Amarna letter EA 100, titled: ''"The City of Irqata to the King"'' Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. ''The Amarna Letters.'' EA 100, ''"The City of Irqata to the King"'', pp. 172-173. is a short-, to moderate-length

clay tablet In the Ancient Near East, clay tablets (Akkadian ) were used as a writing medium, especially for writing in cuneiform, throughout the Bronze Age and well into the Iron Age. Cuneiform characters were imprinted on a wet clay tablet with a stylu ...

Amarna letter The Amarna letters (; sometimes referred to as the Amarna correspondence or Amarna tablets, and cited with the abbreviation EA, for "El Amarna") are an archive, written on clay tablets, primarily consisting of diplomatic correspondence between t ...

from the

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

of Irqata, (modern

Arqa Arqa ( ar, عرقا; akk, 𒅕𒋡𒋫, translit=Irqata) is a Lebanese village near Miniara in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon, 22 km northeast of Tripoli, near the coast. The town was a notable city-state during the Iron Age. The city of '' ...

), written to the Pharaoh of Egypt. Only one other city sent a clay tablet Amarna letter to the Pharaoh, namely

Tunip Tunip was a city-state in western Syria in 1350– 1335 BC, the period of the Amarna letters. The name "Syria" did not yet exist, though this was already the time of ancient Assyria. The regions were: Amurru, Nuhašše, the Amqu (the Beqaa), Ni ...

, letter EA 59, titled: ''"From the Citizens of Tunip"''. The letter concerns the "watch-guarding" of Irqata, regional warfare (with the

Habiru Habiru (sometimes written as Hapiru, and more accurately as ʿApiru, meaning "dusty, dirty"; Sumerian: 𒊓𒄤, ''sagaz''; Akkadian: 𒄩𒁉𒊒, ''ḫabiru'' or ''ʿaperu'') is a term used in 2nd-millennium BCE texts throughout the Fertile C ...

'Apiru Habiru (sometimes written as Hapiru, and more accurately as ʿApiru, meaning "dusty, dirty"; Sumerian: 𒊓𒄤, ''sagaz''; Akkadian: 𒄩𒁉𒊒, ''ḫabiru'' or ''ʿaperu'') is a term used in 2nd-millennium BCE texts throughout the Fertile ...

), and the city's continued protection, and loyalty to the Egyptian Pharaoh. The letter implies their loyalty, their constant vigilance, and need for assistance from the Pharaoh, either implied by troop needs, or at least awareness from the Pharaoh, of their needs. EA 100 is located at the

British Museum The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...

, no 29825. Tablet letter EA 100 can be viewed here: Obverse

Reverse

The letter

EA 100: ''"The City of Irqata to the King"''

EA 100, letter one of one from the elders of

Irqata. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation.) ''Obverse'': :(Lines 1-10)--This tablet is a

tablet Tablet may refer to: Medicine * Tablet (pharmacy), a mixture of pharmacological substances pressed into a small cake or bar, colloquially called a "pill" Computing * Tablet computer, a mobile computer that is primarily operated by touching the s ...

from Irqata (

). To the king, our lord: Message from Irqata and its el(d)ers.¹ We fall at the feet of the king, our lord, 7 times and 7 times. To our lord, the Sun: Message from Irqata. May the heart of the king, (our) lord, know² that we guard Irqata for him. :Paragraph II :(11-18)--When the ig, our lord, sent D Bi-ha (cuneiform)">Ha-a (cuneiform)">A,'' he said to [u">ha_(cunei.html" ;"title="bi_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="MU-''bi (cuneiform)">Bi-ha (cuneiform)">Ha-a (cuneiform)">A,'' he said to [u, ''"Message of the king: Guard Irqata!"''³ The sons of the traitor to the king seek our harm;⁴ Irqata see[ks]⁵ loyalty to the king. :Paragraph III :(19-22)--As to ''[silver]'' having been given to Subaru (Amarna letters), S[u]baru (Sú (cuneiform), Sú- ba- ru, ) al ng with30 horses and cha iots ''Reverse'': :Paragraph III-B :(23)--May you know the mind of Irqata! :(24-32)--When a tablet from the king arrived (saying) to ''ra d' the land that the 'A iru had taken

rom Rom, or ROM may refer to: Biomechanics and medicine * Risk of mortality, a medical classification to estimate the likelihood of death for a patient * Rupture of membranes, a term used during pregnancy to describe a rupture of the amniotic sac * R ...

