Ribadda's Letters from Gebal
47 B.—“Ribadda[220] of the city of Gebal[221] (Gubla) to his Lord the King of many lands, the prosperous King. Baalath of [pg 212] Gebal she hath given power to the King my Lord. At the feet of the King my Lord my Sun seven times seven times I bow. Behold this ... it will grieve me ... our city ... my foes ... the chief ... watches O King ... no men of garrison ... were given to the King's chiefs, or preservation by the King against him, and this I (say) is not defended, and the King has not preserved me; and being angry Pakhura has gathered and has despatched men of the land Umuti (Hamath).[222] They have slain a chief servant; and three chiefs (he has bound?) without appeal to the land of Egypt; and he has made gifts seducing the city against me; and woe to the place, she has become ungrateful: the city which was not base in old times is base to us. But the King shall hear the message of his servant and you shall give orders to the chiefs. Do not you ... this sin they do? ... my destruction is before me, and is it not my order that chiefs in the sight of the King should ... my destruction. Behold now since I shall gather to ... and (perchance I shall repel this?).”
46 B.—The salutation, as in the preceding letter, is peculiar to Ribadda. “Lo! the King is sending to me Irimaia[223]: maybe, he will arrive to gladden us from before thee: he has not come before me. The King sends to me the most distinguished of thy great men, the chiefest of the city of the King that thou hast, who shall defend me ... mighty before my foes ... Now they will make a government: the city they rule shall be smitten like as (is smitten?) a dog, and none that breathes shall be left behind him, for what they have done to us. I am laid waste (by foes?) by men of blood: thus on account of this slave there was no help from the King for me. (But?) my free men of the lands have fought for me. If the heart of the King is toward the guarding of his city, and of his servant, thou wilt order men to guard, and thou shalt defend the city, thou shalt guard my ... made prosperous ...”
18 B. M.—The salutation as in the first letter (47 B.). “Again behold thy faithful city of Gebal. Abdasherah was coming out against me aforetime and I sent to thy father who ordered soldiers of the King (bitati) to speed, and I went [pg 213] up over all his land. No allies marched to Abdasherah. But behold this: Aziru has chosen all the men of blood and has said to them: ‘If the city of Gebal is not ... he has come ..., then Yankhamu is with thee, and ... if I am not obedient to his wishes. Thou art deceived ... Abdasherah has marched without stopping to ... but he has watched the city of the King his Lord obediently. So now as to Paia ... and is it not heard from the messages of Kha ... their father, as he desires ... This Khaib gave to the city Simyra. Lo! I lament that the King is not able to do this (for) the Paka (general) when behold it has been asked. And Bikhura has not marched from the city Cumidi (Kamid). I have been friends with all the men of thy Government ... Lo whereas I was upright to the King ... and he makes no sign (to me?) Despatch soldiers: thou shalt march with every ... Five thousand men and 3,000 ... fifty chariots, 1,000 ... the bitati soldiers, and cause (them) to take captive ... the land.’ ”
13 B. M.—The usual salutation, as given in the first letter. “Does the King know? Behold Aziru has fought my chiefs, and has taken twelve of my chiefs, and has insisted on receiving at our expense fifty talents; and the chiefs whom I despatched to the city Simyra he has caused to be seized in the city. Both the city Beruta (Beirût) and the city Ziduna (Sidon) are sending ships to the city Simyra. All who are in the land of the Amorites have gathered themselves. I am to be attacked; and behold this: Yapaaddu has fought for me with Aziru, but afterward behold he was entangled in the midst of the enemy when my ships were taken. And the King sees as to his city and his servant, and I need men to save the rebellion of this land if you will not come up to save from the hands of my enemies (or destroyers). Send me back a message, and know the deed that they have done. Now as they send to thee concerning the city Simyra he now marches. But (give?) me soldiers for ... and these shall deliver her ... they have tried but ... now.”
61 B.—The usual salutation precedes, here much broken. “Does the King my Lord know? Lo! we know that he has fought mightily. Lo! they tell of us in thy presence what the city Simyra has done to the King. Know O King boldly marching [pg 214] they have contrived to seize her—the sons of Abdasherah, and (there is) none who lives to carry the message to the King. But counsel now thy faithful servant. I say also the whole of the fortress they have destroyed ... I sent to the King ... of advice as to the city Simyra. As a bird in the midst of the net she has remained. The siege of the usurpers is exceeding strong, and the messenger who from...”
The letter is much broken. It refers to Yapaaddu and to his own faithfulness to the Pakas (“chiefs”) of the King. He also appears to refer to the King destroying the Amorites, and goes on:
“The ruins perchance he will assign to his servant; and he has been constant and is upright against this thing—to subdue all the King's (provinces?). He has lost all the cities which ... this has befallen to ... and from the destruction ... against me none who ... them. The two or three that have held fast are turning round. But he hears his faithful servant's message, and a servant who has been constant in all labor, and his handmaid the city of Gebal (is) the only one that holds fast for me. The evils of this deed are equally thine, but I am broken in pieces. Henceforth Aziru is the foe of Yapaaddu. They have marched; and (there is) news that they have been cruel in their ravages against me. They rest not: they desire the evil of all that are with me. So they have waxed strong, powerful against me (a servant) faithful to the King from of old ... Moreover, behold I am a faithful servant: this evil is wrought me: behold this message: lo! I am the dust of the King's feet. Behold thy father did not wring, did not smite the lands of his rulers (Khazani) and the Gods established him—the Sun God, the God ... and Baalath of Gebal. But the sons of Abdasherah have destroyed from ... us the throne of thy father's house, and ... to take the King's lands for themselves. They have joined the King of the land of Mitana,[224] and the King of the land of Casi[225] and the King of the land of the Hittites ... the King [pg 215] will order soldiers (bitati). Yankhamu with the ... of my poor land ... The Paka of the city Cumidi ... and they have marched ... Gebal ... to a faithful servant.”
83 B.—A much broken fragment, referring to the taking of Simyra, appears to belong to this period.
43 B.—“Ribadda speaks to the King of many lands. At the feet (of my Lord) seven times and seven times I bow (a servant) forever. Lo! the city of Gebal is his place—the Sun-God revered by many lands. Lo! I am the footstool at the feet of the King my Lord; I am also his faithful servant. Now as to the city Simyra the sword of these fellows[226] has risen very strong against her and against me. And so now the destruction of the city of Simyra is at her gates. She has bowed down before them and they have conquered her power.