Amarna tablets: Letters from Rib
Addi of Byblos
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Letters by Rib-Addi of Byblos
EA 75, EA 79, EA 137 and others  The power of Egypt in Retenu was decreasing, the
Hittites conquered Mitanni and extended their power southwards. The
Amorite king Aziru conquered a number of Phoenician cities such as Niy,
Tunip and Sumur which were either allied to or governed by the Egyptians.
Rib-Addi, a faithful vassal of Egypt, was old and ill.
Rib-addi spoke to his lord, the King of Lands:
May
the Mistress of Gubla [5] grant
power to my lord. At the feet of my lord, my sun, I fall down seven
times and seven times. Let the king, my lord, know that Gubla, your
handmaid from ancient times [1], is
well.
However, the war of the 'Apiru [6] against
me is severe. (Our) sons (and) daughters are gone, (as well as) the
furnishings of the houses, because they have been sold in Yarimuta to
keep us alive. My field is "a wife without a husband," lacking in
cultivation. I have repeatedly written to the palace regarding the
distress afflicting me, . . but no one has paid attention to the words
that keep arriving. Let the king heed the words of his
servant........... They . . . all the lands of the king, my lord. Aduna,
the king of Irqata [7],
mercenaries have killed, and there is no one who has said anything to
Abdi-Ashirta [8],
although you knew about it. Miya, the ruler of Arashni, has taken
Ardata; and behold now the people of Ammiya have killed their lord; so I
am frightened.
Let the king, my lord, know that the king of Hatti
has overcome all the lands that belonged to the king of Mittani or the
king of Nahma [4] the land
of the great kings.
Abdi-Ashirta, the slave, the dog, has gone with
him. Send archers. The hostility toward me is great. ................
and send a man to the city of . . . I will . . . his words.
EA 75
K.C.Hanson after a translation
by Mercer
Rib-Addu sends to his lord, the king of the world, the
great king, the king of the universe (?) (whom) the divine lady of Gebal
has known alone; to the king my lord, at the feet of my lord, my Sun-god
seven times seven I prostrate myself.
This year (certain) men into
the presence of the king, who (is) like the god Assur and the Sun-god in
heaven, have come; they have reported to him: "The sons of
Ebed-Asherah [6]
according to their desires have taken 2 horses of the king and chariots,
and the men whom he sent have given (them); and the Yīvāna [12] is on
a mission to the country of Tyre, for eight days doing this deed in
it."
They speak words of accusation before the king, the Sun-god. I
am thy faithful servant, and the news which (the king) knows and hears
have I sent to the king my lord. [But (?)] they (are) dogs [13], and
they have [gone] into the presence of the household troops of the king,
the Sun-god. I sent [messages] to thy father, and he [listened] to his
servant, and [the father] des[patched] the household troops. The country
was not taken by Ebed-Asherah for [himself]: it was the property of the
governors, since I fought before them against him, and they (were)
always strong, and the Misians [14]
brought the [straw (?)] of barley always: they did not [despise (?)] the
officer, since I collected horses and (was) strong before them, since we
know that both strength and existence (belong) to a strong king. As yet
they have not marched up (the country) since I have despatched two men,
messengers, to the city of Zemar, and also the leader of all the men,
this one (here present), to bring back word to the king of each one
thing as much as they have heard. The two men by night have carried
(it), and by night they have brought (it) back, even the messengers of
the king, from the presence of the dogs.
If the heart of the king,
the Sun-god, at this time they have engaged, [this] year I shall dwell
[in] my [city] ///// in thy heart and the [horses (?)] /// and the men
///.
The Beduin are marching away from the city of Zemar [15] [and]
I defend the city, and I have not given it up; and the king will hear
the words of his servant, and will send ten men of the country of
Melukhkha and ten men of the country of Egypt to defend the city for the
king, the Sun-god, the lord of thy faithful servant.
Translated by A.H.Sayce,
1891
Records of the Past, Series 2, Vol.5
Rib-Addu [sends to his lord], the great king, the king
[of the universe (?)] (to whom) the divine lady of [Gebal has given]
strength; to the king, my lord, at the feet of my lord, my Sun-god,
[seven] times seven I prostrate myself.
