Šuwardata
Šuwardata(Shuwardata), alsoŠuardatu,is understood by most scholars to be the king of the Canaanite city ofGath(Tell es-Safi), although some have suggested that he was the 'mayor' ofQiltu(Keilah?, or Qi'iltu), during the1350-1335 BCAmarna letterscorrespondence.Šuwardata was the author of 8 letters to theEgyptianpharaoh.
Sample of Šuwardata's letters
[edit]Besides letters EA 283, and EA 366, (EAfor 'elAmarna'), only letter 280 tells of intrigues: SeeLabaya,orAbdi-Heba,as EA 280 claims:"Moreover,Lab'ayuwho used to take our town, is dead, but now [an]other Lab'ayu is 'Abdi-Heba,and he seizes our town. "
The other 5 letters do refer to the following: Qeltu-(Qiltu,Keilah:);silver(asmercenarypay); the Sun, (asRê); thearcher-forces; and the only reference toRahmanu,an Egyptian official, (letter EA 284,"The powerful hand of the king").
EA 283: "Oh to see the king" --(no. 6 of 8)
[edit]All Šuwardata's letters are addressed to thepharaoh.
To the king, my lord, my god, my Sun: Message ofŠuwardata,your servant. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord. Ifall at the feetof the king, my lord, 7 times and 7 timesmore(i.e. 'overflowing'-(mīlu)). The king, my lord, has written me, "Enter and pay me homage." Into the presence of the king, my lord! Would that it were possible to enter into the presence of the king, my lord,toreceive the... and the.... of the king, my lord. SinceYanhamuis with you, speak with him. If there arestillnoarchersavailable, then may the king, my lord, take me away. May the king, my lord, be informed that 30–cities have waged war against me. I am alone! The war against me is severe. The king, my lord, has cast me from his hand. May the king, my lord, send archers. May the king, my lord, ta(k)e me away. Since Yanhamu,that is,thecommissionerof the king, my lord, is there, may the king, my lord, spea[k] with him, (asking), "Is the war againstŠuwardatasevere, –or is it not? "-EA 283, lines 1-33 (complete)
Šuwardata must have been an important regional individual, since he claims 30 cities, sub-cities, orcity-stateshave been warring with his city.
EA 366: "A rescue operation" --(no. 8 of 8)
[edit]"Say to the king, my lord, my Sun, my god: Message ofŠuwardata,your servant, the servant of the king and the dirt at your feet, the ground you tread on. Iprostratemyself at the feet of the king, my lord, the Sun from the sky (i.e.'heaven:' ša-me), 7 times and 7 times, both on the stomach and on the back. May the king, my lord, be informed that the'Apiruthat rose up:na-aš-ša-a[נשא] against the lands, the god of the king, my lord, gave to me–and I smote him. And may the king, my lord, be informed that all my brothers have abandoned me. OnlyAbdi-Hebaand I have been at war with (that) 'Apiru.Surata,the ruler ofAkka,andEndaruta,the ruler ofAkšapa,(these) two also have come to my aid:na-az-a-qú[נזעקו] (have been summoned to help) with 50–chariots,and now they are on my side in the war. So may it seem right in the sight of the king, my lord, and may he sendYanhamuso that we may all wage war and you restore the land of the king, my lord, to its borders:up-sí-hi.[אפסי]((i.e. 'up-si-hi='borders'referring to article:Upu,also of the "Amarna letters" -?, putting Shuwardata's location on the perimeter?))-EA 366, lines 1-34 (complete)
List of letters
[edit]and from the later corpus:
- EA 366—title:"A rescue operation"
See also
[edit]External links
[edit]- A minor discussion of "Šamê" -(Sky/Heaven): "dingirA-num AN-e,dingirAnum, Šamê "--(the Cuneiform);See:Dingir
References
[edit]- Moran, William L.The Amarna Letters.Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover,ISBN0-8018-6715-0)