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EA 019 (P270894)
letter, Middle Babylonian, Akhetaten · c. 1400 BCE–1100 BCE
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| Designation | EA 019 |
|---|---|
| ID | P270894 |
| Museum no. | BM 029791(Egypt) |
| Collection | British Museum, London, UK |
| Language | Akkadian |
| Period | Middle Babylonian · c. 1400 BCE–1100 BCE |
| Genre | letter |
| Find spot | Akhetaten (mod. el-Amarna) |
| Coordinates | 27.6400, 30.8959 |
Transliteration (ATF)
From Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched)
Machine draft. The right-hand column is machine English from ixmon/atf-to-english (atf-en-t5base-F, 2026-10-17), generated line by line from the transliteration. It is unreviewed and is not a scholarly translation.
| Line | ATF | Machine English (draft) |
|---|---|---|
| obverse | ||
| 1 | [a-na] {disz}nim#-mu-ri-ia _lugal gal lugal kur_ mi-is,-ri-i _szesz#_-[ia] | To Numiriya, great king, king of the land of Miṣri, my brother: |
| 2 | ha#-ta-ni-ia sza i-ra-a'-am-an-ni u3 sza a-ra-am#-[mu-usz] | my faults that he loves me and that I love him |
| 3 | qi2-bi2-ma um-ma {disz}tu-usz-rat-ta _lugal gal_ e-mi-i-[ka] | Thus says Tušratu, the great king, your servant: |
| 4 | sza i-ra-a'-a-mu-u2-ka _lugal kur_ mi-it-ta-an-ni _szesz_-ka-ma | who loves you, the king of the land, my brother, |
| 5 | a-na ia-szi szul-mu a-na ka-a-sza lu-u2 szul-mu a-na _e2_-ka | To me, well-being to you. May your house be well. |
| 6 | a-na a-ha-ti-ia u3 a-na re-e-he2-ti _dam-mesz_-ka a-na _dumu-mesz_-ka | to my brothers and to the rest of your wives to your sons |
| 7 | a-na _{gesz}gigir-mesz_-ka a-na _ansze-kur-ra-mesz_-ka a-na _erin2-gal_-ka | to your chariots, your horses, your troops |
| 8 | a-na _kur_-ka u3 a-na mim-mu-ka dan-nisz2 dan-nisz2 lu-u2 szul-mu | To your land and to everything you very greatly may it be well. |
| 9 | a-di _ab-ba-mesz_-ka-ma szu-nu it-ti _ab-ba-mesz_-ia dan-nisz2 | together with your elders, they are strong with my elders. |
| 10 | ir-ta-ta-a'-a-mu at-ta ap-pu-na-ma _dir_-ma it-ti a-bi-ia | You, when I looked at me, it was cloudy and with my father |
| 11 | ma-a-ti-isz da-an-ni-isz ta-ar-ta-ta-a'-a-am | You constantly seek out the land. |
| 12 | i-na-an-na at-ta ki-i it-ti-ia a-ha-misz ni-ir-ta-na-a'-a-mu | Now, you, when we have fought with each other, |
| 13 | a-na 1(u)-szu el a-bi-ia tu-usz-te-em-'i-id | You have made it surpass my father for a 10th time. |
| 14 | _dingir-mesz_ li-me-esz-sze-ru-szu-nu-ti-ma sza ni-ir-ta-a'-a-mu an-ni-ka# [x] | May the gods be reconciled with them, and that we have loved you ... |
| 15 | {d}iszkur be-e-li u3 {d}a-ma-nu-um a-na da-ra-a-ti ki-i sza i-na-an#-[na] | Iškur, my lord, and Amanum for eternity, as now |
| 16 | lu-u2 li-ne2-ep-pi2-[szu] | may they do. |
| 17 | u3 {disz}ma-ne2-e _dumu-kin_-ra-szu _szesz_-ia ki-i isz-pu-ru# | and Mannê, his messenger, my brother, when he sent |
| 18 | um-ma lu-u2 _szesz_-ia-ma _dumu-munus_-ka a-na _dam_-ut-ti-ia bi-lam-me | Thus (says) my brother: may your daughter be a wife of mine. |
| 19 | a-na _nin_-et _kur_ mi-is,-ri-i-im-me ul ul-te-em-ri-is, _sza3_-szu | to the mistress of the land Miṣrimmu I did not send him. |
| 20 | sza _szesz_-ia u3 i-na pa-na-tim-ma a-a-an-ni-ma-[a]-ku# aq-ta-bi | of my brother and in the past I myself have said: |