Still the king, my lord,
says: "For what reason art thou sending him to me?" Behold me; there is
no governor in my service from the city of Zemar, and still the face of
every one (is) towards me and the two men of Egypt whom I send to
Pharaoh. There is no going forth, there is no sending to the king; there
is no man who will carry my letter to Pharaoh. Now these two men will
carry a letter to the king, but I myself go not forth. Always am I
afraid and turn my face towards [the king] my lord. I send //////// thy
lord, since he will go up (?) /// I will send (?) on the days /// and I
send to Pharaoh, and he will send and will cause soldiers to com
////.
The officer has not taken Ebed-Asherah [8] along
with his property according to my orders. Words of accusation do I send
to my lord, and thou sayest: "Wherefore dost thou send words of
accusation/"
If thou hearest my words at my mouth, I will take Aziru
like ////.
Behold me, strong (is) my king! Already this year
Ebed-Asherah the dog reckon the cities of the governors of the king for
[themselves]: they have smitten the cities /// of Aziru, they have not
/// the king, to their cities; they have not /// for themselves, from
the city of Ze[mar], the city of Ullaza [17], the
city of Sawa /// their chariots, the prince /// he sends the man //////
soldiers ///////// the city of Zemar ////// Aziru despatches //////.
I am [at] the gate; the men /// to the country of Egypt ////// and
he sent ///////// in their hand to me. Constantly I have sent this man,
but I do not send [messengers] to the king. Now these two Egyptians have
come forth to complain to me, and I cannot venture out. If this year
there are no household troops, then the provinces will [fall] to the
Beduin, but if it is the wish of the king to save them I will send my
household troops to Yankhame and to Biri, (saying): "March along with
the governors!"
They have occupied the country of the Amorites; in
quietude they have marched through it. This have I done of myself along
with Yapa-Addu and along with Kha[tip].
And the king will send
//////// all the property which they have taken from these men for the
king. Another man has not taken it for another. We have been successful
for the king. Accordingly the king will send a horse to his servant, and
I will defend the city of the king. I have nothing at all whatsoever;
everything has been given away to save my life; and as for this
messenger, the king shall send him in all haste, and shall furnish
guards to defend his faithful servant and the city, and (shall furnish)
men of Melukhkha along with them like the god Zi of thy fathers.
A
man of Yari[muta]. At the gate I (stand). A /// I send [to] Pharaoh for
the protection of the men of the country of Milu[kha]; but thou dost not
hear; yet why is the king constantly sending men of the guard [from] the
country of Milukha to its defence? They have not [surrendered] the city
to the Beduin.
Translated by A.H.Sayce,
1891
Records of the Past, Series 2, Vol.5
Rib-Addu says to the king of the world, the great king,
the king [of the universe (?)] (to whom) the divine lady of Gebal has
given strength; to the king, my lord, at the feet of my lord, my
Sun-god, seven times seven I prostrate myself.
Verily let the king my
lord know that strong is the hostility of Ebed-Asherah [8] against
me. Now the city which contended against me /// he has taken. ////
Again, what about [Ebed-A]sherah the dog? And he has come [against] all
the cities of the king, the Sun-god; [word] to the king of the country
of Mitana [18] [and]
the king of the country of Kasse [19] he has
sent, since he has /// and he has collected all the Beduin against the
city Sigata and the city of Ambi, and he has taken also [the territory
(?)] of this city, and there is no place which the Beduin have not
entered.
[Make war (?)] against him; seize //////////// Send me 400
[men] //////////// horses ////////////// [send] the household [troop]s
to look after [the do]gs; and gratuitously again there have been handed
over the country of the king and the city of Zemar, the city of your
guard, to the Beduin, and thou refrainest from sending the household
troops (and) an officer, yet (so) thou wilt destroy the enemies of the
king from all his country, and all the provinces will be attached to the
king. Accordingly do not thou, O great lord, hold aloof from this
message.
Translated by A.H.Sayce,
1891
Records of the Past, Series 2, Vol.5
[To] Khayapa ///// Rib-Addu [speaks] thus: At thy feet I
fall. O Amon, the god who (is) su[preme], thou knowest thy light (is) in
the countenance of the king my lord, of whom, behold, thou (Khayapa) art
a dog [13], the
king knows (it), and in thy own person the king has sent thee as a
Commissioner. Wherefore dost thou delay and dost not speak to the king
that he may send troops and that they may march to the city of
Zemar?
