The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and BabyloniaPinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Religion
The Old Testament in the Light of the Historical Records and Legends of Assyria and Babylonia
Pinches, Theophilus G. (Theophilus Goldridge)
Bible. Old Testament -- Criticism, interpretation, etc.
Yet another letter refers to Milki-îli and Lab’aya: “Behold, has not
Milki-îli fallen away from the sons of Lab’aya and from the sons of Arzawa
to ask the land of the king for them?(74) A governor, who has done this
deed, why has the king not called him to account for this?” The narrative
breaks off where Abdi-ṭâba begins to relate something further concerning
Milki-îli and another named Tagi. When the text again becomes legible,
Abdi-ṭâba is again referring to the fact that there is no garrison of the
king in some place whose name is lost. “Therefore—as the king lives—Puuru
(= Pauru) has entered it—he has departed from my presence, (and) is in the
city of Gaza. So let the king indicate to him (the necessity) of a
garrison to protect the country. All the land of the king has rebelled.
Send Ya’enḫamu (Yanḫamu), and let him become acquainted with (lit. let him
know) the country of the king (_i.e._ the true state of affairs”). Here
follows a note to the scribe in Egypt similar to that translated above.
One of the most interesting and instructive of the letters of Abdi-ṭâba is
that which Petrie regards as the latest of the series; and on account of
its importance, it is given in full here—
“(To) the king, my lord, (s)ay also thus: ‘It is (Abdi)-ṭâba thy servant.
At the feet of the (ki)ng my lord twice seven times and twice seven times
I fall down. (Behold, the deed) which Milki-îli and Šu-ardatum have done
to the land of the king my lord has been successful (?). The men of the
city of Gazri (Gezer), the men of the city of Gimti (Gath), and the men of
the city of Kîlti (Keilah) have been captured. The land of the city of
Rubute has revolted. The land of the king (belongs to) the Ḫabiri. And
now, moreover, a city of the land of Jerusalem, the city Beth-Ninip
(“House” or “Temple of Ninip”)—(this is) its name—has revolted to the
people of Kîlti. Let the king hearken to Abdi-ṭâba thy servant, and let
him send hired soldiers, and let me bring back the land of the king to the
king. And if there be no hired soldiers, the land of the king will go over
to the men, the Ḫabiri. This deed (is the deed of) Šu-ardatum (and)
Milki-îli ... city ... and let the king care for his land.’ ”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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