Amarna letter EA 325

Amarna letter EA 325, titled: "Preparations Completed (2)," is a shorter-length clay tablet Amarna letter from Yidya the governor-'mayor' of Ašqaluna. It is a letter addressing the Pharaoh in high terms, as well as stating the 'governor of Ašqaluna' is making preparations for the arrival of the Pharaoh's archer-army, the archers (Egyptian pitati). EA 325 is a vassal-state letter (from Canaan), and has some similar appearances, for example appearing like letters EA 270 and EA 271.

EA 362, from Rib-Haddi, an Amarna letter, approximately 2x larger than EA 325.
(very high-resolution expandable photo)

The letter

EA 325: "Preparations Completed (2),"

EA 325, letter five of seven, by Yidya. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation, and English from French.)

(Lines 1-9)--[To] the king, my lord, my god, my Sun, the Sun fr[om the s]ky; Message of Yidya, your servant, the dirt at your feet, the groom of [yo]ur horses. I indeed prostrate myself, on the back and on the stomach, at the feet of the king, my lord, 7 times and 7 times.

(10-14)--I am indeed guarding the place of the king, my lord, and the city of the king, my lord, [w]here I am. Who is the dog that would not obey the orders of the king, the Sun from the sky?

(15-19)--I have indeed prepared absolutely everything — [f]ood, strong drink, oxen, sheep, and goats,¹ grain, straw, absolutely everything that the king, my lord, commanded. I have indeed prepared it.

(20-22)--And I am indeed p[reparing] the tribute of the Sun, in accordance with the comma[nd] of the king, my lord, the Sun fr[om the sky].

Akkadian text

The Akkadian language text:

Akkadian:

(Line 1)--A-na 1.^diš-LUGAL-EN-ia ^dingir-MEŠ-IA--(–1–: LUGAL-,.. -MEŠ-,..)

(2)--^dingir-UTU-IA ^dingir-UTU ša iš-tu [ an-ša₁₀-mi ]--(-UTU-,.. -UTU ša -ša₁₀-mi!...)

(3)--umma 1.^diš-(pi=yi)-YI-iD-(i)Ya ARAD-ka--(–1,– Yi--,.. ,...)

(4)--ip-ri ša 2.^diš-GÌR-MEŠ-ka--(,.. ša 2(1-1).-GÌR-MEŠ-,...)

(5)--LÚ qar-tab-bi ša 2.^diš ANŠE.KUR.RA.MEŠ-ka--(,.. qar--- ša 2.-ANŠE--RA-MEŠ-,...)

(6)--ana 2.^diš-GÌR-MEŠ LUGAL-EN-ia am-qú-ut--( 2.-GÌR-MEŠ,.. LUGAL-,.. -qú-ut!... )

(7)--7.^diš-šu ù 7.^diš-ta-na--(7.-,.. ú 7,.. -,.. )

(8)--lu-ú iš-tu-hu-hi-in--(lu-ú,.. --hu-hi-in!...)

(9)--ṣi-ru-ma ù ka-ba-tu-ma

segue:

(single line ruling)(=paragraph)

(10)--a-nu-ma i-na-ṣa-ru a-šar

(11)--LUGAL-EN-ia ù URU-^ki LUGAL-EN-ia

(12)--ša it-ti-ia mi-la-mi

(13)--lu-ú-ur-gi₁₂ ù la-a (pi=yi) yi-iš-te-mu

(14)--a-wa-ti₇ LUGAL ^dingir-UTU iš-tu an- { ša₁₀-mi }

segue:

(single line ruling)(=paragraph)

(15)--a-nu-ma šu-ši-ir-ti gáb-bi mi-im-mi

(16)--[ NÌG-]-MEŠ KAŠ-MEŠ (gu₄)GUD-MEŠ ud₅-MEŠ

(17)--ŠE-MEŠ IN-MEŠ gáb-bi mi-im-[ mi ]

English:

(Line 1)--(To:.. 1.-King-Lord-Mine,.. (of) Gods (pl)-Mine,.. )

(2)--(God-'Sun-God'-Mine,.. God 'Sun-God' 'which' from "Sky" (Heaven),.. )

(3)--('message thus' 1.-Yi-iD-iYa(Yidya),.. Servant-Yours,.. )

(4)--(dust,.. 'which at' 2.-feet (pl)-yours,.. )

(5)--((the) Groom,.. 'which of' 2.-Horses(pl)-Yours,.. )

(6)--(at 2. Feet (pl),.. King-Lord-Mine,.. (I) bow!... )

(7)--(7. times and 7, times,.. )

(8)--("may it be",.. (that I) prostrate (myself),.. )

(9)--((on my) Back and Front (liver),.. )

segue:

See also

• Yidya
• Ashkelon
• Amarna letter EA 323
• Archers (Egyptian pitati)
• Amarna letters–phrases and quotations

External links

• Photo, EA 325: Obverse (Middle clay-tablet)
• Triplet Photo (British Museum), EA 324, EA 323, & EA 325: Obverse photos
• Line Drawing, cuneiform, and Akkadian, EA 325: Obverse & Reverse, CDLI no. P270937 (Chicago Digital Library Initiative)

References

• Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)
• Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Parpola, Simo, Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project, c 1997, Tablet I thru Tablet XII, Index of Names, Sign List, and Glossary-(pp. 119–145), 165 pages.