What is Ebed-Asherah ;[8], the
servant, the dog? yet he has taken the country of the king himself. What
is his origin? yet (he is) strong among the Beduin, strong (is) his
power, and he has despatched 50 convoys of horses and 200 foot-soldiers,
and they are stationed in the city of Sigata in his presence. Until the
household troops appear he will not assemble all the Beduin; yet he has
taken the city of Sigata and the city of Ambi.
Translated by A.H.Sayce,
1891
Records of the Past, Series 2, Vol.5
To the king my lord, my Sun-god, speaks Rib-Addu thy
servant thus:
At the feet of my lord, my Sun-god, seven times seven I
prostrate myself.
The king my lord knows that Salma-salla the son of
Ebed-Asherah [8] has
entered the city of Ullaza, in order to strengthen the cities of
Ardata [20],
Yibiliya, Ambi, (and) Sigata, all the cities, for themselves, and the
king has sent a force to the city of Zemar until the king shall give
counsel to his country in regard to the sons of Ebed-Asherah the
servant, the dog.
The king of the country of the Kassi [19], and
the king of the country of Mitani are strong and have taken the country
of the king for themselves already, and they have seized the cities of
thy governor, yet thou delayest in granting the request [of] thy
Commissioner, and they have seized the cities for themselves.
Now
they have taken the city of Ullaza. If therefore, thou delayest until
they have taken the city of Zemar and also have slain the Commissioner
and the household troops which (are) in Zemar, what could one do? and I
could not march up to Zemar the city. The cities of Ambi, Sigata,
Ullaza, (and) Arvad are hostile to me. They have plotted, even they,
that they shall enter the city of Zemar, even these cities, (and their)
ships. And the sons of Ebed-Ashe[rah] (are) in the field, and ////////
and //// [I (?)] have not marched up /////// and the city of Gebal has
acted. Against the Beduin (and) against the city of Arvad I march, since
its /// has joined the Beduin.
Translated by A.H.Sayce,
1891
Records of the Past, Series 2, Vol.5
Rib-Addi says to his lord, the King of Lands, the Great
King, the King of Battle:
May the Lady of Gubla [5] grant
power to the king, my lord. At the feet of my lord, my Sun, I fall down
seven times and seven times. Be informed that since Amanappa's [9] arrival
to me, all the 'Apiru [6] have
turned their face against me at the instigation of Abdi-Ashirta [8].
Let
my lord listen to the words of his servant, and let him send me a
garrison to defend the city of the king, until the archers come out. And
if there are no archers, then all the lands will unite with the 'Apiru.
Listen, since the conquest of Bit-Arha in accordance with the demand of
Abdi-Ashirta, they seek in the same way to unite Gubla and Batruna; and
thus all lands would be united with the 'Apiru. Two cities remain with
me, and they are also attempting to take them from the king's hand. Let
my lord send a garrison to his two cities until the arrival of the
archers, and give me something to feed them. I have nothing.
Like a
bird that lies in a net, a kilubi [11], so I
am in Gubla. Furthermore, if the king is not able to rescue me from the
hand of his enemy, then all lands will unite with Abdi-Ashirta. What is
he, the dog, that he takes the king's lands for himself?
EA 79
K.C.Hanson after a translation
by Mercer The conspiracy organized
by Rib-Addi's brother in favour of Aziru of Amurru, son of his old enemy
Abdi-Ashirta, drove him to seek refuge with Hammuniri in Beirut. From
there he sent his son to the Pharaoh bearing a request for aid.
Rib-addi [speaks] to the king, his Lord,
[the sun of all countries]; [I have prostrated myself] seven times and
seven times at the feet of the king, my Lord. I have written repeatedly
in order (to obtain) [ troops ], but have not received them, [ and ] the
king, my Lord, has not listened to the words of his servant. I have sent
my messenger to the palace, and [he has returned] (with) empty (hands):
there were troops for him. When the people of my house saw that no money
had been given, they reproached me, the governors, my brothers, and they
despised me. On the other hand, I set out for Hammuniri and in the
meantime a brother of mine, younger than me, conspired against me at
Gubla to deliver the city to the sons of Abdi-Ashirta. When my brother
saw that my messenger had returned empty(handed) and that there were no
occupation troops with him, he despised me and thus he committed a
crime, and he expelled me from the city. May the king, my Lord, not hold
back (before) the actions of this dog.