| 21 | u3 sza _szesz_-ia i-ri-szu uk-te-el-li-im-szi a-na {disz}ma-ne2-e | and that of my brother his city he made surpassing to Manê |
| 22 | u3 i-ta-mar-szi ki-i i-mur-szi u3 ut-te-e'-es-si2# dan-nisz2 | and he has seen her, when he sees her, and has constantly sought her out. |
| 23 | u3 i-na sza-la-a-mi i-na _kur_ sza _szesz_-ia lu-[u2] lu-u2-ru#-szi | and in the future, in the land of my brother, may it be restored. |
| 24 | {d}inanna u3 {d}a-ma-nu-um ki-i _sza3_-szu sza _szesz_-ia li-me-esz-sze-el-szi | May Ištar and Amanum, like his heart of my brother, be reconciled with her. |
| 25 | {disz}gi-li-ia _dumu-kin_-ia a-ma-te-szu sza _szesz_-ia a-na ia-szi it-ta-bal# | Ilīya, my messenger, his words of my brother against me carried away. |
| 26 | ki-i esz-mu-u2 u3 ta-a-bu dan-nisz2 u3 ah-da-du ki-i ma-du-ti | As soon as he has learned and learned, he will become very old and ill. |
| 27 | da-an-nisz2 um-ma lu-u2 a-na-ku-ma an-nu-u2 szu-u2 szu-ur-ru-um-ma | Thus (says) “May I be, this is a second time. |
| 28 | sza i-na be-ri-ni sza it-ti a-ha-misz sza ni-ir-ta-na-a'-a-mu | that in our midst, which we shared with each other, |
| 29 | a-nu-um-ma i-na am-mu-ti a-ma-a-ti a-na da-ra-tim-ma lu ni-ir-ta-a'-am | Now, let us keep (them) alive forever! |
| 30 | a-na _szesz_-ia ki-i asz-pu-ru u3 aq-ta-bi um-ma lu-u2 a-na-ku-ma | when I wrote to my brother, I said: "May I be my brother!" |
| 31 | ki-ma ma-a-du-ti ta-an-ni-is lu ni-ir-ta-na-'a-am u3 i-na be-ri-ni | As much as you have given me, let us keep praying to each other, and in our midst |
| 32 | lu-u2 ta-a-pa-nu u3 a-na _szesz_-ia aq-ta-bi um-ma-a _szesz_-ia | may you be alerted, and to my brother I said: "My brother |
| 33 | el a-bi-ia 1(u)-szu lu-u2 u2-te-et-te-ra-an-ni | “About my father, he should have sent me 10 times. |
| 34 | u3 a-na _szesz_-ia _ku3-sig17-mesz_ ma-a-at-ta e-te-ri-isz um-ma-a el a-bi-ia | and to my brother gold from the land returned, saying: “About my father |
| 35 | lu-u2-sze-em-'i#-id#-an-ni-ma _szesz_-ia lu-u2 u2-sze-bil2-an-ni | let him send me, and let my brother send me. |
| 36 | u3 a-bu-ia _ku3-sig17-mesz_ ma-a-at-ta du-ul-te-bi-la-asz-szu | and my father the gold of the land I shall send him. |
| 37 | _nam-ha-ra ku3-sig17-mesz gal-mesz_ u3 _{gesz}kiri6 ku3-sig17-mesz gal-mesz_ tul-te-bil2-asz-szu | You have given him a gift of gold and a garden of gold. |
| 38 | _sig4 ku3-sig17-mesz_ ki-ma sza _uruda_ ma-su2-u2 du-ul-te-bil2#-[asz-szu] | I have sent him gold bricks like that of copper. |
| 39 | un-tu {disz}gi-li-ia a-na _szesz_-ia asz-pu-ru u3 _ku3-[sig17-mesz_] | Ring of Giliya to my brother I sent, and gold |
| 40 | e-te-ri-isz um-ma lu-u2 a-na-ku-ma _szesz_-ia el a-bi-ia [1(u)-szu] | he returned, saying: "May I, my brother, be superior to my father for a hundred years!" |
| 41 | lu-u2 u2-te-et-te-ra-an-ni u3 _ku3-sig17-mesz_ ma-a-at#-[ta] | he has returned to me, and the gold of the land |
| 42 | sza szi-ip-ra la ep-szu li-sze-e-bi-la#-[an-ni] | May he send me the one who does not do the work. |
| reverse | ||
| 1 | _szesz_-ia el a-bi-ia ma-a-ti-isz li-sze-bi-la-an-ni# | My brother, far away from my father, may he send me. |
| 2 | u3 a-ka-an-na a-na _szesz_-ia aq-ta-bi um-ma-a ka-ra-asz-ka# | And thus I said to my brother: "You are my friend." |
