Abu el Feda's time this town was the capital of the surrounding district. 189 B. is much broken. It is from Arzana, chief of the city Khazi.147 He speaks of an attack on Tusulti, by bloody soldiers fighting against the place, and perhaps of the city Bel Gidda (Baal Gad),148 and mentions a Paka, or Egyptian official, called Aman Khatbi, named after the Egyptian god Amen. The foes are spoiling the valley (of Baalbek) in sight of the Egyptian general, and are attacking Khazi, his city. They had already taken Maguzi,149 and are spoiling Baal Gad. It seems that he asks the King not to blame his general, and speaks finally of friendly and faithful men. 43 B. M., broken at the top, reads thus: “... his horses and his chariots ... to men of blood and not ... As for me, I declare myself for the King my Lord, and a servant to preserve these to the King entirely. Biridasia perceives this, and has betrayed it, and he has secretly passed beyond my city Maramma;150 and the great pass is open behind me. And he is marching chariots from the city Astarti,151 and commands them for the men of blood, and does not command them for the King my Lord. Friendly to him is the King of the city Buzruna;152 and the King of the [pg 196] 152 B.—“... thus Ara (ga?) chief of the city Cumidi156 (Kamid) ... at the feet of the King my Lord seven times seven times I bow. Behold as to me I am thy faithful servant: let the King my Lord ask of his Pakas (chiefs) as to me, a faithful servant of the King my Lord, one whom they have ruined. Truly I am a faithful servant of the King my Lord, and let the King my Lord excuse this dog, and let him (bear me in remembrance?). But never a horse and never a chariot is mine, and let this be considered in sight of the King my Lord; and closely allied157 is his servant; and to explain this I am despatching my son to the land of the King my Lord, and let the King my Lord deign to hear me.” 46 B. M.—“At the feet of the King my Lord seven and seven (times) I bow. Behold what this our saying tells, as to [pg 197] 125 B.—“To the King my Lord thus Arzaiaia, chief of the city Mikhiza.158 At the feet of my Lord I bow. King my Lord, I have heard as to going to meet the Egyptian (bitati) soldiers of the King my Lord who are with us, to meet the general (Paka) with (all the infantry?) ... all who have marched to overthrow the King my Lord. Truly a (great strength to the people?) are the Egyptian (bitati) soldiers of the King my Lord, and his commander (Paka). As for me, do I not order all to ... after them? Behold they have been speedy, O King my Lord, and his foes are delayed by them by the hand of the King my Lord.” 126 B.—The same writer, in a broken letter, calls himself a faithful servant of the King. This was perhaps at an earlier period of the war, before the events recorded by Neboyapiza (189 B., 43 B. M.). 75 B. M.—A short letter from Dasru to say he has heard the King's message. He lived in the land of Ham (37 B. M.). 127 B. M.—The same writer says that all that the King does for his land is of good omen. 171 B.—“A message and information from the servant of the King my Lord my God.... And behold what the chief of Simyra has done to my brethren of the city of Tubakhi;159 and he marches to waste the fortresses of the King my Lord my God my Sun ... the land of the Amorites. He has wearied out our chiefs. The fortresses of the King my Lord my God ... are for men of blood. And now strong is the god of the King my Lord my God my Sun; and the city of Tubakhi goes forth to war, and I have stirred up my brethren, [pg 198] 132 B.—“To the King my Lord by letter thus (says) Artabania, chief of the city Ziribasani160 thy servant. At the feet of the King my Lord seven times, on my face, seven times I bow. Behold a message to me to speed to meet the Egyptian (bitati) soldiers. And who am I but a dog only, and shall I not march? Behold me, with my soldiers and my chariots meeting the Egyptian soldiers at the place of which the King my Lord speaks.” 78 B. M.—“To the King my Lord thus the chief of the city Gubbu161 thy servant. At the feet of the King my Lord my Sun (permit?) that seven times, on my face, seven times I bow. Thou hast sent as to going to meet the Egyptian soldiers, and now I with my soldiers and my chariots meet the soldiers of the King my Lord, at the place you march to.” 64 B. M.—“To Yankhamu162 my Lord by letter thus Muu-taddu thy servant. I bow at my Lord's feet as this says, announcing that the enemy is hastening speedily as—my Lord—was announced to the King of the city Bikhisi163 from friends164 of his Lord. Let the King my Lord speed: let the King my Lord fly: for the foe is wasting in the city Bikhisi this two months, there is none ... On account of (Bibelu?) having told me this one has asked then ... until by the arrival of Anamarut (Amenophis IV)165 the city of [pg 199] 134 B.—“To the King my Lord by letter thus Abdmelec the chief of this city Saskhi176 thy servant. At the feet of the King my Lord ... on my face seven times I bow. Thou hast sent as to going to meet the Egyptian soldiers, accordingly I with my soldiers and my chariots (am) meeting the soldiers of the King my Lord, at the place to which you will march.” 143 B.—“To the King our Lord thus (says) Addubaya and thus also Betili. At the feet of our Lord we bow. Peace indeed to the face of our Lord. And (as is fit?) from the lands of our Lord, much they salute. O our Lord, will not you settle everything in your heart? Will not you harden your heart as to this combat O our Lord? But their intention is clear—to make war on the stations, as in our country they do not follow after thee. Lupackhallu177 has removed the soldiers of the Hittites; they will go against the cities of the land of Ham (Am) and from Atadumi they will (take?) them. And let our Lord know, since we hear that Zitana178 the Phoenician (Kharu) has deserted, who will march. And nine chiefs of the soldiers of the government are with us, who march, and the message is unfavorable: a gathering in the land they have made; and they will arrive from the land of Marhasse (Mer'ash). [pg 200] 91 B.—“To the King my Lord thus (says) the city Gebal179 (and) thus Rabikhar (‘the Lord of Phoenicia’) thy servant. At the feet of my Lord the Sun seven times I bow. Do not be angry, O King my Lord, with the city of Gebal (Gubla) thy handmaid—a city of the King from of old, obeying what the King commands as to Aziru, and it did as he wished. Behold Aziru slew Adunu, Lord of the land of Ammia,180 and the King of the land of Ardata,181 and has slain the great men, and has taken their cities for himself. The city Simyra is his. Of the cities of the King only the city Gebal escapes for the King. Behold the city Simyra is subjected. He has smitten the city Ullaza.182 The captains of both have gone into exile. Behold this sin Aziru wrought. Sinful are his strivings against her ... he has smitten all the lands of Ham (Am), lands of the King; and now he has despatched his men to destroy all the lands of Ham; and the King of the land of the Hittites, and the king of the land of Nereb (Nariba)183 (have made?) the land conquered land.” From these letters we learn clearly that the Mongol kings near the Euphrates (and, as appears later, in Armenia) were leagued with the Hittites of Mer'ash in the extreme north of Syria, and of Kadesh on the Orontes, and were supported by the Amorites of the northern Lebanon and by some of the Phoenicians; that the enemy marched south, a distance of 300 miles, taking all the towns in the Baalbek Valley, reaching Damascus by the gorge of the Barada River, and advancing into the land of Ham—in Bashan—where all the chief towns [pg 201] |
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