Now I cannot
enter the land of Mitsru [2]; I am
old and I (suffer of) a serious disease in my own flesh. May the king,
my Lord, know, that the Gods of Gubla are angered and the disease has
become chronic, although I have confessed my sin to the Gods. Therefore
I have not appeared before the king, my Lord. Now then, I have sent my
son, servant of the king, my Lord, to the king, my Lord. May the king,
my Lord, listen to the words of his servant and may the king, my Lord,
give troops of archers to conquer the city of Gubla in order that enemy
troops not enter her, nor the sons of A[bdi-A]shirta, and it become
necessary that the troops of archers of the king, my Lord, reconquer it.
See, (there are) many men who love me in the city and few are my
enemies. When the troops of archers will be leaving and the day of their
arrival be known, the city will return to the king, my Lord. And may my
Lord know (that) I am willing to die for him.
When I
was in the city, I made an effort to keep it for my Lord and my heart
was firm (in the support of) the king, my Lord. It would not have
delivered the city to the sons of Abdi-Ashirta. Therefore my brother has
caused enmity between me and the city, to deliver it to the sons of
Abdi-Ashirta. May the king, my Lord, hold back with respect to the city.
Certainly there is inside her (walls) much gold and silver, and in her
temples there is much of everything. If they conquer her, may the king,
my Lord, do with his servant as he wants, but may he give me the city of
Buruzilim as residence.
Now I am with Hammuniri, since
Buruzilim has made the (other) cities hostile (to me). They have become
enemies for fear of the sons of Abdi-Ashirta. When I came to Hammuniri
because of the sons of Abdi-Ashirta, when they were stronger than I and
there was no encouragement for me from the mouth of the king, I said to
the king, my Lord: See, the city of Gubla (is) his. In her (there are)
many things of the king, the possessions of our ancestors. If the king
holds back, he will not have left any city of Kinahnu [3]. May
the king not hold back his action. Now I have sent to the king, my Lord,
your servant, my son. May the king send him quickly with troops to take
the city. If the king, my Lord, feels compassion for me and returns me
to the city, then I will keep it for the king, my Lord, like previously.
If the king, my Lord, [ does not return to me ] to her [... ] the city
of Buruzilim [... will do] as she sees fit to his servant (?) ...
Hammu[niri] I remain with him (?)].
May [the king, my
Lord], listen to [the words] of his servant and send immediately troops
to take the city. May the king, my Lord, not hold back with regard to
this evil deed, that was committed against the countries of the king,
[my Lord], and may the king, my Lord, quickly send troops of archers to
take the city immediately. When they say in front of the king about the
city: "the city is strong", it is not strong before the troops of the
king, my Lord.
No help came from Egypt and Rib-Addi disappeared from
history. Aziru after several years in Egypt returned to Amurru allying
himself to the Hittites.
[1] Gubla, your handmaid
from ancient times: Byblos had trade connections with Egypt since
pre-dynastic times
[2] Mitsru:
Semitic for Egypt
[3] Canaan
[4] Nahma (Naharima, Naharin - i.e. the
two rivers): The land of Mitanni
[5]
Mistress (or Lady) of Gubla: Baalat, identified with Hathor
[6] 'Apiru: also Hapiru, Abiru etc,
nomadic or semi-nomadic people often connected with robberies etc.
[7] Irqata: Town north-east of
Byblos
[8] Abdi-Ashirta: Ruler of
Amurru. (ca.1385 - ca.1344 BCE)
[9]
Amanappa: possibly Amenope, Egyptian official
[11] kilubi: cage
[12] According to Sayce: Ionian, corresponding to
Hebrew Yavan
[13] Sayce: "Dog" is used in these
letters in the sense of "minister" or "messenger". The idiom may be of
Egyptian origin, as sab, "a judge", is represented in the
hieroglyphics by the figure of a jackal or a dog.
[14] Sayce: The Misi are doubtless the Mas'u
or "infantry" of the Egyptian texts.
[15]
Sayce: The Zemar of Gen. x.18, called Simyra by Strabo, now Sumra.
[16] Sayce: Melukhkha was the salt desert, which
extended between the frontier of Egypt and the confines of
Palestine.
[17] Sayce: Ullaza, otherwise
unknown, must have been in the neighbourhood of Zemar, the Simyra of
classical geography.
[18] Mitana: Mitanni,
Aram-Naharaim, in today's Syria.
[19] Kasse:
Babylonia.
[20] Sayce: Probably Arvad is
meant.
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