15 B. M.—“To Amanabba my father, thus Ribadda thy son. I bow at my father's feet. Baalath of the city Gebal strengthens your favor in the sight of the King your Lord. Why has it been asked, and no complaint (is made) to the King? and you hesitate about the Egyptian soldiers (bitati), and you are brought low before the land of the Amorites. If you had heard of us (that) the Egyptian soldiers (are) strong, and that they have deserted their towns, and gone away, you know [pg 230] not the land of the Amorites. Behold they have taken these places from us, and I am ill at ease. Behold now do not they support Abdasherah? behold they have deceived us about them, and you promise us, day and night to send the Egyptian soldiers, and we are made sad about it, and all the chiefs of the Government. Thou shalt promise us to do this thing to Abdasherah: lo! he sends to the chiefs of the city of Ammiya (Amyûn) to slay him who was established as Lord, and they submitted to the men of blood. So now thou shalt say for us—the Chiefs of the Government; so now they are doing to us, and thou shalt announce to him (that) all the lands are for men of blood, and speak thou this message in the presence of the King my Lord. Lo! a father and a lord this thou art to me; and as for thee my face I bend, you know, to my master: behold what is done in the city of Simyra, lo! I am ... with thee. But complain to the King thy Lord, and you will send ... to me as I trust.”
20 B. M.—“Ribadda sends to his Lord the Great King, the King of many lands to the prosperous King. Baalath of Gebal has confirmed the power of the King my Lord. At the feet of my Lord the Sun seven times seven times he bows him. A petition has been made long ago, made for the city of Gebal, to despatch Bikuru (to the) chiefs of the Land of Egada[268] ... served me, which ... I ... three of the chiefs ... they strove ... the Land of Egypt ... and ... then the King my Lord ... a sin against....
“If the King my Lord supports his faithful servant; and despatch thou ... this her chief (speedily?); and we two watch the city for the King. The King shall send the choicest of thy great men, from among those who guard him. The three chiefs whom Bikhuru strove to despatch, but who have fled, (are) Abdirama, Iddinaddu, Abdmelec, these are sons of Abdasherah;[269] and they have taken the King's land for themselves. He shall send the bitati...”
21 B. M.—“To Amanabba ... (by letter) thus (says) this Ribadda thy servant. I bow (at my Lord's feet). The god Amen ... of thy Lord, builds up thy favor (with) the King thy Lord. Hear ... (they have fought) mightily, and over the Egyptian soldiers are victorious, and ... to the Land of the Amorites.” The letter becomes too broken to read consecutively, but refers to the Land of Mitana, and apparently to a defeat of Yankhamu. He asks for corn, and speaks of having nothing to eat, in connection with the city of Gebal; and refers to three years of (dearth?), and to the corn failing.
19 B. M.—After the usual salutation to the King, this letter reads: “The King my Lord will say that the choicest of thy great men, and the choicest of thy city that thou hast are among those who guard us. My great men and (those of?) the city, were formerly men of garrison with me; and the King asked of us corn for them to eat, from my poor country. But now behold Aziru is destroying me, and I repeat there (are) no oxen, nor ... for me; Aziru has taken all. And there is no corn for my eating. And the chiefs—the Pakas—also have been nourished by the cities, exhausting the corn for their eating. Again: (being faithful), the King shall establish for me, as men of government, the men of government of their own cities, the men who at first were with their subjects. But as for me my cities are Aziru's, and they long for me, to whom destruction is made by him, who is a dog of the sons of Abdasherah, and either you shall do for us as they wish, or you shall give orders for us to the King's cities in these matters.”
48 B.—This begins with the usual salutation, and then continues: “If perchance I send a message to the King my Lord, do not thou refuse the request of my memorial. Lo! thrice has come upon me a year of storms (or tumults), and again a year of storms begins. My wheat is naught; the wheat for us to eat: that which was for sowing for my freemen is finished; their beasts, their herbs, the trees of their gardens, are wretched, in my unhappy land. Our corn has failed. Once more the King will hear the message of his faithful servant, and will order wheat in ships, and his servant shall live; and be thou moved and send us com. The chiefs (will send?) horses, as commanded, to Zu ... And thou shalt defend [pg 232] the city (by so doing?) ... behold Yankhamu says (or asks) ... that wheat be given to Ribadda ... to him ... corn (the bread of men?) ... and now with Yapaaddu ... their money henceforth ... ask him, he will tell all in your presence. Mayest thou know when it is spoken in the presence of the King my Lord. And this year of storms makes the wheat scarce (in) my unhappy land ... there was scarcity before in the city Simyra, and now behold in the city Gebal.”
The text is here too broken to be read. It seems, perhaps, to refer to the enemy having possession of the sea, and to the entreaties of Yankhamu, and to certain waters, and the general wretchedness. A paragraph then begins:[270]
“The King of the Land Taratzi[271] has coveted the city of Simyra; and they desired to march to the city of Gebal; and none now has urged him, and he has stayed in his land. Now as he is strong he will send to the great ... by my wish ... they have returned to us.” The letter is again much broken; it refers to a ruler, saying: “His heart is with my heart; but Abdasherah has conquered beyond the land of the Amorites, also since the time of your father the city of Sidon has submitted to the occupation by his allies: the lands are for the men of blood, so now there is none who is a friend (or kin) to me. Let the King regard the message of his servant. Let him give men to guard his city. Is not she insulted by all the men of blood?”
The latter part, referring to allies, is much broken.
54 B.—This is broken at the top, and considerably injured. It demands soldiers, and the restoration of the rulers. “The city of (Sidon?), and the city of Beirût, the sons of Abdasherah have silenced: they fought for the King, but the city of Sidon and the city of Beirût are not the King's. We sent a Paka: he did not desert his duty to you, but she has rebelled to your face: for it was permitted by the freemen. The men of blood have seized the city.[272] Behold as for me this is my repetition ... city Atsar ... restraint ...”