Niya, Niye, and also Niy of

Thutmose I Thutmose I (sometimes read as Thutmosis or Tuthmosis I, Thothmes in older history works in Latinized Greek; Ancient Egyptian: '' ḏḥwtj- ms'', ''Tʼaḥawtī-mīsaw'', , meaning "Thoth is born") was the third pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty of E ...

's Ancient Egypt, also Nii of the

Amarna letters 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 ...

, and Nihe, etc. was a kingdom in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

, or northern Syria. In the Amarna letters correspondence of 1350- 1335 BC, ''Nii'' is only referenced in two letters, but each is of some importance. The city of

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 ...

in the northern

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...

had been trying to communicate to the Egyptian

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 an ...

for two decades, and finally resorted to another letter, EA 59: entitled: ''"From the citizens of Tunip"'', ( EA for 'el Amarna'). 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 ...

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 ' ...

also sent a letter to pharaoh, requesting aid (EA 100). The other letter referencing ''Nii'' concerns the individual

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). ...

, his collusion with the

Hittites The Hittites () were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara (before 1750 BC), then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-centra ...

, and the takeover of territory, 'city-states', and peoples in the northern and western Levant.

Amarna letters ''"Nii"'', 2--letters

EA 59, title: "From the citizens of
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 ...
"

:"To the king of Egypt, our lord: Message of "the citizens of Tunip", your servant. For you may all go well. And we fall at the feet of my lord. :My lord, thus says "Tunip", your servant: Tunip—who ''ruled'' it in the past? Did not Manakhpirya-(i.e. "Men-

Kheper ''Kheper'' is a subgenus of '' Scarabaeus'': the typical genus of scarab beetles in the tribe Scarabaeini. The genus name honors the god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of f ...

Rê Ra (; egy, wikt:rꜥ, rꜥ; also transliterated ; cuneiform: ''ri-a'' or ''ri-ia''; Phoenician language, Phoenician: 𐤓𐤏,Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum, CIS I 3778 romanized: rʿ) or Re (; cop, ⲣⲏ, translit=Rē) was the ancient ...

-iya"): ''am-ma-ti-wu-uš (your'' ancestor) ''rule'' it? :The gods and the ...: ''na-ab-ri-il-la-an'' (=?) of the king of Egypt, our lord, dwell in Tunip, and he should inquire of his ancients: ''am-ma-ti'' (ancient) when we did not belong to our lord, the king of Egypt-(named: Mizri). :And now, for 20–years, we have gone on writing to the king, our lord, but our messengers have stayed on with the king, our lord. And now, our lord, we ask for the son of 'Aki- Teššup' from the king, our lord. May our lord give him. :My lord, ''if'' the king of Egypt has given the son of Aki-Teššup, why does the king, our lord, call him back from the journey? :And now

Aziru Aziru was the Canaanite ruler of Amurru, modern Lebanon, in the 14th century BC. He was the son of Abdi-Ashirta, the previous Egyptian vassal of Amurru and a direct contemporary of Akhenaten. The dealings of Aziru are well-known from the Amarn ...

is going to hear that in Hittite territory a hostile fate has overtaken your servant, ''a ruler'' (and) your gardener. :Should his (the king's) troops and his

chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nbs ...

s be delayed, Aziru will do to us just as he did to ''Nii''. :If we ourselves are negligent and the king of Egypt does nothing about these things that Aziru is doing, then he will ''surely'' direct his hand against our lord. :When Aziru entered Sumur, he did to them as he pleased, in the house of the king, our lord. But our lord did nothing about the(s)e things. :And now ''Tunip'', your city, weeps, and its tears flow, and there is no grasping of our hand. :We have gone on writing to the king, our lord, the king of Egypt, for 20–years, and not a single word of our lord has reached us." -EA 59, lines 1-46 (complete)

EA 53, title: "Of the villain Aitukama"

EA 53 is a 70–line letter of area intrigues, -(written by "Prince

Akizzi Prince Akizzi was the ruler of Qatna Qatna (modern: ar, تل المشرفة, Tell al-Mishrifeh) (also Tell Misrife or Tell Mishrifeh) was an ancient city located in Homs Governorate, Syria. Its remains constitute a tell situated about nor ...

" of

Qatna Qatna (modern: ar, تل المشرفة, Tell al-Mishrifeh) (also Tell Misrife or Tell Mishrifeh) was an ancient city located in Homs Governorate, Syria. Its remains constitute a tell situated about northeast of Homs near the village of al-M ...

). The letter starting at line 35: :".... :"My rd, Teu tti of L paa and sawuya of

Ruhizzi Ruhizzi, was a city, or city-state located in northern Canaan or southern Amurru kingdom, Amurru territories, in the foothills of Mount Hermon during the time of the Amarna letters Text corpus, correspondence. During the 15-20 year Amarna letters o ...

place themselves at the disposition of Aitukama, and he sends u, the land of my lord, up in flames. :My lord, just as I love the king, m lord, so too the king of

Nuhašše Nuhašše, also Nuhašša, was a region in northwestern Syria that flourished in the 2nd millennium BC. It was a federacy ruled by different kings who collaborated and probably had a high king. Nuhašše changed hands between different powers in t ...

, the ''king of Nii'', the king of Zinzar-(

Shaizar Shaizar or Shayzar ( ar, شيزر; in modern Arabic Saijar; Hellenistic name: Larissa in Syria, Λάρισα εν Συρία in Greek) is a town in northern Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate, located northwest of Hama. Nearby l ...

), and the king of Tunanab; all of these kings are my lord's servants. :As far as the king, my lord, can, he co es forth. Butit is being said, "The king, my lord, will not come forth." 'And so''may the king, my lord, send

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 ...

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

they may co eto this country. ice, my lord, these kings are ones who ''l v'' him, let a

magnate The magnate term, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders, or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

of the king, my lord, (come(?), just name their gifts so they can give them, (to them(?)). :My lord, if he makes this land a matter of concern to my lord, then may my lord send archers that they may come here. (Only) messengers of my lord have arrived here. :My lord, if Arsawuya of Ruhizzi, and Teuwatti of Lapana remain in Upu, and Tašša-(the city), remains in the Am u my lord should also know about them that Upu wil not belong to my lord. Daily they write to Aitukama and say as follows: "Come, tak Upu in its entirety." :My lord, just Dimaški in Upu: ''ka4-di-hi (falls)'' at your feet, so ''may''

: ''ka4-di-hu-li-eš (fall)'' at your feet. My lord, one asks for life before my messenger. I do not fear 'at al'' in the presence of the archers of my lord, ''since'' the archers belong to my lord. If he sends (them) to me, they will en erQatna." -EA 53 (complete: ''only'' lines 35-70 (End)). The region of ''

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 ...

'' is centered at Damascus, and the

Amqu The Amqu (also Amka, Amki, Amq) is a region (now in eastern Lebanon), equivalent to the Beqaa Valley region, named in the 1350–1335 BC Amarna letters corpus. In the Amarna letters, two other associated regions appear to be east(?) and north(?), ...

is the

Beqaa Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most important ...

region to the west and northwest. Nii, and

are north and northeast(?).

References

* Moran, William L. ''The Amarna Letters.'' Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, {{ISBN, 0-8018-6715-0) Amarna letters locations Assyria

Amarna letters ''"Nii"'', 2--letters

EA 59, title: "From the citizens of 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 ..."

EA 53, title: "Of the villain Aitukama"

See also

References

EA 59, title: "From the citizens of
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 ...
"