Amarna letter EA 288

Amarna letter EA 288, titled Benign Neglect, is a tall, finely-inscribed clay tablet letter, approximately 7.5 in tall x 4.5 in wide, broken into two pieces, from Abdi-Heba the mayor/ruler of Jerusalem, of the mid 14th century BC Amarna letters. The scribe of his six letters to Egypt were penned by the "Jerusalem scribe"; EA 288 is a moderately long, and involved letter.

The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20Ã¢ÂÂ25 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.

Letter EA 288 (also see here-(Obverse): https://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&ObjectID=P271089), is numbered VAT 1643, from the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin.

A summary of letter structure: EA 288 begins with a short address to the Pharaoh. Immediately, 3 segue paragraphs begin the letter, as "dramatic statements" by the Jerusalem scribe (and Abdi-Heba); a fourth segued statement follows. Then the purpose of the letter begins, covering the second half of the letter's obverse and the reverse.

Paragraphs I-VIII (IX), complete the letter's obverse (as seen in photo).

Cuneiform and Akkadian text, EA 288

Obverse (See here: https://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&ObjectID=P271089)

(Line 1)—[ A ]-na 1.lugal-ri-EN-ia {d}Utu-ia qi2-[ bi-ma ]–(To King-Lord-mine Sun-god, my .. Speaking )

(2)—um-ma 1.ARAD2-Hi-Ba ARAD2-ka-ma–.–.–.–(message Abdi-Heba Servant-yours)

(3)—a-na 2. giri3-meÃÂ¡ lugal-EN-ia 7. ta-a-an–.–(at 2.(Both) Feet(s) King-Lord-mine --///-- 7. (times) )

(4)—ÃÂ¹ 7. ta-a-an am-qut-mi–.–(..and 7. (times) --///-- I bow ! (?I address you?) )

Paragraph II

(5)—A-mur !.. lugal-ri-EN-ia ÃÂ¡a-ka-an–.–( ! Look (here) ! .. King-Lord-mine --///-- (You) Emplaced )

(6)—szum3-szu a-na mu-s,i {d}Utu XX1–.–.–.–.–( Name-his At (the) "Setting" god Sun XX1 )

(7)—ÃÂ¹ ir-bi {d}Utu XX2 ha-an-pa–.–( and (the) Rising(entering) godSun XX2 --///-- growing abundantly ! )

(8)—ÃÂ¡a ih-nu-pu a-na mu-hi-ia–.–(.. which "grows abundantly" For Me ! (?Me & Us? )

Paragraph III

(9)—A-mur !.. a-na-ku --///-- la-a LÃÂº-Ha-zi-a-nu–.–( ! Look (here) ! --//-- {"-I- --///-- Not"} (a) Mayor (Hazzanu) ! )

(10)—LÃÂº-ÃÂº-a-ÃÂº --////--a-na lugal-ri-EN-ia–.–( (a) Soldier --////-- For King-Lord-mine ! )

Akkadian (with wikilinks)

Obverse (See here: https://cdli.ucla.edu/search/search_results.php?SearchMode=Text&ObjectID=P271089)

(Line 1)—A na ÃÂ ar-Ri-Beli-ia dUtu qa bÃÂ»

(2)—um ma Abdi-HeBa ardu-su

(3)—A na 2. giri3-meÃÂ¡ Sarri-Beli-ia 7. (times)

(4)—u3 7. (ta-a-an)(times) maqÃÂtu !

Paragraph II

(5)—( ! AmÃÂru ! .. ÃÂ ar-Ri- Belu-ia --///-- (You) ÃÂ¡akÃÂnu ..)

(6)—ÃÂ¡umu-ÃÂ¡u a na muÃÂ¡u {d}Utu XX1

(7)—ÃÂ¹ erÃÂbu {d}Utu XX2 --//-- ha nÃÂbu !

(8)—ÃÂ¡a ha nÃÂbu mu hhu-ia

Paragraph III

(9)—( ! AmÃÂru ! .. a nÃÂku --///-- l ÃÂ --///-- (a)Mayor (Hazzanu)

(10)—LÃÂº-ÃÂº-a-ÃÂº --////-- a na ÃÂ ar-Ri- Beli-ia !

Akkadian (from CDLI, Chicago Digital Library Initiative)

(Akkadian Text), Akkadischer Text

Cuneiform score, Akkadian, English

Cuneiform score (per CDLI, Chicago Digital Library Initiative), and Akkadian, and English.

Reverse, (RÃÂ¼ckseite):

References

Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, )
Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Parpola, Simo, Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, c 1997, Tablet I thru Tablet XII, Index of Names, Sign List, and Glossary-(pp. 119Ã¢ÂÂ145), 165 pages.
Rainey, 1970. El Amarna Tablets, 359-379, Anson F. Rainey, (AOAT 8, Alter Orient Altes Testament 8)

Ext links