the king, ''they wa ed' war with us against the enemy of our lord, the man whom you pla edover us.⁶ Truly we are guarding the ''l nd''⁷ May the king, our lord, heed the words of his loyal servants. :Paragraph IV :(33-44)--May he grant a gift to his servant(s) so our enemies will see this and eat dirt.⁸ May the breath of the king not depart from us.⁹ We shall keep the city gate barred until the breath of the king reaches us. Severe is the war against us — terribly, terribly.--(complete, only very minor

lacuna Lacuna (plural lacunas or lacunae) may refer to: Related to the meaning "gap" * Lacuna (manuscripts), a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or musical work **Great Lacuna, a lacuna of eight leaves where there was heroic Old Norse po ...

s, lines 1-44)

The
Habiru Habiru (sometimes written as Hapiru, and more accurately as ʿApiru, meaning "dusty, dirty"; Sumerian: 𒊓𒄤, ''sagaz''; Akkadian: 𒄩𒁉𒊒, ''ḫabiru'' or ''ʿaperu'') is a term used in 2nd-millennium BCE texts throughout the Fertile C ...
/
'Apiru Habiru (sometimes written as Hapiru, and more accurately as ʿApiru, meaning "dusty, dirty"; Sumerian: 𒊓𒄤, ''sagaz''; Akkadian: 𒄩𒁉𒊒, ''ḫabiru'' or ''ʿaperu'') is a term used in 2nd-millennium BCE texts throughout the Fertile ...

AreasOfHabiruActivityInAmarnaLettersLBIIA

The mention of the

shows the conflict of the time, as the takeover of

s or regions by the Habiru. The map shows various cities and regions, and their respective dealings with the Habiru. (There are only 3 letters from

Labaya Labaya (also transliterated as Labayu or Lib'ayu) was a 14th-century BCE ruler or warlord in the central hill country of southern Canaan. He lived contemporaneously with Pharaoh Akhenaten. Labaya is mentioned in several of the Amarna Letters (abb ...

of Šakmu/

Shechem Shechem ( ), also spelled Sichem ( ; he, שְׁכֶם, ''Šəḵem''; ; grc, Συχέμ, Sykhém; Samaritan Hebrew: , ), was a Canaanite and Israelite city mentioned in the Amarna Letters, later appearing in the Hebrew Bible as the first cap ...

.) The next closest mention of the Habiru is from the Jerusalem letters of

Abdi-Heba Abdi-Heba (Abdi-Kheba, Abdi-Hepat, or Abdi-Hebat) was a local chieftain of Jerusalem during the Amarna period (mid-1330s BC). Abdi-Heba's name can be translated as "servant of Hebat", a Hurrian goddess. Whether Abdi-Heba was himself of Hurrian d ...

, directly south at

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, letters EA 286,

287 Year 287 (Roman numerals, CCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, less frequ ...

288 Year 288 ( CCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximian and Ianuarianus (or, less frequently, year 1041 ...

, 289, and EA 290.

Spellings for ''
Habiru Habiru (sometimes written as Hapiru, and more accurately as ʿApiru, meaning "dusty, dirty"; Sumerian: 𒊓𒄤, ''sagaz''; Akkadian: 𒄩𒁉𒊒, ''ḫabiru'' or ''ʿaperu'') is a term used in 2nd-millennium BCE texts throughout the Fertile C ...
'' in the Amarna letters

*EA 100, l. 26—

KUR The ancient Mesopotamian underworld, most often known in Sumerian as Kur, Irkalla, Kukku, Arali, or Kigal and in Akkadian as Erṣetu, although it had many names in both languages, was a dark, dreary cavern located deep below the ground, where ...

,.. ša ìl- qú LÚ. MEŠ

GAZ GAZ or Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (russian: ГАЗ or Го́рьковский автомоби́льный заво́д, , Gorky Automobile Plant) is a Russian automotive manufacturer located in Nizhny Novgorod, formerly known as Gorky (Го� ...

