Tahmašši

Tahmašši, or Takhmašši, and also known by his hypocoristicon or pet name: Tahmaya, or Atahmaya was an Egyptian official to pharaoh in the 1350 BC Amarna letters correspondence. His name comes from: 'Ptah-mes', meaning Ptah-Born, or "Born of Ptah".

EA 364, "Justified War", city ruler Ayyab to Pharaoh, 1300s BC.
Lines, obverse, 1-14, (of 28), line 13 (second from bottom) shows Takhmašši's name (characters 3-7), spelled 1.--A-tah-ma-ia. (One (cuneiform)-(diš) is the single vertical stroke for 1, or Individual, person, etc. The last character, 'ia' is unseen on right side of tablet.)

Tahmašši's name is used in 4 Amarna letters as follows-(EA for 'el Amarna'):

1. EA 265–Tahmaya, Tahmaya
2. EA 303–Tahmašši
3. EA 316–Tahmaya
4. EA 364–Atahmaya—See Ayyab of Aštartu-(Tell-Ashtara)

The letters

EA 265: "A gift acknowledged"

Letter two of three letters by Tagi of Ginti, (Gintikirmil).

"To the king, my lord: Message of Tagi, your servant. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord. My own man I sent along with [ ... ] to see the face of the king, my lord. [And] the king, my lord, [s]ent a present to me in the care of Tahmaya, and Tahmaya gave (me) a gold goblet and 1[2 se]ts of linen garments. For the information [of the kin]g, my lord. -EA 265, lines 1-15 (~complete)

EA 303: "Careful listening"

Letter three of five letters by Šubandu, a mayor in Palestine.

"To the king, my lord, my god, my Sun, the Sun from the sky: Message of Šubandu, your servant, and the dirt at your feet, the groom of your horses. I prostrate myself, on the stomach and on the back, at the feet of the king, my lord, the Sun from the sky, 7 times and 7 times. I have heard [a]ll the words of the king, my [lord], the Sun from the [s]ky, and I am indeed [g]uarding the place [of the kin]g where I am. I have listened [t]o Tahmašši [ve]ry carefully. -EA 303, lines 1-21 (complete)

EA 316: "Postscript to the royal scribe"

Letter three of three letters by Pu-Ba'lu to pharaoh, mayor of Yursa:

"[To the kin]g, m[y] lord, [my] god, my Sun fr[o]m the s[ky: Mess]age of Pu-B[a]'lu, your servant and the dirt at your feet, the [gr]oom of your horses. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord, my god, my Sun from the sky, 7 times and [7] times, on the back and on the stomach. I am indeed guarding the pla[ce of the kin]g carefully. And who is the dog that would [ne]gl[ec]t [the comma]nd of the king? I am indeed obeying the orders of [Ta]hm[ay]a, the commissioner of the king.

To the scribe of [my lord: Me]ssage of Pu-Ba'lu. I fal[l] at your feet. There was nothing in my h[ou]se when I [en]ter[ed] it, and so I have not sent a caravan to you. I am now preparing a fine caravan for you." -EA 316, lines 1-25 (complete)

See also

• Amarna letters–phrases and quotations, for: "7 times and 7 times, "on the back and on the stomach"."

References

• Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)
• Rainey, 1970. El Amarna Tablets, 359-379, Anson F. Rainey, (AOAT 8, Alter Orient Altes Testament 8, Kevelaer and Neukirchen -Vluyen), 1970, 107 pages.