Biridašwa (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

: "Prītāśva," "whose horse is dear" (Mayrhofer II 182)) was a mayor of ''Aštartu'', (

Tell-Ashtara Tell Ashtara ( ar, تل عشترة) is an archaeological mound south of Damascus. The Bronze Age city that once stood here may have been mentioned in the Amarna letters correspondence of 1350 BC as Aštartu, and is usually identified with the Bi ...

), south of Damascus, (named Dimasqu/Dimašqu), during the time of the Amarna letters correspondence, about

1350 Year 1350 ( MCCCL) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events January–December * January 9 – Giovanni II Valente becomes Doge of Genoa. * May 23 (possible date) ...

– 1335 BC. A second mayor of Aštartu,

Ayyab Ayyab was a ruler of Aštartu (present day Tell Ashtara) south of Damascus. According to the Amarna letters, cities/city-states and their kings in the region — just like countries to the north, such as Hatti of the Hittites, fell prey to a w ...

, existed in this short 15–20 year time period.

History

Though Biridašwa did not communicate with the

Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...

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 ...

directly in any of the Amarna letters, he, along with the mayors of Busruna and Halunnu were involved with the intrigues of city/

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 ...

takeovers, in the region of Damascus. The region around Dimašqu was named

Upu Upu or Apu, also rendered as Aba/Apa/Apina/Ubi/Upi, was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named ''Dimašqu'' / ''Dimasqu'' / etc. (for example, "Dimaški"-(see: Niya (kingdom)), in the letter correspon ...

, or Apu, a name going back to at least pharaoh

Thutmose III Thutmose III (variously also spelt Tuthmosis or Thothmes), sometimes called Thutmose the Great, was the sixth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty. Officially, Thutmose III ruled Egypt for almost 54 years and his reign is usually dated from 2 ...

's time, (

1479 Year 1479 ( MCDLXXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar). Events January–December * January 20 – Ferdinand II ascends the throne of Aragon, and rules together wit ...

- 1425 BC).

Biridašwa of EA letters 196, and EA 197

Biryawaza Biryawaza was a powerful ruler in the area of Egyptian controlled Syria in the middle fourteenth century BC. He is often mentioned in the Amarna letters, although his title is never given clearly. Some scholars describe him as the king of Damascus ...

the king of Dimašqu wrote 4 letters addressed to pharaoh, and letters 3 and 4 are about Biridašwa.

Letter no. 197: title: ''"Biryawaza's plight"''

Biryawaza letter no. 4 of 4: :" .. ...hesaid t ''me when''your servant ''was'' in A 'dura, ...They gave''his horses and hi chariots to the

'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 they did not 'give them''to the king, my lord. And who am I? My (only) ''purpose'' is to be a servant. Everything belongs to the king. ''Biridašwa'' saw this deed and moved Yanuamma to rebellion against me. Having barred the city gate against me, he took chariots from Aštartu but gave ''both of them'' to the 'Apiru and did not give ''both of them'' to the king, my lord. When the king of Busruna and the king of Halunnu saw (i.e. saw this), they waged war with ''Biridašwa'' against me, constantly saying, "Come, let's kill

-(i.e. 'of Damascus'), and we must not let him go to ......" But, I got away from them and stayed in ..ndash; Dimašqa, for 'by myself'' hw can I serv ''the king, my lord''

hey Hey or Hey! may refer to: Music * Hey (band), a Polish rock band Albums * ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014 * ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980 * ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...

keep saying, " Hatti,"_and_I_keep_saying,_"I_am_a_servant_of_the_king_of_Egyp Hatti,"_and_I_keep_saying,_"I_am_a_servant_of_the_king_of_Egyp[t">History_of_the_Hittites.html"_;"title="e_are_servants_of_the_king_of_History_of_the_Hittites">Hatti,"_and_I_keep_saying,_"I_am_a_servant_of_the_king_of_Egyp[t(named_Mizraim.html" ;"title=".html" ;"title="History_of_the_Hittites.html" ;"title="e are servants of the king of History of the Hittites">Hatti," and I keep saying, "I am a servant of the king of Egyp[t">History_of_the_Hittites.html" ;"title="e are servants of the king of History of the Hittites">Hatti," and I keep saying, "I am a servant of the king of Egyp[t(named Mizraim">Mizri)." Arsawuya went to Ki[ssa]-(''Qidšu''/Kadesh (Syria), Kadesh), took (some of) Aziru's troops, and captured Šaddu. He gave it to the 'Apiru and did not give it to the king, my lord. Now, since Itatkama (

Etakkama Etakkama, as a common name, but also, Aitukama, Atak(k)ama, Etak(k)ama, and Itak(k)ama is the name for the 'mayor' (king) of Qidšu, (Kadesh) of the 1350–1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence. (Qidšu is also referenced as: Qinšu, also Kissa). ...

), has caused the loss of the land of Kissa, and since Arsawuya along with ''Biridašwa'' is causing the loss of Apu-(i.e. the "region" surrounding Damascus), may the king look carefully to his land lest the enemies take it. Since my brothers are at war with me, I am guarding Kumidu, the city of the king, my lord. May the king indeed ''be at one'' with his servant. y the king otabandon his servant, 'and may''the kings of .. (''and'') the kigs of Apu see ''whe her'' ... ... I have seen the

archers Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...

. -EA 197, lines 1-42 (~~complete, with lacunae) Letter EA 197-( EA for 'el Amarna'), is the only reference to the locality/capture of: Šaddu. Also the only reference to city Yanuamma.

Letter no. 196: title: ''"Unheard-of deeds"''

Biryawaza's letter 196, is a heavily reconstructed letter with "6 lines of 43", a lacuna. The ending is mostly complete and has the referencing to Biridašwa. Biryawaza letter no. 3 of 4: :"... :Moreover, may the king, ylord, send me 200–men to guard ((to guard))-(-emphasis?), the cities of the king, ylord, nil see the

f the king my lord. The king, my lord, must not negle tthis deed that ''Biridašwa'' ascommitted, for he has ''moved'' the land of

he king He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

my lord, and iscities ''to rebellion''." -EA 196 (''only'' lines 33-43(End))

References

* Moran, William L. ''The Amarna Letters.'' Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ) {{DEFAULTSORT:Biridaswa Amarna letters officials Canaanite people 14th-century BC rulers 14th-century BC people

History

Biridašwa of EA letters 196, and EA 197

Letter no. 197: title: ''"Biryawaza's plight"''

Letter no. 196: title: ''"Unheard-of deeds"''

See also

References