,.. ištu (cuneiform)">tu ">iš_(cuneiform)">iš<_a>tu_(cuneif.html" ;"title="iš_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="iš (cuneiform)">ištu (cuneiform)">tu ndash;.]–( LÚ-MEŠ GAZ ) *Amarna letter EA 271, EA 271, l. 16—..LÚ (man Sumerogram), lú-MEŠ (cuneiform), meš Sa-GaZ-MEŠ (cuneiform), meš .. ( Men (pl), SA.GAZ^MEŠ(pl) * EA 290, l. 24—.. Ha- Pí- Ri .. ( Hapiru ( 'Apiru )) * EA 299, l. 18—.. da- an- nu LÚ- SA-

meš The cuneiform MEŠ, or meš is a plural form attached at the end of Mesopotamian cuneiform words as a suffix. As part of a name (PN, personal name, or other), or major class being referenced, in capital letters (a Sumerogram form), it is typical ...

.. ( "Strengthening" - LÚ.SA.GAZ.MEŠ ..( "Strengthening Habiru" ) * EA 366, l. 21—.. SA-

.. ( ^LÚSA-GAZ (Habiru))

Akkadian text

Text:

Akkadian language Akkadian (, Akkadian: )John Huehnergard & Christopher Woods, "Akkadian and Eblaite", ''The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the World's Ancient Languages''. Ed. Roger D. Woodard (2004, Cambridge) Pages 218-280 is an extinct East Semitic language th ...

sumerogram A Sumerogram is the use of a Sumerian cuneiform character or group of characters as an ideogram or logogram rather than a syllabogram in the graphic representation of a language other than Sumerian, such as Akkadian or Hittite. Sumerograms are no ...

s, Egyptianisms, etc. Akkadian: ''Obverse:''
Paragraph I (see here

:(Line 1)— Ṭup- pí an- nu- ú,.. ṭup- pí–.–.–.–.–.–.–(Tablet this,.. tablet (of)- ) :(2)— ^{_URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...
_}- IR- Qa- Ta,.. a- na (lugal=ŠÀR-ru)_

LUGAL Lugal ( Sumerian: ) is the Sumerian term for "king, ruler". Literally, the term means "big man." In Sumerian, ''lu'' "𒇽" is "man" and ''gal'' "𒃲" is "great," or "big." It was one of several Sumerian titles that a ruler of a city-state could ...

_- ri–.–.–(-^City-state-Irqata-(

),.. to (the)-King—!.. ) :(3)— _ EN_- nu,.. um- ma,.. ^{_URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...
_}- IR- Qa- Ta–.–(Lord-Ours,.. "message thus",.. ^{Quote-City-state}-Irqata—!..-- ) :(4)— ù _ LÚ. MEŠ_ ši- bu(!)- ti- ši,..–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.–(--and MEN(pl) ''elders'',..—! ) :(5)— a na _GÌR. MEŠ_,.. -_

_- ri _ EN_- nu^Unquote,..–.–(at (the) Feet(pl),.. "King-Lord-Ours",.. ) :(6)—7

šu The cuneiform šu sign is a common, multi-use syllabic and alphabetic sign for ''šu'', ''š'', and ''u''; it has a subsidiary usage for syllabic ''qat''; it also has a majuscule-(capital letter) Sumerogram usage for ŠU, for Akkadian language ...

,.. 7 ta- an- ni,.. am- qú- ut!..–.–.–.–.–.–(7 times,.. (and) 7 'times again',.. ''we bow—!'',.. )(?we address you?^UnQuote) :(7)— a na EN(=Bēlu)- nu,.. An-

UTU Utu (dUD "Sun"), also known under the Akkadian name Shamash, ''šmš'', syc, ܫܡܫܐ ''šemša'', he, שֶׁמֶשׁ ''šemeš'', ar, شمس ''šams'', Ashurian Aramaic: 𐣴𐣬𐣴 ''š'meš(ā)'' was the ancient Mesopotamian sun god. ...

