Cuneiform sign for bi, pí; also in the Epic of Gilgamesh, bé, gaš, kaš, and sumerogram, KAŠ, for "beer".Amarna letter EA 9-(Reverse), Burra-Buriyaš to Pharaoh, "Ancient Loyalties, New Requests".[1] Last line: 'a series of gifts' "...I send (to) you."("...ul-te-bi-la..x-x.") (Akkadian language, "abālu", to bring, carry)[2] (photo, out-of-focus)
The cuneiformbi sign, also pí, and used for other syllabic forms, as well as a sumerogram, is a common use syllabic and alphabetic cuneiform sign used in both the mid-14th century BC Amarna letters and the Epic of Gilgamesh. In the Amarna letters, it is sometimes used for the spelling of the archers (Egyptian pitati), 'pí-t(x)-t(x)', an often requested need from the Pharaoh in the vassal state sub-corpus of the letters.
The following linguistic elements for bi are used in the Epic:[4]
bé
bi
gaš
kaš
pí
KAŠ, sumerogram: "beer"
The bi sign's usage numbers in the Epic of Gilgamesh are as follows: bé-(25 times), bi-(190), gaš-(1), kaš-(12), pí-(2), KAŠ-(1).[5]
Amarna letters usage
Use of pí, Egyptian archers
The archers were part of the Egyptian army, and often requested by the Canaanite vassalcity-states, when writing to the Pharaoh in the Amarna letters. They were named the pitati, Akkadian language "piṭātu",[6]"troops of soldiers", and spelled in a variety of ways, often starting with the bi sign as pí.
A partial listing of spellings of "ERIM.MEŠ-pitati", by Amarna letter:
Rainey, 1970. El Amarna Tablets, 359–379,Anson F. Rainey, (AOAT 8, Alter Orient, Altes Testament 8, Kevelaer and Neukirchen -Vluyen), 1970, 107 pages.
Line drawing using bi sign, line 2.
Photo taken at British Museum. (bi, 2nd line from bottom) Note: the 2nd from last character, 1st line is based on the "bi" cuneiform sign (wedge-stroke added at beginning, but often between the two horizontals), the sign for ṣur (AMAR (cuneiform)), etc. (also sumerogramAMAR, for: "See!", or "Look!..." (Akkadian languageamāru).
