Amarna letter EA 147
Amarna letter EA 147, titled A Hymn to the Pharaoh,[1] is a moderate length clay tablet Amarna letter (mid 14th century BC) from Abimilku of Tyre-(called Ṣurru in the Abimilku letters, and an island, until the time of Alexander the Great, 330 BC). The letter is a twin letter to EA 149, which is identical in length, and complexity, and EA 147 appears to precede EA 149.
General overview[]
The letter concerns the intrigues of neighboring city-states and their rulers; however the letter is a missive on the religious setting of Tyre, and the personal explanation of the view of the Pharaoh of Egypt, in a religious, and righteous 'way of life' of the people of Tyre towards Egypt, and the Pharaoh, as the Sun God.
The clay tablet letter is written on the Obverse, Bottom, Reverse, Top (which is bottom of Reverse), and Left Side, leaving no spaces, not inscribed. The British Museum website for the EA 147 letter (with photo of Reverse), gives the approximated dimensions as: 3 1/4 X 2 1/4 in, ( 3.25 inches (83 mm) / 2.25 inches (57 mm), or 8.3 cm X 5.7 cm ).
EA 147 is located at the British Museum, no 29812.
The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are mid-14th century BC, about 1360 BC and 35? 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.
Categorization and characteristics[]
Amarna letter EA 147 is a missive (a letter sent), but more accurately, a treatise or essay, on the Role of the Pharaoh as Sun-God, and "Protector", etc.
Letter 147 is in the category of Amarna letters, which has the following specifics:
- EA 147 is undamaged (with few minor surface scrapes).
- It is of moderate length, a single clay tablet (not part of a series, ex 2-tablet letter, or a listing like , or ).
- It has clarity of cuneiform characters, probably for two reasons: A–The execution of the scribe; and B–The preparation of a clay mixture (probably with added ingredients), which caused a hardened clay tablet. (The scribe's story, demanded a higher performing clay tablet.(?))
- The Letter 147 story contains: Obverse:—Introduction & Clause 1;
Bottom—An ending to the Obverse, and transition to Reverse;
Reverse-(Clause 2 & 3), which begins (line 30), with the Akkadian word for "Help!" (and standing alone, with the next 2-words of line 30 beginning the start of Clause 2), and with the Reverse ending with two glossenkeils (line 56, only 2 words), translated as ':gl "I am at rest"; and :gl "I am confident"[2] (end of line). (Note: there are multiple paragraphs and sub-paragraphs in EA 147, a 4-section letter, & see the Akkadian cuneiform section.) - The story of EA 147, is that it is a missive (or treatise or essay), on A Hymn to the Pharaoh (in 3 "duplicating clauses"). Clause 4 is the information to the Pharaoh, and the EA 147 ending. (Note: one would have to predict whether the layout of the letter was totally planned. The actual information in the letter (to the Pharaoh, or his post office—Bureau of Correspondence), only begins after the Reverse Side (beginning of the closing-(tablet ending) Clause 4 section), continuing from lines 57-60, and then continuing to the Left Side, for 8 lines, lines 64-71, (longer lines, due to the tallness of the tablet). The very last line (71), the Scribe writes: Enūma idû, "Now (at this time), know!" ("Now, be informed!").
- The reverse (Clauses 2 – 3), is separated by an Exclamation, (an Interjection), line 40: [line 39: "Upon front-mine, upon (glossenkeil):back-mine!], "I carry (bring), the Causes (intentions) (Akkadian: amatu (word, matter)),[3] King-Lord-mine!" (Almost certainly, the scribe—(or Abimilku):–A, intended to get to the reverse side in the manner that he did; B, had to get through "Clause 3" to the ending of the Reverse, with its 2 closing glossenkeils). How he continued to the end of the letter would have to be speculation. And,.. remembering whether Abimilku played a part in the formation of this great story, letter 147.
(Another minor Exclamation occurs on line 24.6: "Look at this!" [the start of Paragraph 2-c]) - Because Letter 147 contains 3-duplicating clauses, Akkadian language words, and some phrases, are repeated. For example 3 times for the phrase day-by-day ("day and day", in the letter). It is used twice in Clause 1, Obverse (paragraph I-b) & the Bottom transition to the Reverse (the ending of Clause 1). The third usage is in the letter's ending, (Clause 4).
Other repeated words are for example: "returns" (Akkadian sahāru, (3 times)), "breath" (hašû, (5)), "emerges/returns" (aṣû, (5)), and "now" (enūma, (numerous)). - Letter 147 uses 7 glossenkeils (a high number usage).
Summary of glossenkeils used[]
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
EA 147 Glossenkeil |
EA 147 Akkadian language |
translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
Glossenkeil #1 line 12 Obverse |
ha-ap-si | arm "power of his arm" |
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
Glossenkeil #2 line 28, Bottom |
a-ru-u  
|
"he is satisfied" |
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
Glossenkeil #3 line 36, Reverse |
-na (exclamation) ku 
|
"Prepare!" |
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
Glossenkeil #4 line 38, Reverse |
ia-a-ia-ia (exclamation) 
|
"yes, yes, yes!" (Yay!!) |
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
Glossenkeil #5 line 39, Reverse |
-ri-ia 
|
"my back" |
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
Glossenkeils #6,7 line 56, Reverse |
nu-uh-ti | "I am at rest" |
| Amarna letter EA 147 |
Glossenkeils #6,7 line 56, Reverse |
ba-ti-i-ti | "I am confindent" |
Text (minus obverse and reverse (hymn omitted))[]
- Reverse
- bottom to side:
- (57-60) I indeed said to the Sun, the father of the king, my lord, "When shall I see the face of the king my lord?"
- Side (left)
- (61-71) I am indeed guarding Tyre, the principal city,11 for the king, my lord, until the powerful arm of the king comes forth over me, to give me water to drink and wood to warm myself. Moreover, Zimredda, the king of Sidon, writes daily to the rebel Aziru, the son of 'Abdi-Ašratu, about every word he has heard from Egypt. I herewith write to my lord, and it is good that he knows.12 (end of letter (few, or no lacunae))
Text: A Hymn to the Pharaoh[]
EA 147, letter two of ten from Abimilku. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation.)[4]
- Obverse[5]
- (Lines 1-8) the king, my lord, my god, my Sun: Message of Abi-Milku, your servant. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord, 7 times and 7 times. I am the dirt under the sandals (and "shoes") of the king, my lord. My lord is the Sun who comes forth over all lands day by day,1 according to the way (of being) of the Sun, his gracious father.
- (9-15) who gives life by his sweet breath and returns with his north wind;2 who establishes the entire land in peace, by the power of his arm :(gl–