“To what purpose have they sent here to Ribadda a letter (saying) thus: ‘Peace to the palace from its brethren before Simyra.’ Me! they have fought against me for five years, and thus they have sent to my Lord. As for me not (to be forgotten is?) Yapahaddu not to be forgotten is Zimridi.[227] All the fortresses they have ruined ... there was no cause of strife with the city of Simyra...” The next passage is much damaged. “And as said to what purpose have they sent a letter to Ribadda? In the sight of the King my Lord they have feigned to please me, they have pretended to please me, and now they proclaim peace. Truly thus behold it is with me. Let me learn the intention of my Lord, and will not he order Yankhamu with the Paka, Yankhamu joined beside the King my Lord, to lay waste? From before the chiefs of the Hittite chief men have fled and all the chiefs are afraid thereat. May it please my Lord also shall not he be (degraded?) who was thy commander of the horse with thy servant, to move the chiefs when we two went forth to the wars of the King my Lord, to occupy my cities which I name before my Lord. Know my Lord when they went forth with the [pg 216] ally he has left your soldiers fighting hard, and all have been slain.”
52 B.—The ordinary salutation. The letter is much damaged. It states that the land of Mitana had formerly fought against the King's enemies; that the sons of the dog Abdasherah destroy the cities and the corn, and attack the governors, and had demanded fifty talents. It appears that Yankhamu has arrived, and has known the chief whom the King had established. Apparently a written letter has been sent “to the Amorite land for them to swallow.” He continues: “Behold I am a faithful servant of the King, and there was none was like me a servant, before this man lied to the King of the Land of Egypt. But they have mastered the lands of our home.” They have slain Egyptians, he continues, and have done something (the verb is lost) to the temples of the Gods of Gebal; they have carried off a chief and shed his blood. He finally mentions his son Khamu.
25 B. M., a short letter with the usual salutation. He requests soldiers to guard the lands for the rulers, which have been torn in pieces. The King sends no messages about himself to the writer or to Yankhamu. The governor's men have gathered to fight (for the Khar or Phœnicians?).
42 B. begins with the usual salutation given in the first letter. “Having just heard the chiefs from the presence of the King it is fit that I send back a messenger (or message). Behold O Sun descending from heaven, the Sons of Abdasherah are wasting (shamefully?), as among them there is not one of the horses of the King or chariots, and the chiefs have devised evil—a rebellious race. And a chief is here with us of the Amorite country, with a written message from the allies which is with me. They have demanded what is shameful. Hereby is spoken a friendly message in the presence of the King—the Sun God. As for me I am thy faithful servant, and the news which is known, and which I hear, I send to the King my Lord. (What are they but dogs trembling?) in the presence of the Egyptian soldiers (bitati) of the King—the Sun God. I sent to your father and he ... ‘to my servant ... soldiers’ ... they have not marched ... Abdasherah ... the chiefs of this government ... their faces against him. So now they have joined ... [pg 217] But the Misi men (Egyptians) ... have brought us, with speed, corn ... So now not without favor ... I have become a great man, behold: strong and powerful in their sight we have been made. But mighty and rebellious to the King is this power. (His land does not intend to help the land?) Behold I am despatching two men to the city of Simyra, and all the men of its chief have gathered in order to consult as to messages to the King, who will know why you hear from us your chiefs. Good is the letter they have brought us, and the letter which the messengers of the King have uttered to us.[228] Through the pretensions of this dog the King's heart has been grieved with men, and ... has been unrighteously set up, devising in their hearts ... and ... (your chief?). I go against the men of blood from the city Simyra ... to keep ... and whatsoever I have been commanded. And let the King ... the news of his servant. I have despatched ten chiefs of the Land of Nubia,[229] twenty chiefs of the Land of Egypt, as a guard to the King. Sun-God and Lord thy servant is faithful to thee.”
73 B.—“To the King ... thus says Ribadda thy servant, the footstool of the feet of the Sun-God my Lord. Seven times and seven times at his feet I bow. Grievous it is to say what, in the sight of the King, he has done—the dog Abdasherah. Behold what has befallen the lands of the King on account of him; and he cried peace to the land, and now behold what has befallen the city of Simyra—a station of my Lord, a fortress ... and they spoil our fortress ... and the cries of the place ... a violent man and a dog.”
The next message is too broken to read, but refers to the city of Gebal. The letter continues:
“Will not the King order his Paka to pronounce judgment? and let him guard the chief city of my Lord, and order me as I (say), and let my Lord the Sun set free the lands, and truly my lord shall order the wicked men all of them to go out. I present my memorial in the sight of my Lord, but this dog has not taken any of thy Gods. Prosperity has fled which abode in Gebal, which city of Gebal was as a city very friendly to the King. It is grievous. Behold I have associated Abdbaal [pg 218] the prefect with Ben Khia (or Ben Tobia) a man of (war?); but despatch thou him to thy servant...”
57 B.—The salutation as usual mentions Baalath of Gebal. “Why shall the King my Lord send to me? The best indeed trembles, of those who watch for him against my foes, and of my freemen. What shall defend me if the King will not defend his servant?... if the King will order for us chiefs of the Land of Egypt, and of the Land of Nubia, and horses, by the hand of this my chief as I hope, and preservation for the servants of the King my Lord. If none at all ... to me ... to march horses ... my land is miserable. By my soul's life! if the King cared at heart for the life of his servant, and of his chief city, he would have sent a garrison, and they had guarded thy city and thy servant. That the King shall know ... of our lands; and Egyptian soldiers (bitati) shall be ordered; and to save all that live in his land, therefore it is spoken as a message to the King (with thy messengers?) As to the ... of this dispute of Khaia with the city of Simyra, that they should send us without delay thirteen talents (or pieces of gold): I gave the proclamation. The men of blood are named in the letter to the city of Simyra.[230] It avails not. Ask Khaia as to the letter of our previous dispute with the city of Simyra—to satisfy the King, and to give security to the King, they are sending again, and...”
24 B. M.—This is broken at the top.
“And King my Lord, soldiers are moving to the city of Gebal, and behold the city Durubli[231] has sent forth soldiers to war to the city Simyra. If the heart of the King my Lord is toward the city of Durubli my Lord will also order many soldiers, thirty chariots and an hundred chief men of your land; and you will halt at the city Durubli, my Lord's city. If the lands are to be defended, the King will order the departure of Egyptian soldiers (bitati) to the city of Gebal, and (I doubt not?) you will march to us. And I ... to slay him, and ... behold the King my Lord ... faithful; [pg 219] and they have warred with the men Kau Paur[232] (Egyptian magnates) of the King. Lo! they have slain Biari the Paur (magnate) of the King, and he has given gifts to my ... and they are helping. And none are servants of the King. And evil in our eyes behold is this. I am spoiled, and I fear lest ... no wish of the faithful chief be granted to him. Lo! you will make my kindred to be afflicted. The King shall arm the land ... thy soldiers great and small, all of them; and Pakhamnata[233] did not listen to me and they do a deed that ... and thou shalt tell him this, that he shall set free the city of Simyra; and (the King) will listen to the message of his servant, and shall (send) Egyptian soldiers. Behold he will say to the King that the Egyptian soldiers have no corn or food to eat, all the enemies have cut off from the midst of the cities of the King my Lord the food and the corn ... and (I) have raised soldiers gathering (in) the city of Gebal ... there is not ... you shall send to us ... and to march to it, and I have stopped ... and not one of the lands of the Canaanites helps Yankhamu though he is for the King.”