not the land of the Amorites. Behold they have taken these places from us, and I am ill at ease. Behold now do not they support Abdasherah? behold they have deceived us about them, and you promise us, day and night to send the Egyptian soldiers, and we are made sad about it, and all the chiefs of the Government. Thou shalt promise us to do this thing to Abdasherah: lo! he sends to the chiefs of the city of Ammiya (Amyûn) to slay him who was established as Lord, and they submitted to the men of blood. So now thou shalt say for us—the Chiefs of the Government; so now they are doing to us, and thou shalt announce to him (that) all the lands are for men of blood, and speak thou this message in the presence of the King my Lord. Lo! a father and a lord this thou art to me; and as for thee my face I bend, you know, to my master: behold what is done in the city of Simyra, lo! I am . . . with thee. But complain to the King thy Lord, and you will send . . . to me as I trust.”
20 B. M.—“Ribadda sends to his Lord the Great King, the King of many lands to the prosperous King. Baalath of Gebal has confirmed the power of the King my Lord. At the feet of my Lord the Sun seven times seven times he bows him. A petition has been made long ago, made for the city of Gebal, to despatch Bikuru (to the) chiefs of the Land of Egada[1] . . . served me, which . . . I . . . three of the chiefs . . . they strove . . . the Land of Egypt . . . and. . . then the King my Lord . . . as in against . . .
“If the King my Lord supports his faithful servant; and despatch thou this her chief (speedily?); and we two watch the city for the King. The King shall send the choicest of thy great men, from among those who guard him. The three chiefs whom Bikhuru strove to despatch, but who have fled, (are) Abdirama, Iddinaddu, Abdmelec, these are sons of Abdasherah;[2] and they have taken the King’s land for themselves. He shall send the bitati . . .”
- ↑ Egada is no doubt the land of Ikatai mentioned in the “Travels of an Egyptian” (Chabas, p. 312); it there occurs with Aleppo and the country of the Hittites. In the letter of the Hittite Prince of Rezeph (north of Palmyra) we hear of his country as Egait (B. 10). Rezeph was not far south of Tiphsah, on the Euphrates, and southeast of Aleppo. Bikhuru is, however, mentioned (18 B. M.) in connection with the town of Cumidi.
- ↑ I misread this name at first. The Amorite chief seems to have had five sons including Aziru and (p. 224) Benmabenat (or Bumabula).
