No. 36 B. M.—“To King Annumuria[127] (Amenophis III) Son of the Sun, my Lord thus (says) this thy servant Akizzi.[128] Seven times at the feet of my Lord I bow. My Lord in these my lands I am afraid. Mayst thou protect one who is thy servant under the yoke of my Lord. From the yoke of my Lord I do not rebel. Lo! there is fear of my foes. The people of this thy servant are under thy yoke: this country is among thy lands: the city Katna[129] is thy city: I am on the side of my Lord's rule (yoke). Lo! the soldiers and the chariots of my Lord's government have received corn and drink, oxen and beasts (oil and honey?), meeting the soldiers and the chariots of my Lord's dominion (coming?) to me. And now let my Lord ask the great men of his dominion. My Lord, all lands tremble before thy soldiers and thy chariots. If these lands are under the dominion of my Lord's land, and they are seizing them, let him order his soldiers and his chariots this year, and let him take the land of Marhasse,[130] the whole of it, to the yoke of my Lord, when—my Lord—the soldiers of the slaves[131] are[132] ... For six days ago he went out into the land of Hu(ba), and truly Aziru is sending them, and if in this year my Lord does not send out the soldiers and the chariots of his government ... to meet Aziru (and) make him flee ... all will rebel ... My Lord, know him. My Lord (know) the men who are [pg 192] his foes ... And lo! now the King of the land of the Hittites ... with pride rebels against his gods. And men who are destroyers serve the King of the land of the Hittites: he sends them forth. My Lord, my servants, the men of the city of Katna, Aziru expels, and all that is theirs, out of the land of the dominion of my Lord; and behold (he takes?) the northern lands of the dominion of my Lord. Let (my Lord) save the ... of the men of the city Katna. My Lord truly they made ... he steals their gold my Lord; as has been said there is fear, and truly they give gold. My Lord—Sun God, my fathers' god[133]—the men have made themselves your foes, and they have wasted from over against the abode of their camp (or fortress); and now behold—O Sun God of my fathers—the King of the Hittites makes them march. And know of them, my Lord—may the gods make slack their hand. As has been said there is fear. And lo! perchance the Sun God of my fathers will turn his heart toward me. My Lord's word is sure, and let the (increase or tithe of gold?) be given him, as we have purposed for the Sun God of my fathers. As has been said they have done to me; and they have destroyed the ... of my Lord. For this corner—the dwelling of their fortress (or camp)—is out of sight of the Sun God.”
37 B. M.—“To King Annumuria, Son of the Sun, my Lord, thus (says) Akizzi thy servant: seven times ... at the feet of my Lord I bow. My Lord, now there is flight and no breathing of the ... of the King my Lord. And behold now the ... of this dominion of my Lord, in these lands ... and behold now ... the King of the land of the Hittites ... sends forth ... and the heart of ... smites him. And now behold the King my Lord sends to me, and is complaining ... with me as to the rule of the King of the land of the Hittites. And as for me ... the King of the land of the Hittites. As for me I am with the King my Lord, and with the land of Egypt. I sent and ... as to the rule of the King of the land of the Hittites.”
This text is much damaged; it goes on to speak of Aidugama,[134]the Hittite King, in the country of the King of Egypt, who has taken various things—enumerated, but not intelligible—including, perhaps, ships or boats, and dwellings; and it mentions Neboyapiza. It then continues:
“My Lord: Teuiatti of the city of Lapana,[135] and Arzuia of the city Ruhizzi,[136] minister before Aidugama; but this land is the land of the dominion of my Lord. He is burning it with fire. My Lord, as said, I am on the side of the King my Lord. I am afraid also because of the King of the land of Marhasse, and the King of the land of Ni, and the King of the land of Zinzaar,[137] and the King of the land of Canaan. And all of these are kings under the dominion (or, of the rule) of my Lord—chiefs who are servants. As said let the King my Lord live and become mighty, and so O King my Lord wilt not thou go forth? and let the King my Lord despatch the bitati[138] soldiers, let them expel (them) from this land. As said, my Lord, these kings have ... the chief of my Lord's government, and let him say what they are to do, and let them be confirmed. Because my Lord this land ministers heartily to the King my Lord. And let him speed soldiers, and let them march; and let the messengers of the dominion of the King my Lord arrive. For my Lord Arzuia of the city Ruhizzi, and Teuiatti of the city Lapana, dwelt in the land of Huba,[139] and Dasru dwelt in the land Amma,[140] and truly my Lord has known them. Behold the land of Hobah was at peace my Lord in the days of this government. They will be [pg 194] subject to Aidugama. Because we ask, march thou here and mayest ... all the land of Hobah. My Lord, as said, the city Timasgi,[141] in the land of Hobah, is without sin at thy feet; and aid thou the city Katna which is without sin at thy feet. It has been feeble. And my Lord in presence of my messenger the master shall ordain (our) fate. As has been said, have not I served in the presence of the bitati soldiers of my Lord? Behold, as said, my Lord has promised soldiers to this my land, and they shall ... in the city Katna.”
96 B., a letter mainly complimentary, from Neboyapiza[142] to the King of Egypt, ends as follows:
“Behold I myself, with my soldiers and my chariots, with my brethren and with (men of blood?) and with my people the men of my kindred go to meet the Egyptian soldiers, as far as the ground which the King my Lord will name.”
142 B.—“To the King my Lord thus saith this thy servant. At the feet of my Lord my Sun seven times on my face, seven times I bow. My Lord I am thy servant, and they will devour me—Neboyapiza: we abide before thy face, my Lord, and lo! they will devour me in your sight. Behold every fortress of my fathers is taken, by the people out of the city Gidisi.[143] And my fortresses (say) ‘Speed us avengers.’ I make ready, and (because that?) the Pakas[144] of the King my Lord, and the chiefs of his land have known my faithfulness, behold I complain to the ruler being one approved; let the ruler consider that (Neboyapiza) has given proof ... for now they have cast thee out. As for me, I have (gathered?) all my brethren, and we have made the place strong for the King my Lord. I have caused them to march with my soldiers and with my chariots, and with all my people. And behold Neboyapiza has sped to all the fortresses of the King my Lord. Part of the men of blood are from the land Ammusi,[145] and (part) from the land of Hubi, and it is won (or reached). But march fast, thou who art a God[146] and a Sun in my sight, and restore the strongholds [pg 195] holds to the King my Lord from the men of blood. For they have cast him out; and the men of blood have rebelled, and are invaders of the King my Lord. We were obedient to thy yoke, and they have cast out the King my Lord, and all my brethren.”
It appears, from other letters, that the city of this chief was the important town Cumidi, now Kamid, in the southern Lebanon, at the south end of the Baalbek plain, west of Baal Gad. In Abu el Feda's time this town was the capital of the surrounding district.
189 B. is much broken. It is from Arzana, chief of the city Khazi.[147] He speaks of an attack on Tusulti, by bloody soldiers fighting against the place, and perhaps of the city Bel Gidda (Baal Gad),[148] and mentions a Paka, or Egyptian official, called Aman Khatbi, named after the Egyptian god Amen. The foes are spoiling the valley (of Baalbek) in sight of the Egyptian general, and are attacking Khazi, his city. They had already taken Maguzi,[149] and are spoiling Baal Gad. It seems that he asks the King not to blame his general, and speaks finally of friendly and faithful men.
43 B. M., broken at the top, reads thus: