Letters to Egy... | Sacred Texts Archive
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Records of the Past, 2nd series, Vol. III, ed. by A. H. Sayce, [1890], at sacred-texts.com
VIII.
No. II 4
OBVERSE
1. [To Nim]muariya king of the land of [Egypt] my brother, my son-in-law,
2. [whom I] love (and) who loves [me], speak
3. [thus:] Dusratta the king of Mi[tanni], thy father-in-law,
4. loves thee as thy brother; [unto] me is peace; unto thee
p. 75
5. [may there be] peace; to thy house, to [thy] wives, to thy sons, to thy nobles,
6. [to] thy chariots, to thy horses, to thy officers,
7. to thy country and thy property may there be exceeding abundant peace!
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8. Manê the ambassador of my brother went to demand a wife for
9. my brother that he might take her to be queen of Egypt, and the letter 1
10. which he took I read, and to his message listened
11. my good heart attentively, and the words of my brother as the person of my brother
12. I saw and rejoiced on that day very exceedingly.
13. Day and night it produced pleasure. 2
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14. And all the words of my brother which Manê took [to me]
15. I performed in the same 3 year; again the wife of my brother,
16. the queen of Egypt, I … and have despatched to my brother;
17. … on that day the countries of Khani-rabbat 4 and Egypt.
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18. And as regards this, Manê will [speak?] before my brother: Giliya 5
19. and Manê I [presented with?] a costly present, but I did not address them.
20. Again, O my brother, for … and for [their] dismissal …
p. 76
21. But I did not cause them to go up (to Egypt) to [convey my daughter] that she might be the wife of [my] brother;
22. even now I did not cause them to go up.
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23. After six months Giliya my ambassador and Manê the [ambassador]
24. [of] my brother I dismissed; the wife of my brother, [to be queen of Egypt],
25. [my daughter], to my brother they brought. May Beltis the lady [of battle]
26. my [goddess], and Amânu 1 the god of my brother according to [his heart]
27. advise 2 [him].
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28. [His wife] to my brother they brought, and when my brother [had children by her]
29. his son grew up stoutly and also …
30. … according to the heart of my brother he became tall, 3 and …
31. … which to give my brother …
32. … above the face …
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33. [Now Na]khâramassi has spoken, O my brother, a word to [my brother],
34. … and a letter 4 into his hand I have given …
35. … and his words may [my brother] hear, [saying]
36. [thus: Nakharâ]massi to my brother I have sent …
37. the soldiers [of] my brother have not made …
Lacuna.
REVERSE
The commencement is lost.
1. … of my brother they have brought …
p. 77
2. … my [ambassador] has collected everything, O [my] brother.
3. … before all of them, and we …
4. … among them, and these seals and the gold …
5. … and they regarded (them) very intently;
6. they [considered] these treasures 1 as water, all of them, treasures of gold without [number];
7. [and] they said: "in the land of Egypt (are) treasures of gold, more than the dust in abundance."
8. [My heart], O my brother, now loves thee in rivalry; the men …
9. … whom they love, and yet nothing is given to their backs.
10. [There are] quantities of what is needed, quantities more than the dust in Egypt in plenty.
11. As myself (are) these men; to whom is the gift made? …
12. … and it has no gate; and truly when I [heard of] the treasures
13. [which lie] before you, I did not question if he loves me very greatly
14. [and] my country, even the king of Egypt.
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15. And my brother lifts me up in his heart when my heart was vexed at aught;
16. and he does not fail (?) at any time, and the great god my lord does not forsake me;
17. Along with my brother am I not remembered (?) by thee? and to country and city …
18. like my brother …
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19. Manê the ambassador of my brother [and the dragoman] of my brother who with him
20. journeyed, I honoured: [I spoke to] them and honoured them
p. 78
21. exceedingly; now Manê has departed, and my brother
22. has exalted him even as I honoured him very greatly.
23. To my brother also I spoke, and my brother heard from them how
24. I had done unto them: when Manê lacked (aught which) is not supplied
25. to him, he indeed is not vexed.
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26. And, O my brother, I have sent much worked 1 gold which cannot be counted, and the aqqât
27. of my father may my brother return to me, as my brother regards friendship.
28. As my brother before my country, as before my numerous (?) brethren,
29. my brother has caused me greatly to flourish, so may the god Amanu 2 sustain (?) (him), and
30. act for ever according to the heart of my brother, and may my brother,
31. my beloved one, act according to my heart, like the Sun-god
32. who loves mankind, and like the god Na-nînu may the gods
33. direct us, and for ever
34. let us love [one another].
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35. [And now I send] by way of a present one spear of ubbi wood
36. … and an isizzu of Aleppo 3 stone set in gold
37. … [which] he folds together on his throne
38. … khulal stone set in gold for a throne
39. … to my brother I have sent.
Footnotes
74:4 Winckler and Abel, Mittheilungen, i. p. 18.
75:4 "Khani the greater," or eastern Kappadokia, of which Malatiyeh was the capital. It is unfortunate that the commencement of the line is lost: if Khani-rabbat formed part of the dominions of Dusratta, it may have referred to the alliance between it and Egypt which was secured by the marriage.
75:5 Giliya was the ambassador sent by Dusratta to Egypt.
76:1 The Egyptian Amun, the supreme god of Thebes.
76:2 [Li]messil[lisu], the Hebrew mâshal, "to speak in proverbs."
76:3 Ipsidh, like the corresponding Aramaic verb.
77:1 Mâmê, possibly the Aramaic mamon, "wealth," the Mammon of the New Testament.
78:3 Khiliba. See W. A. I., v. 30, 66. The word seems to have no connection with the non-Semitic khilib, "a god."
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