Amarna Letter EA 287

Amarna letter EA 287, titled: ''"A Very Serious Crime,"'' is a tall, finely-inscribed clay tablet letter, approximately 8 in tall, from Abdi-Heba the mayor/ruler of Jerusalem, of the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters. The scribe of his six letters to Egypt were penned by the " Jerusalem scribe"; EA 287 is a moderately long, and involved letter.

The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.

Letter EA 287 (see here-(Reverse)

, is numbered VAT 1644, from the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin.

Glossenkeils

Glossenkeils used in letter 387:

The letter

EA 287: ''"A Very Serious Crime"''

EA 287, letter three of six. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation, and English from French.)
(Obverse & Reverse):

:Obverse:

:(Lines 1–3)-- ay to the kin, m lord: Abdi-Heba,_yo[ur.html" ;"title="essage of Abdi-Heba, yo[ur">essage of Abdi-Heba, yo[urservant. [I fall at the feet] of my lord 7 times and 7 times.
:segue:
:(4-9)--''Consider] the ent(ire)'' affair.^1, ''[ Milkilu and Tagi (Ginti mayor), Tagi'' brought ''[troop]s'' into '' iltuagainst me.''² onsiderthe deed that they did '' o your servant''³ Arrow(s)⁴ ... ''
:( ... lacuna )
:( ... lacuna )
:(10-12)-- .they brought into '' ilt.'' May the in know (that) all the lands are tpeace (with one another), but I am at war.
:(13-13)--May the king provide for his land.
:segue:
:(14-19)--Consider the lands of Gazru, Ašqaluna, and L ''kis.''⁵ They have given them food, oils, and any other requirement. So may the king provide for archers and ⁶ send the archers against men that commit crimes against the king, my lord.
:(20-24)--If this year there are archers, then the lands and the mayors will belong to the king, my lord. But if there are no archers, then the ki gwill have neither lands nor mayors.
:segue:
:(25-28)--Consider Jerusalem! This neither my father nor m mother gave to me. The trng hand :(gloss) ''zu- ru-uh'' (arm) f the kinggave to me.⁷
:segue:
:(29-31)--Consider the deed! This is the deed of Milkilu and the deed of the sons(=cohorts) of Lab'ayu, who have given the land of the king (to) the 'Apiru.
:segue:
:(32-32)--Consider, O king, my lord! ''I am in the right!''⁸
:(33-42)--With regard to the Kašites, may the king make inquiry of the commissioners. Though the house is well fortified, they attempted a very serious crime. They ok their tools, and ''I had to seek shelter by a support''⁹ for the roof :(gloss) ''ga-ag- gi''. ''Ad so i'' he is going to send ''troop]s'' into '' erusalem'' let them come with '' garrison for' (regular) ''service''.¹⁰ May the king provide for them; '' ll' of the land ''might be in dire straits''¹¹ on their account.

:bottom, obverse: 38–40:
:Reverse: (line 41)

:(43-49)--May the king inquire about the . Let there be''¹² much food, much oil, much clothing until Pauru, the commissioner of the king, comes up to Jerusalem. Gone¹³ is Addaya together with the garrison of soldiers hatthe king roided. May the king know (that) Addaya ad to me,
:segue:
:(50-52)--''" ehld, he has dismissed me."''¹⁴ Do not abandon it, ndsend this eara garrison, and send right here¹⁵ the commissioner of the king.
:(53-59)--I sent '' ''as gift''¹⁶ to the king, my lord, prisoners, 5000... ..¹⁷ '' nd8 porters''¹⁸ for the caravans of the k ng, my lord but they have been taken in the countryside: ''a-de₄-e'' of Ayyaluna. May the king, my lord, know (that) I am unable to send a caravan to the king, my lord. For you information!
:segue:
:(60-63)--As the king has placed his name in Jerusalem forever, he cannot abandon it—the land of Jerusalem.¹⁹
:(64-70)--Say to the scribe of the king, my lord: Message of ' Abdi-Heba, your servant. I fall at (your) feet. I am your servant. Present eloquent words to the king, my lord: I am a soldier of the king. I ''am always yours.''²⁰
:(71-78)--And please make the Kašites responsible for the evil deed.²¹ I was almost killed by the Kašites my own house. May the king '' ake an inquiry' in the rregard. ay the kin, my lord, '' rovide' for them. 7 times and 7 times my the king, my lord, '' rovide' for me.²²(complete, EA 287, many minor, restored lacunae, lines 1–78)

Akkadian text

The Akkadian language text: (starting at line 1, obverse, and line 39, reverse)

Akkadian:

:Obverse:

:(Line 1)-- Ana_(cuneiform).html"_;"title="a_(cuneiform).html"_;"title="a_(cuneiform)">Ana_(cuneiform)">na_1. ^{Ana_(cuneiform).html"_;"title="a_(cuneiform).html"_;"title="a_(cuneiform)">Ana_(cuneiform)">na_1.diš_(cuneiform)">diš_LUGAL_(king_Sumerogram).html" ;"title="diš_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="_(cuneiform)">Ana_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="a_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="a (cuneiform)">Ana (cuneiform)">na 1.diš (cuneiform)">diš LUGAL (king Sumerogram)">ŠÀR ] RU Bēlu- ia qi (cuneiform), qabi (cuneiform), bma (cuneiform), û ]--(To 1.-King-Lord-mine,..Speak!)
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:(3)--[_____GÌR_(foot_Sumerogram)">šēpu-meš_(cuneiform).html" "title="____GÌR_(foot_Sumerogram).html" ;"title="na_(cuneiform)">na_.html" ;"title="_(cuneiform)">ana_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="a_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="ma_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="ma (cuneiform)">ma a (cuneiform)">ana (cuneiform)">na ">_(cuneiform)">ana_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="a_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="ma_(cuneiform).html" ;"title="ma (cuneiform)">ma a (cuneiform)">ana (cuneiform)">na -('message thus' Abdi-Heba, "The Servant-yours", at..)
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:segue
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