Part 32 (2/2)

CALLIMMASIN'S LETTERS

1 B.-”To _Amenophis III_ the King of _Egypt_ by letter thus _(Cal)limmasin_(410) the King of _Carandunias_ (Babylonia) thy brother. I am at peace. To thee, to thy house, thy wives, thy land, thy chariots, thy horses, thy ... be much peace.

”Because of the youngest of my daughters, whom you send to wed, _Irtabi_ whom you remember, they took this message. My father formerly sent a message. You collected many soldiers, you approved his message, and you sent making a present to my father.

”Now I send thee this envoy. In the sixth year you seek for this, and in the sixth year you send thirty _manahs_ of gold (instead of?) silver for my present. I return the same gold. _Casi_ your envoy has known its (value?) which he has seen. I send thy envoy well instructed as to our opinion. For I followed ... and the present that he is instructed to ...

is thirty _manahs_ of gold, which you ... a gift of alliance.”

The rest is too broken to read. It mentions five women sent, and ten wooden chariots-the latter as presents. The next letter is from Egypt.

Either a copy or an original never sent.(411)

1 B. M.-”To _Callimmasin_ King of _Carandunias_ my brother, by letter thus _Amenophis III_ the great King, the King of _Egypt_ thy brother. There is peace to my region. To thy region be peace: to thy house, to thy wives, to thy sons, to thy Lords, to thy horses, to thy chariots, and in thy hands be much peace. I am at peace. There is much peace to my house, to my wives, to my sons, to my Lords, my horses, my chariots, my army; and in my lands there is much peace.

”Now I heard the message you sent about her to me. Thus it was, 'Now you ask my daughter as your wife, but my sister whom my father gave thee, being good to you, has any seen her whether she has lived or whether she has died?' This is the message that you send in your letter. But did you ever send as your envoy, one who has known your sister, and who has spoken with her, and understood her? And let one speak with her. The chiefs you send are useless, your envoy _Zakara_ is one who is a chief(?). There is not one among them related to your father, and ... concerning this my envoy is with thee, and has spoken to her ... her heart ... concerning this, and she has given ... to her mother. And lo! you send this, 'You spoke to my envoys, and they gathered your wives: a lady appeared before you (saying) thus, Behold your queen who is brought out before you all.

But my envoys knew her not (to be) my sister.' Now satisfy yourself as to what you thus send, 'My envoys knew her not,' and you say, 'Who was it that was recognized by her?' Why do not you send as your envoy one who shall tell you a true message as to the salutation from your sister, I pray you? And you said that they disputed as to her appearance. But you can see her with the King. And lo! you send thus, 'Who was the princess-a daughter of one who was a native, or was she one of the land of (my neighbors?), or was she the daughter of the Land of _Khani Rabbatu_, or the princess of the Land of _Ugarit_, that my envoys so saw, and who was it that spoke to them to satisfy that nothing wrong was done?' And does not your message say all this? But if she has died-your sister, and I am concealing, as you pretend, her ... in former times, which we ... the G.o.d _Amanu_ ... (I rejoice that the wife I love?) ... she has been made queen ... I deny that ... beyond all the wives ... that the Kings of _Egypt_ ...

in the land of _Egypt_. And lo! you send thus 'Both my daughters ... as wives of the Kings of the land of _Carandunias_.' But if the ... of my envoys is friendly, and they have said 'With these things our Lord has sent us, as a present, to satisfy thee concerning thy message: the princess salutes the Kings, and all her friends your daughters.' Take thou possession from him of whatever is with them, and send me a letter, and arrange with thy sister who is with me, and make sure of everything; and I have sent to thee an overseer, so to make known to your daughters, in order to perceive the evil that they teach you. And lo! you send 'The messages that my father has left, do not these messages of his say concerning this, that he established alliance between us?' This is the message you send. Now you and I have fulfilled the alliance, and the portion is before your envoys as they will say in your presence. Is not all to be given by us to her who (is) to come to the land of Egypt (whom) they shall bring before me? And (choose?) one of them. (Now) I have sent silver, gold, unguents, cloths, all whatsoever the land can give, and the overseer will say what is the value of that which he has brought-every gift to be weighed to you, that my envoy is to give. And we have been shamed by the evils that they speak. They have refuted the abominations-the evil things that they told you of us. And I was grieved when they ... us all these things. For is it not of their deceit that they told you thus? And I appointed them not to ... them about this. And lo!

you send thus, you say thus to my envoys, 'There are no soldiers of my Lord, and is not (a young girl?) to be given them?' This is thy message: 'Thy envoys said for thee that none are going forth. It might be done safely if there were soldiers, if there be none it is impossible to arrange for us what I am asked by him. If there are soldiers I grant it you, if there are horses I grant you this.' This reason your envoy made use of with us, who put me to shame-the evil man whom you sent. I pray thee if they feared to be slain, and lamented evils when she went out, lo!

all was in your hands. Thus let my chariots be granted from among the chariots of the ruling chiefs: do not you regard them as a possession? You can send them wherever you please. Are not they all a possession? Are not there, I pray you also, chariots, are not there I pray you horses with me?

