Amarna letter EA 288


Amarna letter EA 288, titled Benign Neglect,[1] 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.

Amarna letter EA 288
(Titled Benign Neglect)
Rib-Hadi letter to Pharaoh
MaterialClay
SizeHeight: 16.2 cm (6.4 in)
Width: 10.5 cm (4.1 in)
Writingcuneiform
(Akkadian language)
Created~1360-1335 BC (Amarna Period)
Period/cultureMiddle Babylonian
PlaceAkhetaten
Present locationVorderasiatisches Museum Berlin
no. VAT 1643

The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 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): ), 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: )

(Line 1)—[ A ]-na 1.lugal-ri-EN-ia {d}Utu-ia qi2-[ bi-ma ][2][3]–(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-meš lugal-EN-ia 7. ta-a-an–.–(at 2.(Both) Feet(s) King-Lord-mine --///-- 7. (times) )
(4)—ù 7. ta-a-an am-qut-mi–.–(..and 7. (times) --///-- I bow ! (?I address you?) )
Paragraph II
(5)—A-mur !.. lugal-ri-EN-ia ša-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)—ù ir-bi {d}Utu XX2 ha-an-pa–.–( and (the) Rising(entering) godSun XX2 --///-- growing abundantly ! )
(8)—ša 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 Lú-Ha-zi-a-nu–.–( ! Look (here) ! --//-- {"-I- --///-- Not"} (a) Mayor (Hazzanu) ! )
(10)—Lú-ú-a-ú --////--a-na lugal-ri-EN-ia–.–( (a) Soldier --////-- For King-Lord-mine ! )


Akkadian


Obverse (See here: )

(Line 1)—Ana Šar-Ri-Beli-ia dUtu qabû[4][5]
(2)—umma Abdi-HeBa ardu-su
(3)—Ana 2. giri3-meš Sarri-Beli-ia 7. (times)
(4)—u3 7. (ta-a-an)(times) maqātu !
Paragraph II
(5)—( ! Amāru ! .. Šar-Ri- Belu-ia --///-- (You) šakānu ..)
(6)—šumu-šu ana mušu {d}Utu XX1
(7)—ù erēbu {d}Utu XX2 --//-- hanābu !
(8)—ša hanābu muhhu-ia
Paragraph III
(9)—( ! Amāru ! .. anāku --///-- lā --///-- (a)Mayor (Hazzanu)
(10)—Lú-ú-a-ú --////-- ana Šar-Ri- Beli-ia !


See also

References
  1. Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 289, "Benign Neglect", pp. 330-332.
  2. CDLI page for EA 288
  3. Linear style of Rainey, 1970
  4. CDLI page for EA 288
  5. Linear style of Rainey, 1970
  • Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)
  • Rainey, 1970. El Amarna Tablets, 359-379, Anson F. Rainey, (AOAT 8, Alter Orient Altes Testament 8)
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