Amarna Letter EA 35
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Amarna letter EA 35, titled ''The Hand of Nergal,'' is a 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 sty ...
letter from the king of
Alashiya Alashiya ( akk, 𒀀𒆷𒅆𒅀 ''Alašiya'' -la-ši-ia uga, 𐎀𐎍𐎘𐎊 ''ẢLṮY''; Linear B: 𐀀𐀨𐀯𐀍 ''Alasios'' -ra-si-jo, also spelled Alasiya, also known as the Kingdom of Alashiya, was a state which existed in the Middle ...
(modern
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
) to the king (
pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until the ...
) of Egypt (photo, high resolutio

. The letter has multiple short paragraphs, with scribed, single-lines showing the paragraphing. Paragraphs I-VII are on the letter's obverse; paragraph VIII starts at the bottom edge and continues, ending at Paragraph XIII on the clay tablet's reverse. The letter is located in 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. 29788. The clay surface shows a gloss, implying a quality of the clay preparation. Small edges/ corners of the clay tablet letter are broken, damaged, or missing. The topics of the letter concern an epidemic afflicting the country: ''The Hand of Nergal'', trade for silver and copper (copper from Alašiya), and timber. A discussion of politics, concerning island individuals, and the two countries' messengers concern the second half of the letter. The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are mid 14th century BC, about
1350 BC Events and trends * c. 1356 BC – Amenhotep IV begins the worship of Aten in Ancient Egypt, changing his name to Akhenaten and moving the capital to Akhetaten, starting the Amarna Period. * c. 1352 BC – Amenhotep III ( Eighteenth D ...
and 25? years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at
Akhenaten Akhenaten (pronounced ), also spelled Echnaton, Akhenaton, ( egy, ꜣḫ-n-jtn ''ʾŪḫə-nə-yātəy'', , meaning "Effective for the Aten"), was an ancient Egyptian pharaoh reigning or 1351–1334 BC, the tenth ruler of the Eighteenth D ...
's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the
Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh The building known as the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh (also known as the Records Office) is located in the 'Central City' area of the ancient Egyptian city of Akhetaten, known as Amarna in modern times. The city was the short-lived capit ...
; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.


EA 35, obverse

Moran's non-linear letter
English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the ...
translation (translated from the French language): :(Lines 1-5)--S y to the kng of Egypt, my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
: essageof the king of Alašiya, your
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
. r me all goes well. For my household, my wives,1 my sons, my magnates, my horses, my chariots, and in my country, all goes very well. For my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
:(6-9)--may all go well. For your household, your wives, your sons, your magnates, your horses, your chariots, and in your country, may all go very well. My
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, I herewith send my messenger with your messenger – to Egypt. :(10-15)--I herewith send to you 500 ( ''talents'' ) of copper.2 As my brother's greeting-gift, I send it to you. My brother, do not be concerned that the amount of copper is small. Behold, the ''Hand of Nergal''3 is now in my country; he has slain all the men of my country, and there is not a (single) copper-worker.4 So, my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, do not be concerned. :(16-18)--Send your messenger with my messenger immediately, and I will send you whatever copper you, my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, request. :(19-22)--You are my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
. May he send me silver in very great quantities. My
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, give me the ''very best'' silver, and then I will send you, my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, whatever you, my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
request. :(23-26)--Moreover-( ša- ni- tam), my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, give me the ox that my messenger requests,5 my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, and send me, my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, 2 ''kukkubu''-containers of "sweet oil," my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, and send me one of the experts in vulture augury.6 :(27-29)--Moreover-( ša- ni- tam), my
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, men of my country, keep speaking with m about my timber that the king of Egypt receives from me. My
brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
, '' ''give me'' the payment due.7--(obverse EA 35, lines 1-29, with minor lacunae)


Specific signs, EA 35


ŠEŠ

Sign ''ŠEŠ'', (), is used throughout EA 35 (and the
Alashiya Alashiya ( akk, 𒀀𒆷𒅆𒅀 ''Alašiya'' -la-ši-ia uga, 𐎀𐎍𐎘𐎊 ''ẢLṮY''; Linear B: 𐀀𐀨𐀯𐀍 ''Alasios'' -ra-si-jo, also spelled Alasiya, also known as the Kingdom of Alashiya, was a state which existed in the Middle ...
letters). As ''brother'', and mostly ''brother-mine'', "...my brother,...", it is the
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 n ...
ic use as ŠEŠ (brother Sumerogram). In EA 35 it averages about two uses per paragraph.


Cuneiform bar, (as .MAŠ)

Cuneiform ''bar'', (also ''maš'') is used in EA 35 for "god Nergal". It is found in the text as DMAŠ.MAŠ. (EA 35:13, etc.), (as: ).


See also

*
Alashiya Alashiya ( akk, 𒀀𒆷𒅆𒅀 ''Alašiya'' -la-ši-ia uga, 𐎀𐎍𐎘𐎊 ''ẢLṮY''; Linear B: 𐀀𐀨𐀯𐀍 ''Alasios'' -ra-si-jo, also spelled Alasiya, also known as the Kingdom of Alashiya, was a state which existed in the Middle ...
*
Amarna letters–phrases and quotations 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 ...
*
List of Amarna letters by size This is a List of Amarna letters by size, mostly length X width, and starting with the shortest (in Height). Note: a few Amarna letters are wider than tall, for example Amarna letter EA 290, EA 290. It should be understood the definition of ''"mayo ...
** Amarna letter EA 5, EA 9, EA 15, EA 19, EA 26, EA 27, EA 35, EA 38 ** EA 153, EA 161, EA 288, EA 364, EA 365, EA 367


References

* Moran, William L. ''The Amarna Letters.'' Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, )


External links


EA 35, obverse (high resolution); EA 35, short letter synopsisBritish Museum website for EA 35 (E29788), with Height & WidthLine Drawing, cuneiform, and Akkadian, EA 35: Obverse & Reverse
CDLI no. P270891 (''Chicago Digital Library Initiative'')
CDLI listing of all EA Amarna letters, 1-382
---- Alashiya Amarna letters Middle Eastern objects in the British Museum