64 B. M.—“To Yankhamu[162] my Lord by letter thus Muu-taddu thy servant. I bow at my Lord's feet as this says, announcing that the enemy is hastening speedily as—my Lord—was announced to the King of the city Bikhisi[163] from friends[164] of his Lord. Let the King my Lord speed: let the King my Lord fly: for the foe is wasting in the city Bikhisi this two months, there is none ... On account of (Bibelu?) having told me this one has asked then ... until by the arrival of Anamarut (Amenophis IV)[165] the city of [pg 199] Ashtoreth is occupied.[166] Behold they have destroyed all the fortresses of neighboring lands: the city Udumu,[167] the city Aduri,[168] the city Araru,[169] the city Meis(pa?),[170] the city Macdalim,[171] the city Khini.[172] I announced that they had taken the city Zaar.[173] They are fighting this city, the city Yabisi.[174] Moreover, fearing the force against me, I am watching it till you arrive. One has come from your way to the city Bikhisi,[175] and he has made us hear the news.”
134 B.—“To the King my Lord by letter thus Abdmelec the chief of this city Saskhi[176] thy servant. At the feet of the King my Lord ... on my face seven times I bow. Thou hast sent as to going to meet the Egyptian soldiers, accordingly I with my soldiers and my chariots (am) meeting the soldiers of the King my Lord, at the place to which you will march.”
143 B.—“To the King our Lord thus (says) Addubaya and thus also Betili. At the feet of our Lord we bow. Peace indeed to the face of our Lord. And (as is fit?) from the lands of our Lord, much they salute. O our Lord, will not you settle everything in your heart? Will not you harden your heart as to this combat O our Lord? But their intention is clear—to make war on the stations, as in our country they do not follow after thee. Lupackhallu[177] has removed the soldiers of the Hittites; they will go against the cities of the land of Ham (Am) and from Atadumi they will (take?) them. And let our Lord know, since we hear that Zitana[178] the Phœnician (Kharu) has deserted, who will march. And nine chiefs of the soldiers of the government are with us, who march, and the message is unfavorable: a gathering in the land they have made; and they will arrive from the land of Marhasse (Mer'ash). [pg 200] But I cause Betili to send against this (foe). Thus we wage war against them. And my trusty messenger I cause to be sent to your presence, as said; for you to return an order whether we shall do so or whether not. To Raban and Abdbaal, to Rabana and Rabziddu thus: behold to all of you be peace indeed, and will not you harden your hearts, and will not you settle all in your hearts, and do what is fitting from your places? Much peace; and to (the people?) peace be increased.”
91 B.—“To the King my Lord thus (says) the city Gebal[179] (and) thus Rabikhar (‘the Lord of Phœnicia’) thy servant. At the feet of my Lord the Sun seven times I bow. Do not be angry, O King my Lord, with the city of Gebal (Gubla) thy handmaid—a city of the King from of old, obeying what the King commands as to Aziru, and it did as he wished. Behold Aziru slew Adunu, Lord of the land of Ammia,[180] and the King of the land of Ardata,[181] and has slain the great men, and has taken their cities for himself. The city Simyra is his. Of the cities of the King only the city Gebal escapes for the King. Behold the city Simyra is subjected. He has smitten the city Ullaza.[182] The captains of both have gone into exile. Behold this sin Aziru wrought. Sinful are his strivings against her ... he has smitten all the lands of Ham (Am), lands of the King; and now he has despatched his men to destroy all the lands of Ham; and the King of the land of the Hittites, and the king of the land of Nereb (Nariba)[183] (have made?) the land conquered land.”
From these letters we learn clearly that the Mongol kings near the Euphrates (and, as appears later, in Armenia) were leagued with the Hittites of Mer'ash in the extreme north of Syria, and of Kadesh on the Orontes, and were supported by the Amorites of the northern Lebanon and by some of the Phœnicians; that the enemy marched south, a distance of 300 miles, taking all the towns in the Baalbek Valley, reaching Damascus by the gorge of the Barada River, and advancing into the land of Ham—in Bashan—where all the chief towns [pg 201] fell. This serves to make clear the treachery of Aziru's letters which follow. The Amorite advance on the Phœnician coast was contemporary, and extended to Tyre. It appears, however, that the Amorites were a Semitic people, while the names of the Hittites are Mongolic.
The Amorite Treachery
No. 35 B.—“To the King my Lord my God my Sun Aziru thy servant; and seven times at the feet of my Lord my God my Sun I bow.” The letter is much broken, but promises he will never rebel, and says he is sincere. He desires land of the King (at Simyra), and says the men of the government are friendly, but that the city of Simyra is to be made promptly to fulfil its engagements.
35 B. M.—“To the Great King my Lord my God my Sun thus (says) this thy servant Aziru. Seven times and seven times at the feet of my Lord my God my Sun I bow. My Lord I am thy servant, and (from my youth?) in the presence of the King my Lord, and I fulfil all my orders to the sight of my Lord. And what they who are my (agents?) shall say to my Lord as to the chiefs who are faithful, in the sight of the King my Lord, will not you hear me speak, I who am thy servant sincere as long as I live? But when the King my Lord sent Khani,[184] I was resting in the city of Tunip (Tennib) and there was no knowledge behold of his arriving. Whereupon he gave notice, and coming after him also, have I not reached him? And let Khani speak to testify with what humility, and let the King my Lord ask him how my brethren have prepared to tend (him), and Betilu will send to his presence oxen and beasts and fowls: his food and his drink will be provided. I shall give horses and beasts for his journey; and may the King my Lord hear my messages, with my assurances in the presence of the King my Lord. Khani will march much cared for in my sight, he accompanies me as my comrade, like my father; and lo! my Lord says, ‘You turn away from the [pg 202] appearance of Khani.’ Thus thy Gods and the Sun-God truly had known if I did not stay in the city of Tunip. Moreover because of the intention to set in order the city of Simyra, the King my Lord has sent word (and) the Kings of the land of Marshasse (Mer'ash) have been foes to me. They have marched on my cities: they have observed the desire of Khatib,[185] and has not he promised them? lo! hastily he has promised them. And truly my Lord has known that half of the possessions that the King my Lord has given Khatib takes: the tribute, and the gold and the silver that the King my Lord has given me; and Khatib takes all the tribute; and truly my Lord has known. Moreover as against my Lord the King's having said, ‘Why dost thou yield service to the messenger of the King of the land of the Hittites, and dost not yield service to my messenger?’ this region is the land of my Lord, he establishes me in it, with men of government. Let a messenger of my Lord come, and all that I speak of in the sight of my Lord let me give. Tin and ships, men[186] and weapons, and trees let me give.”
40 B.—“To Dudu[187] my Lord my father thus (says) Aziru your son your servant: at the feet of my father I bow. Lo! let Dudu send the wishes of my Lord ... and I ... Moreover behold thou shalt not reject (me) my father, and whatever are the wishes of Dudu my father, send, and will not I ... Behold thou art my father and my Lord: I am thy son: the land of the Amorites is your land; and my house is your house.[188] Say what you wish and I will truly perform your wishes.” The latter part is broken, but states that he will not rebel against the wishes of the King or those of Dudu.