27 B. M.—“To the King ... my Lord thus says Ammunira thy servant, the dust of thy feet. At the feet of the King my Lord seven and seven times I bow. I hear the message of the letter, and what is thereby commanded to me O King my Lord. And I hear (the precept?) of the message of the scribe of my Lord, and my heart is eager, and my eyes are enlightened exceedingly. Now I have watched much, and have caused the city of Burutu to be fortified for the King my Lord, until the coming of the Egyptian soldiers (bitati) of the King my Lord. As to the chief of the city of Gebal who is in trouble together with me, now they defend him till there shall be counsel of the King to his servant. The King my Lord is shown the grief of one's brother, which troubles us both. From the city of Gebal, lo! the sons of Ribaadda who is in trouble with me, are subjected to chiefs who are sinners to the King, who (are) from the land of the Amorites. Now I have caused them to haste with my horses and with my chariots and with all who are with me, to meet the soldiers (bitati) of the King my Lord. At the feet of the King my Lord seven and seven times I bow.”
Ammunira was Ribadda's friend (see [16 B. M.]), and his letter agrees with Ribadda's: clearly, therefore, the seizure of Ribadda's sons comes historically before the loss of Beirût, Mearah, and Sidon ([54 B.], [75 B.]).
Letter from Sidon
90 B.—“To the King my Lord my God my Sun—the King my Lord[287]—by letter thus Zimridi, the Governor of the city of Sidon (Ziduna): at the feet of the King my Lord my God my Sun—the King my Lord—seven times and seven times I bow. Does not the King my Lord know? Lo! the city of Sidon has gathered. I am gathering, O King my Lord, all who are faithful to my hands (power). And lo! I hear the message of the King my Lord. Behold, he causes it to be sent to his servant, and my heart rejoices, and my head is raised, and my eyes are enlightened; my ears hear the message of the King my Lord; and know O King I have proclaimed in presence of the Egyptian soldiers (bitati) of the King my Lord, I have proclaimed all, as the King my Lord has spoken; and know O King my Lord lo! mighty has been the battle against me: all ... who are faithful to the King in ... it has come to pass, and the chiefs ... sons, and are faithful to the King ... and her chief who goes out in the presence of the King's Egyptian soldiers (bitati). The greatest of the fortresses deserts to the enemies: which has gone well for the men of blood, and they are gaining them from my hands, and my destruction is before me. O King my Lord as said the chiefs who are my foes have done.”
From the letters of the King of Tyre which follow ([99 B.] and [28]-[31] B. M.) we see that Zimridi was a weak ruler. His own letter agrees with one from Ribadda ([54 B.]) as showing that Sidon fell by treachery, not by war.
Letters from Tyre
These appear to begin early, before the appearance of Aziru, and show that the rivalry of Tyre and Sidon was of early origin. None of the letters mention Tyre except those written by her King.
99 B.—“To the King my Lord my God my Sun thus (says) Abimelec[288] thy servant: seven and seven (times) at the feet of [pg 244] the King my Lord (I bow). The King my Lord sends (to ask) if I have finished what is doing with me. I present to the King my Lord 100 ornaments (or ‘crowns,’ perhaps ‘shekels’—tacilal); and let the King my Lord give his countenance to his servant, and let him give the city Huzu[289] to his servant—a fountain to supply water for his drinking: let the King my Lord grant (a chief a subject?)[290] to guard his town; and let me plead, and let the face of the King my Lord regard my explanation before the King my Lord. As said behold let the King my Lord confide in me to defend his city. Lo! the King of the city of Sidon is taking the people who are my subjects—a chief who is my inferior (or foe). Let the King give his countenance to his servant, and let him order his Paka (chief), and let him give the city of Huzu for waters to his servant, to take trees for our use for the dwellings. Lo! he has made war: nothing is left. In vain have they threshed corn if the King of Sidon despoils the King's land. The King of the city of Khazura (Hazor)[291] is leaving his city, and goes out with men of blood. Let the King show their borders to the hostile (or inferior) chiefs. The King's land is vexed by men of blood. Let the King send his Paka (chief) who is in our land.”
29 B. M.—“To the King my Lord, my God, my Sun thus (says) Abimelec thy servant: seven and seven (times) at the feet of the King my Lord I bow. I (am) the dust beneath the shoes of the King my Lord my master—the Sun-God who comes forth in presence of the world from day to day, as the manifestation of the Sun-God his gracious father: who gives life by his good word, and gives light to what is obscure: who frees all lands from dissensions by just rule of a free country; who gives this his compassion from heaven, like the God Adonis, and causes all lands to rest through his mercy. This is the message of a servant to his Lord. Lo! I hear the gracious messenger of the King who reaches his servant, [pg 245] and the good utterance which comes from the hands of the King my Lord for his servant; and the utterance it makes clear, since the arrival of the messenger of the King my Lord. Does not he make it clear?—the utterance is clear. The lands of my fathers behold it records. Lo! the utterance of the King comes to me, and I rejoice exceedingly and (my heart has risen?) from day to day because the land is not ... Behold I heard the gracious messenger from my Lord, and all my land has been afraid as to my Lord's countenance. Lo! I heard the good utterance; and the gracious messenger who reaches me, behold he said, O King my Lord, that the region (is) to be established by the presence of many soldiers; and the servant says for his Lord that my plain is my land over against my highlands, over against the plain of my cities. He has borne the order of the King my Lord listening to the King his Lord, and has served him (in his integrity?), and the Sun-God he has proclaimed before him; and he makes clear the good utterance from the hands of his Lord, and does he not listen to the order of his Lord? The portion of his town his Lord has divided. His word none shall overthrow in all the lands forever. Behold (this is) the duty that he heard from his Lord. His city will rest, will rest from overthrowing his utterance for all time. Thou art the Sun-God whom he has proclaimed before him; and the decision which shall set at rest is lasting for one. And because she judges that the King my Lord is just our land obeys—the land that I am given. This Abimelec says to the Sun-God. My Lord I am given what appears before the King my Lord. And now the city Zarbitu[292]is to be guarded by the city of Tyre (Tsuru) for the King my Lord.”
31 B. M.—“To the King the Sun ... thus says Abimel(ec) ... seven times and seven times at the feet ... I am the dust from ... below ... and the King the Sun forever ... The King spoke to his servant (and) to his servant my comrade: he has granted that extension be given, and as to waters for (his servant's) drinking [pg 246] And they did not as the King my Lord has said; and we arrive at no fulfilment. And let the King counsel his servant my comrade. He has granted that the waters be given, because of the abundance there to drink. My Lord the King, behold, there is no one to tend my trees, no one (to tend) my waters, no one to make ... Let the King my Lord know.” The next lines are much broken, and the letter then continues: “... As the King has said. And let the King assign to his servant and to the city of Tyre (Tsuru) the city that my comrade has given, and what the order lays down on the side of the King for his servant, which the King made an order (less than a year ago?). The King is the eternal Sun-God, and to his faithful servant the King my Lord shall ... for guardians of the town that my comrade has granted. My requests as to this town ... Moreover, my Lord ... soldiers against me ... to my desire ... King ... Lo! his heart is evil ... King my Lord; and he turns away from my wish; and O King my Lord (thou knowest the hearts of all those in the land?), and let the King give his countenance to his servant; and to the city of Tyre the town that my comrade has granted (is) to be given ... waters for (irrigation?). Moreover, my Lord ... Let the King ask his Paka. Lo! the chief of the city of Zar(epta) has followed the city of Simyra (with) a ship. I am marching, and the chief of the city of Sidon marches out; and as for me he has marched with all ... and let the King counsel his servant ...”