Amarna letter EA 245, titled: "Assignment of Guilt,"[1] is a medium length clay tabletAmarna letter from Biridiya the governor-'mayor' of Magidda. It is letter number four of five from Biridiya.
The letter is in pristine condition except for a missing flake (lower-right, obverse) causing a lacuna at the end of a few lines. The cuneiform characters are finely inscribed, with some photos that can even show the individual strokes of the cuneiform characters (the stroke sequence). The letter is 47-lines long, and about 5-in tall. Letter EA 245 (see here-(Obverse): [3]), is numbered BM 29855, at the British Museum.
The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.
The letter
EA 245: "Assignment of Guilt"
EA 245, letter four of five. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation, and English from French.)[1]
(Lines 1-7)--Moreover,1I urged my brothers,"If the god of the king, our lord, brings it about2that we overcome Lab'ayu, then we must bring him alive:–(gloss) ha-ia-mato the king, our lord."
(8-14)--My mare, howeverhaving been put out of action :–-(gloss) tu-ra (having been shot), I took my place behind him :–(gloss) ah-ru-un-úand rode with Yashdata.3But before my arrival they had struck him down :–(gloss) ma-ah-ṣú-ú.
(15-23)--Yašdata being truly your servant, he it was that entered with me into batt[le]. May [ ... ] [ ... ] thelife4of the king, my [lord], thathe may br[ing peace to ever]yone5in[the lands of]the king, [my] lord.
(24-35)--It had been Surata that took Labaya from Magidda. and said to me,"I will send him to the king by boat :–(gloss) a-na-yi"6Surata took him, but he sent him from Hinnatunu to his home, for it was Surata that had accepted from him :–(gloss) ba-di-úhis ransom.
(36-47)--Moreover, what have I done to the king, my lord, that he has treated me with contempt :–(gloss) ia8-qí-ìl-li-niand honored :–(gloss) ia8-ka-bi-idmyless importantbrothers?7It was Surata that let Lab'ayu go, and it was Surata that let Ba'l-mehir go, (both) to their homes. And may the king, my lord, know.--(complete Obverse & Reverse, EA 245, minor, restored lacunae, (and a small corner of clay tablet missing), total ines 1-47)
^Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Glossary, pp. 119-145, epēsu, p. 124; English, "to do, place, treat".
^Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Glossary, pp. 119-145, sakāpu, p. 138; English, "to lie down, rest".
^Moran, William L. 1987, 1992. The Amarna Letters. EA 107, "Charioteers but no horses", pp. 180-181; note 2 for DUGUD, read "kabta", related to English "important (person)", "honored".
^Parpola, 1971. The Standard Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, Glossary, pp. 119-145, idû, p. 127; English, "to know". "to make known, recognize", "to inform, proclaim"