,.. um ma--–.(.. To Lord-Ours,.. ^God-"Sun-God",.. "message thus"-(of) -- ) :(8)—^{URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...}- IR- Qa- Ta!.. " i- de ŠÀ(=lìb)- bi"–.–.–(..^City-state-Irqata—!.. ..^Quote"Know (in the)-HEART (of the)" -- ) :(9)—

EN,.. i- nu- ma ni- na- ṣa- ru–.–.–( --King-Lord—!.. .."Now (-at-this-time)" (we) 'Watch-Guard' -- ) :(10)—^{URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...}- IR- Qa- Ta,.. a na ša-

—!...–.–.–.–.–(^City-state-Irqata,.. for Him—!"^UnQuote ....(i.e. for the Pharaoh) ) :(Line 1)--(Tablet this,.. tablet- ) :(2)--(-^City-state-Irqata-(

),.. to (the)-^QuoteKing—!.. ) :(3)--(-Bēlu-nu^Unquote,.. "umma",.. ^City-Irqata—!.. ) :(4)--(ù LÚ.MEŠ-(šību)"the elders"—!.. ) :(5)--(ana šêpu(meš),.. "LUGAL(=ŠÀR-ru)-Bēlu-nu",.. ) :(6)--(7 šu (ù) 7 ta-an-ni, maqātu!.. ) :(7)--(ana Bēlu-nu,.. ^d-UTU,.. umma --) :(8)--(^City-Irqata!.. .."Idû (in the)-ŠÀ(=lìb)-bi (=libbu)" -- ) :(9)--(LUGAL EN!.. ..Inūma(=enūma) naṣāru -- ) :(10)--(-^City-Irqata,.. ana šâšu!.... ) ---- Paragraph I–Cuneiform score,

Akkadian Akkadian or Accadian may refer to: * Akkadians, inhabitants of the Akkadian Empire * Akkadian language, an extinct Eastern Semitic language * Akkadian literature, literature in this language * Akkadian cuneiform Cuneiform is a logo- syllabi ...

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

1. Ṭup- pí an- nu- ú,.. ṭup- pí ___țuppu annû, – țuppu ___(Tablet this,.. tablet (of)- ) 2.^{_URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...
_}- IR- Qa- Ta,.. a- na (lugal=ŠÀR-ru)_

_- ri ___^{_URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...
_}- IR- Qa- Ta,.. a na (lugal=ŠÀR-ru)_

_- ri ___(-^City-Irqata,.. to

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

(=ŠÀR-ru)- ) 3._ EN_- nu,.. um- ma,.. ^{Quote_URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...
_}- IR- Qa- Ta ___ _ EN_- nu,.. – um ma,.. ^{_URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...
_}- IR- Qa- Ta—! ___(_

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ar ...

_-Ours,.. – "message thus",.. ^{Quote-City-state}-Irqata—!..-- ) 4. ù _ LÚ. MEŠ_ ši- bu(!)- ti- ši,.. ___ u ^{_ LÚ. MEŠ_} ši- bu(!)- ti- ši (šību),.. ___(

and or AND may refer to: Logic, grammar, and computing * Conjunction (grammar), connecting two words, phrases, or clauses * Logical conjunction in mathematical logic, notated as "∧", "⋅", "&", or simple juxtaposition * Bitwise AND, a boole ...

(_LÚ.MEŠ_)-(šību)"the elders"—!.. ) 5. a na _GÌR. MEŠ,.. ^Quote-

_- ri _ EN_- nu^Unquote,.. šību ___(at (the) Feet(pl),.. "King-Lord-Ours",.. ) 6. ___(and) 7 'times again',.. ''we bow!'',.. )(?we address you?^UnQuote) 7. ___(.. To Lord-Ours,.. ^God-"Sun-God",.. "message thus"-(of) -- ) :

segue A segue (; ) is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next. The term is derived from Italian ''segue'', which literally means "follows". In music In music, ''segue'' is a direction to the performer. It means ''continue (the next ...

: :Paragraph II :(11)— I- nu- ma yu- wa- ši- ra,..

,..–.–.–.–("Now-(at-this-time)",.. sent,.. (the) King- ) :(12)—EN- nu,.. 1.

diš Diš is a cuneiform sign represented by 𒁹 or . It has many uses in cuneiform texts, including in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh''. Description 𒁹 is a cuneiform sign. In Unicode, it is represented by U+12079 (DISH) Use of the vertical sign In t ...