Demand all my horses: the chariots behold you shall send to meet you at the stations. As for me you shall send me the girl, and send out one to lead (her) to me.”

3 B. M.-This is broken at the top, but supposed to be from _Callimmasin_.

”... my envoys ... the many ... that they send to me I ... Thou my brother without ... for thy daughter to wed, as I send ... (you say) thus, 'From of old a daughter of the King of Egypt was not given for anything.' Why so? Thou art a King, and doest thy will. As they spake this message to me I then sent thus, 'Many of (your) daughters are grown up. So send one who is grown up as (I ask for) her.' Who says thus, 'There is no daughter of the King to give.' Thou hast sent without enquiring as to this. Thou dost not rebuke alliance and good-will, as you send approaching me eagerly as to a taking to wife. And I sent to you because of these things, in brotherhood and good-will, because eagerly approaching me as to taking a wife. My brother, why not send a woman? Why am I repulsed? I myself have sent like thee, I have intrusted a woman. As there were daughters I did not refuse thee. Why a.s.sociate by taking a wife as ... I have sent to thee to know this ... all your ... so ... they said your ... Lo! my daughter whom I have sent(412) ... you do not take unwillingly, consenting to whatever you desire ... and as for the gold that I send you, your envoy has agreed with me as to the amount of the gold I.... Behold speedily, within this year, whether in the month of June (_Duzu_) or in the month of July (_Ab_),(413) this message being taken away, let her whom I have taken be.... If within this year, in June or in July, I send you the gold, you shall send ... the daughter whom I am given by you, and you in return shall send the gold for your ... But if in June or in July the gold is not sent, do not cause her whom I have taken to be sent away. And in return for what will you send to be carried away her whom I have taken. Why, indeed, is it necessary to trouble about gold? Truly sending 3,000 (pounds?) of gold have not I completed the exchange for you, and have not I given my daughter to take to wife?”

a.s.sURUBALID'S LETTER

9 B.-”To _Amenophis IV_ (the great King?) the King of _Egypt_ my brother, thus _a.s.surubalid_,(414) King of _a.s.syria_ the great King thy brother.

Peace be to thee, to thy house, and to thy land. I was very glad when I saw your envoys. Let me send your envoys again with my message. I have sent as a present for you a chariot (of the royal forces?) of my ... and two horses swift and sure. A chariot (without harness?) and a precious stone.

”The sending of gold from your land that has formerly come across to the great King has ceased.(415) Why should he be repulsed from your sight?

They have taken as much gold as there was; as much as I have received, which also I have needed, is caused to be sent.

”In the time of _a.s.surnadinakhi_(416) my ancestor they sent to the land of Egypt twenty (pounds?) of gold.

”In the time that the King of _Khani-Rabbatu_ sent to your father, to the land of Egypt, they sent him twenty (pounds) of gold.

”... To the King of _Khani-Rabbatu_ and to me ... you have sent gold. I sent ... and you ... from the hands of my envoys....

”If fortunately your face is favorable send gold, and let him who executes the message take what is needed. In return let our envoys be sent to thee from us. Your envoys who have tarried with me needing men to guide them it is granted, in order that I may send this. They took from me men to guide them as they went down. Do not disgrace my envoys, and do not delay them for me. Why should we not in future send out envoys? In future they will carry news, in future they will be sent out to the King to carry the news.

And in future let it be declared 'Whosoever of us is treacherous let him be destroyed for the King.' I have received (envoys) thirteen times, why should not other envoys beside from the King in future again...”

LETTERS FROM BURNABURIAS

2 B. M.-”To _Amenophis IV_ (_Nibkhuarririya_) King of _Egypt_, by letter thus _Burnaburias_ King of _Caradunias_(417) thy brother. I am at peace.

May there be much peace to thee, to thy house, thy wives, thy sons, thy land, thy Lords, thy horses, thy chariots.

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