EA 286
To the king, my Lord, thus speaks Abdu-Heba,
your servant. At the feet of the king, my Lord, seven times and seven
times I prostrate myself. What have I done to the king, my Lord? They
blame me before the king, my Lord, saying: " Abdu-Heba has rebelled
against the king, my Lord ". I am here, as far as I am concerned, it was
not my father, nor my mother, who put to me in this position; the arm of
the powerful king lead me to the house of my father! Why would I commit a
transgression against the king, my Lord.
While the king,
my Lord, lives, I will say to the commissioner of the king, my Lord: " Why
do you favour the Hapiru and are opposed to the rulers? " And thus I am
accused before the king, my Lord. Because it is said: " Lost are the
territories of the king, my Lord ". Thus am I calumniated before the king,
my Lord! But may the king, my Lord know, that, when the king sent a
garrison, Yanhamu [1] seized everything, and... the land of Egypt...
Oh king, my Lord, there are no garrison troops here! (Therefore), the king
takes care of his land! May the king take care of his land! ! All the
territories of the king have rebelled; Ilimilku caused the loss of all the
territories of the king. May the king take care of his land!
I repeat: Allow me to enter the presence of the king, my Lord, and
let me look into both eyes of the king, my Lord. But the hostility against
me is strong, and I cannot enter the presence of the king, my Lord. May
the king send garrison troops, in order that I may enter and look into the
eyes of the king, my Lord. So certain as the king, my Lord, lives, when
the commissioners come, I will say: Lost are the territories of the king.
Do you not hear to me? All the rulers are lost; the king, my Lord, does
not have a single ruler left. May the king direct his attention to the
archers, and may the king, my Lord,send troops of archers, the king has no
more lands. The Hapiru sack the territories of the king. If there are
archers (here) this year, all the territories of the king will remain
(intact); but if there are no archers, the territories of the king, my
Lord, will be lost!
To the king, my Lord thus writes
Abdu-Heba, your servant. He conveys eloquent words to the king, my Lord.
All the territories of the king, my Lord, are lost.
[1] The Egyptian commissioner in Palestine