- DUMU-'' Bi- Ha- A'',.. Ù–.–.–(..-Lord-Ours,.. 1.-DUMU(son(=compatriot))-''Bi-Ha-A'',.. And,.. ) :(13)— yi- iq- bi,.. a na ia- ši- nu–.–.–.–.–.–(..He said,.. to us,.. ) :(14)—^Quote Um ma

,.. Ú- ṣa- ru- mi–.–(^Quote"Message thus" (the) King,.. ''Guard!''.. ) :(15)—^{URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...}- IR- Qa- Ta!..^Unquote .. DUMU. MEŠ,.. )--(^City-state-''Irqata!''^Unquote.. "Sons"(Compatriots),.. ) :(16)— LÚ- ša- ri

- ri–.–.–.–.–.–(of the traitor,.. (of the)King,.. ) :(17)— tu- ba- ú- na- nu!..–.–.–.–.–.–("seek harm"(attack/'to rise up')!.. ) :(18)—^{URU
Uru or URU may refer to:

Language
* Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania
* Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
* Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people
...}- IR- Qa- Ta,.. tu- a- ú!.. "> ú!.. ndash;.–(^City-Irqata,.. "seeks loyalty"!..(="to be good") ) :(11)--(Inūma aṣû/uššuru,.. LUGAL(=ŠÀR-ru)- ) :(12)--(Bēlu-nu,.. 1. DUMU-''Bi-Ha-A'',.. Ù,.. ) :(13)--(..qabû,.. ana iāši,.. ) :(14)--(^Quote"Umma" (the) LUGAL: ''Naṣāru!''.. ) :(15)--(^City-''Irqata!''..^Unquote .. DUMU.MEŠ (of),.. ) :(16)--(LÚ-ša-ri,.. (of the)-Šarru,.. ) :(17)--(tebû-("us")!.. ) :(18)--(^City-Irqata,.. tâbu!... ) Paragraph II–Cuneiform score,

Cuneiform score (per CDLI, ''Chicago Digital Library Initiative''), and

, and

. :

: ''Paragraph''-(lines 11-18) 11. I- nu- ma yu- wa- ši- ra^#,..

^# ___( I nū ma aṣ û/ ušš

uru Uru or URU may refer to: Language * Uru dialect of Central Kilimanjaro, a Bantu language of Tanzania * Uru language, the extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people * Uru of Ch'imu, an extinct language of the Uros, an Amerindian people ...

,.. LUGAL(= ŠÀR- ru)- ) ___("Now-(at-this-time)",.. sent-(by),.. (the)

- ) 12._ en_- nu,.. ^{1=m=diš

Diš is a cuneiform sign represented by 𒁹 or . It has many uses in cuneiform texts, including in the ''Epic of Gilgamesh''.
Description
𒁹 is a cuneiform sign. In Unicode, it is represented by U+12079 (DISH)
Use of the vertical sign
In t ...} 1.

" 1= _DUMU_ ">DUMU_(son_Sumerogram).html" ;"title="DUMU (son Sumerogram)">_DUMU_ '' Bi- Ha- A'',.. ù ">Ù (cuneiform)">ù ___(Bēlu- nu,.. ''"1. DUMU- Bi- Ha- A"'',..

u,.. ) ___(..-Lord-

Ours One Union of Regional Staff (OURS) was a trade union in the United Kingdom. The union was formed in early 2010 by the merger of the Derbyshire Group Staff Union and the Cheshire Group Staff Union. It organises former Derbyshire Building Societ ...

,.. 1.-DUMU(

son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

Compatriot {{Short pages monitor

External links

{{Commons category, Amarna letter EA 100
Photo, EA 100: ObversePhoto, EA 100: ReverseObverse (photo only)Reverse (photo only)Line Drawing, cuneiform, and Akkadian, EA 100: Obverse & Reverse
CDLI no. P270927 (''Chicago Digital Library Initiative'')
Link to all 382 EA Amarna letters, ( ''Chicago Digital Library Initiative'' )

Version history (cuneiform)