A Letter from Shuwardata of Keilah

To the king, my Lord, my gods, my sun-god, by letter I speak, even I Su-arda-ka, thy servant, the dust of thy feet: at the feet of the king my lord, my gods, my sun-god, myself seven times seven do I prostrate myself. The king of (the country of) ... directed the mouth to make war: in the city of Kelte he made war against thee the third time.
A cry (for assistance) to myself was brought. My city belonging to myself [adhered to (?)] me. Ebed-tob sends the men to Kelte; he sends 14 pieces of silver, and they marched against my rear; and the domains of the king my lord they overran. Kelte my city Ebed-tob removed from my jurisdiction; the [pleasure park (?)] of the king my lord and the fortress of Bel-nathan and the fortress of Hamor from before him and his justice he removed. Lab-api the [halting (?)] in speech occupied the fortress of ...ninu and now Lab-api together with Ebed-tob and [his men] has occupied the fortress of ...ninu ... when the king to his servant .....................

On the edge

As regards this matter, No! twice has the king returned (this) answer.

A.H.Sayce, Records of the Past, Series 2, Vol.2, 1889

gods: This is a curious parallelism to the use of the plural Elohim in Hebrew for the singular "God." A.H.Sayce

sun-god: The Egyptian pharaoh was not only "the son of the Sun," but was also identified with the Sun-god himself. A.H.Sayce

I speak: Ki dhema atma A.H.Sayce

The king, my Lord, has sent me: The king of (the country of) ... directed the mouth A.H.Sayce

Su-arda-ka: Su-arda-ka is a purely Assyro-Babylonian name, and shows how far the cultivated classes of Western Asia had gone in adopting the Babylonian language. A.H.Sayce

Kelte: The Hebrew Keilah A.H.Sayce

Ebed-tob: Abd-Dhabba, which may, however, also be read Abd-Khima. Compare the names of Tab-Rimmon (1 Kings, XV. 18) and Tab-el (Is. VII, 6) A.H.Sayce

Bel-nathan: Written ideographically EN-MU, in Assyrian Bil-nadin. A.H.Sayce

Hamor:Written with the ideograph of "ass", emer, Hebrew hamor. There is similar paly upon the name of the Amorite in the Old Testament, Gen. XXIV, 2, etc. compared with XLVIII, 22. A.H.Sayce

		The Amarna Letters
		History Index Page
		Dynasty List
		Main Index and Search Page
		Feedback: Please report broken links, mistakes - factual or otherwise, etc. to me. Thanks.