30 B. M.—Abimelec begins with his ordinary salutation. “Thus far I defend the King's city which he confides to my hands very much. My intention (has been) to walk in sight of the face of the King my Lord, and not to take by force from the hands of Zimridi of the city of Sidon. Lo! I hear me that he will strive, and has made war with me. Let the King my Lord send down to me ... chiefs for guards of the city of the King my Lord; and let me strive (or plead) for the dwellings of the King my Lord, with those who deceive his gracious countenance. I set my face to (encourage?) the region of those who are peaceful with the King my Lord; and let the King my Lord ask his Paka (chief). Lo! I set my face (or, confirm my intention) forever, O King my Lord. Now a [pg 247] messenger I am despatching to ... of the King my Lord, and ... the King my Lord the messenger ... ... his letter ... and may it be the means of ... the King my Lord ... (that) he sets his face ... forever to ... the face of the King my Lord. His servant will not let slip ... from (his) hands ... Let the King my Lord give his countenance ... and (he) shall ... waters for the drawing ... and woods for his servant.... Know O King my Lord behold they are plucking the fruit that we left. There are no waters and no woods for us. Now Elisaru the messenger to the presence of the King my Lord has hasted, and I have made bold to present five precious things of copper, this agate, one throne of gold. The King my Lord sends to me (saying) ‘Send to me all you hear from the land of Canaan’ (Cina'ana). The King of Danuna[293] has been destroyed, and his brother is ruling after him, and his land has broken out, and they have seized the King of the town of Hugarit,[294] and mighty is the slaughter that follows him. He is strong, and none are saved from him, nor any from the chiefs of the army of the land of the Hittites. The proud Edagama[295] of the city Ciidzi (Kadesh on Orontes, the capital of the Southern Hittites, now Kades) and Aziru have fought—they have fought with Neboyapiza; they have come to the regions of Zimridi. Lo! he gathers ships of soldiers against me from the fortresses of Aziru. And lo! they have grievously opposed my Lord's subjects, and all will break out. Let the King give countenance to his servant, and let him leap forth to go out a conqueror” (or “to the region”).
28 B. M.—“To the King my Lord my Sun my God 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 feet. Consider me O King my Lord. The King my Lord (is) like the Sun; like the air god (or Adonis) in heaven art thou. Let the King advise his servant: the King my Lord [pg 248] confides in me. I watch the city of Tyre the handmaid of the King. And I send a hasty letter to the King my Lord, and no order does he return to me. I am the Paka[296] (chief) of the King my Lord, and I have diligently followed what was ordered. But as to our silence to the King my Lord let the King be assured. As a subject I guard his city. And let me plead (or strive) before the King my Lord, and let him see his face. Who shall preserve one born a subject? Lo there has gone forth no command from the hands of the King his Lord; and he may not know when the King sends to his servant. He may never know. As for me ...”
The letter is here too broken to read consecutively. It refers to the “west,” and apparently to “burning,” to Aziru, and to someone, perhaps a king's messenger, called Khabi. The letter becomes readable on the back of the tablet.
“... by Elisaru the messenger it is confirmed that the city of Simyra is Aziru's. And is not the King nourished by his city of Tyre, by his country? Lo! if I shall be destroyed the King is destroyed. But thus his fortress has been wasted, and there has been great fear, and all the lands have feared; for he has not walked after (i.e., obeyed) the King my Lord. O King know: desolation has remained with me—with the Paka in the city of Tyre. Zimridi is gone to the city Irib.[297] He has escaped from slavery; and there is no water or wood for us; and alas! there is none remaining to stand up for me. The chief is helpless. And let the King my Lord advise his servant by a letter he sends to me, whom you thus hear. And Zimrida of the city of Sidon has sent to the King, and Aziru is a man sinful against the King, and the chiefs of the city Arāda (Arvad) destroy me,[298] and (everything is altered?) through their ravages; and they will gather their ships, their chariots, their foot soldiers, to seize the city of Tyre the King's handmaid. She has been very constant to the King's hand, and the city of Tyre has been crushed by them. Were they not violent in taking the city of Simyra? They took from the hands of Zimrida him who bore the King's order to Aziru; [pg 249] and I sent a letter to the King my Lord, and he returns me not an order for his servant. They have fought (for a long time?) against me. There are no waters[299] and no trees. Let there be ordered a letter for his servant, and let me plead, and let me see his face, and the King ... to his servant, and to his city, and not ... his city and his land. Why do they ... the King our Lord from the land, and ... and he has known that I honor the King's power, who ... no ... to my letter—a subject before the King my Sun, my Lord; and let the King answer his servant.”
Letters from Accho
93 B.—Surata, chief of Acca, sends the usual formula of compliment, and continues: “What chief is there who when the King his Lord sends to him will not hear? As this is sent out by desire of the Sun-God from heaven, so now it is promised him.”
32 B. M., a short letter from Zitatna, of Accho, merely says that he bows seven times and seven times at the King's feet.
94 B., another short letter by the same, states that he listens to the King's wishes.
95 B.—“To the King my Lord my ... the Sun from heaven thus says Zatatna chief of the city of Acca, thy servant, the King's servant, and the dust at the feet trampled under the feet of the King my Lord—the Sun-God from heaven: seven times and seven times he bows both heart and body. The King my Lord shall hear the message of his servant; the woman my wife ... He has left from ... Neboyapiza ... with Suta ... of the King, in the city of Acca ... to say anything ... him. She has urged (that) soldiers of the King my Lord shall go out with her from the city Magid ... No word is mentioned as to him or explanation before me; and now we two are sending. My reason (is) to assure her—Ziza the woman my wife—as to Neboyapiza, and she has not slept because of him. Behold the city of Acca like the city of Makdani[300] (is) with the Land of [pg 250] Egypt, and the King will not refuse ... and will send ... before me, and is it not that the King my Lord ... his Paka, and let him empower him.”
Letters from Hazor