Palestine Exploration Fund - Quarterly Statement for 1894/The City Sehlala
THE CITY SEHLALA.
By Major Conder, R.E., D.C.L., &c.
The only city noticed in connection with the wars of Aziru against Geba in the Tell Amarna tablets which I could not discover in the vicinity was Sehlala, but on further search I find a village in one of the valleys east of Batrun (the Batruna of the tablets) called Beit Shelalah, which is probably the place in question. The letter in which it is noticed is much broken, but the central part runs as follows (158b):—
û . . . . s'arrabunum ina amati . . . . rinum û caru rabu . . . . zabi Ali Sehlali û anuma invirir . . . . istu alu Irpada û . . . . nacu ina Ali Tsumura û yanu amili sa asbunum ina cari rabi si û anumma amili sa asbumum ina cari rabi si Sabilu Bilimtanu Maya . . . . Arzaya anumma IV amili sa asbunum ina cari rabi si û icbunum sunu ana yasi lizipanna simi istu suti zabi Ali Sehlali û huse izzina istu suti zabi Ali Sehlali . . . . xxv sa iducunum . . . . Sehlali û inuma babi . . . . ici zabi . . . . unuti . . . . istu Ali Tsumuri . . . . anumma la adru uddu . . . . zazibunum . . . . Khazanuti ana panica . . . .
The translation, though rendered difficult by the breaks in the text, appears to be—
"And . . . . they had rebelled from the orders . . . they had . . . . and the fortress . . . . the soldiers of the City of Sehlala, and now it was aided by the City of Arpad, and. . . . from the City of Semyra, but not by the men who dwelt in her fortress, and these are the chiefs who had lived in her fortress, Sabilu, Bilimtanu, Maya. . . . Arzaya. These are the four chiefs who dwelt in her fortress, and they had said to me, May we hide from destruction by the hands of the soldiers of the City of Sehlala, and help to take us away from the hands of the soldiers of the City of Sehlala,. . . . twenty-four whom they will slay. . . . Sehlala, and lo to the gate have come soldiers. . . . the possessions. . . . from the City of Semyra. . . . Now I did not repel. . . . they were hidden (being) rulers from your presence". . . .
The town would seem at this time to have been in the hands of the league hostile to Egypt. Arpad was a city near Tunip, which latter was ruled by Aziru the Amorite rebel. The letter would have been written after the fall of Semyra, and of the various towns to the south which were near Sehlala.