| 3 | sza a-ba a-bi-ia e-ep-pu-usz um-ma lu-u2 a-na-ku-ma ki-me-e | (Saying) “Who will do what my father did? I said thus: |
| 4 | ki-i-ni a-asz-ni u2-nu-u2-ta e-ep-pu-usz-ma-a-ku | (Sum) I am the one who manufactures things, (Akk) I manufacture things, I make things, |
| 5 | u3 a-ka-an-na ap-pu-na aq-ta-bi _ku3-sig17-mesz_ sza _szesz_-ia u2-sze-bi-lu | and where I went, I said. The gold of my brother I sent. |
| 6 | a-na te-er-ha-tim-ma li-sze-e-bi-il | he should send it back to me again and again. |
| 7 | i-na-an-na _szesz_-ia _ku3-sig17-mesz_ ul-te-bil2 a-qab2-bi-i um-ma-a | Now, my brother, I have sent gold, and I shall say: |
| 8 | mi-i-is,-ma-a-ku u3 la la mi-i-is, ma-a-ad u3 a-na szi-ip-ri | I am negligent, but I am not negligent, and for the work |
| 9 | ep-sze-et u3 szum-ma ap-pu-na a-na szi-ip-ri-im-ma ep-sze-et | § 2: Deeds and if (there is) appunu-disease in the work, deed(s) |
| 10 | u3 asz-szum an-ni-ti ah-ta2-du dan-nisz2-ma u3 mi-nu-um-me-e | Moreover, because of this I have been very afraid and whatever |
| 11 | sza _szesz_-ia u2-sze-bi-lu u3 am-mi-ti dan-nisz2 ha-da-a-ku | of my brother I sent, and I very greatly rejoiced. |
| 12 | a-nu-um-ma i-na-an-na a-na _szesz_-ia al-ta-par2 u3 _szesz_-ia | Now then I have written to my brother, and my brother |
| 13 | el sza a-bi-ia re-'e-mu-u2-ta li-sze-em-'i-id-an-ni a-nu-um-ma | May the merciful one of my father listen to me. Now, |
| 14 | _ku3-sig17-mesz_ a-na _szesz_-ia e-te-ri-isz u3 _ku3-sig17-mesz_ sza a-na _szesz_-ia | I have returned the gold to my brother, and the gold that to m[y] brother |
| 15 | e-ri-szu a-na 2(disz)-szu a-na e-re-szi i-il-la-ak 1(disz)-tu4 | his wife for two times to the bride she shall go. |
| 16 | a-na sza ka-ra-asz-ki u3 i-na sza-nu-ut-ti-szu a-na te-er-ha-ti | For the karāšku-festival and for the second time for extispicy, |
| 17 | u3 _szesz_-ia _ku3-sig17-mesz_ ma-'a-ti-isz dan-nisz2 sza a-na szi-ip-ri la ep-szu | and my brother, the gold, very much, which was not made for work |
| 18 | _szesz_-ia li-sze-bil2-an-ni u3 _szesz_-ia el sza a-bi-ia _ku3-sig17_ li-sze-bi-la | my brother send me, and my brother, above that of my father gold send me. |
| 19 | u3 i-na lib3-bi _kur_ sza _szesz_-ia _ku3-sig17-mesz_ ki-i e-be-ri ma-a-ta-at | and in the land of my brother gold, when I entered the land |
| 20 | _dingir-mesz_ li-me-esz-sze-ru-szu-ma ki-i-me-e ki-i sza i-na-an-na i-na _kur_ | May the gods listen to him and, just as now in the land |
| 21 | sza _szesz_-ia _ku3-sig17-mesz_ ma-'a-ta-at u3 1(u)-szu el ki-i sza i-na-an-na | of my brother many gold, and 10 times more than what now |
| 22 | _ku3-sig17-mesz_ li-sze-em-'i-id u3 _ku3-sig17-mesz_ sza e-ri-szu i-na _sza3 szesz_-ia | gold may he weigh out, and gold of his own in my brother |
| 23 | lu-u2 la-a im-mar-ra-as, u3 ad-du-ia lib3-bi _szesz_-ia lu-u2 la-a | may he not be caught, and my brother may not be my brother. |
| 24 | u2-sza-am-ra-as, u3 _szesz_-ia _ku3-sig17-mesz_ sza a-na szi-ip-ri la ep-szu | and my brother gold, which was not made for work |
| 25 | ma-a-ti-isz da-an-ni-isz li-sze-e-bi-la-an-ni | He should send me as quickly as he wishes. |
| 26 | u3 mi-nu-um-me-e sza _szesz_-ia ha-asz-hu a-na _e2_-szu li-isz-pur-ma | and whatever my brother has stolen from his house may he write, and |
| 27 | li-il-ge u3 a-na-ku 1(u)-_ta-am3_ sza _szesz_-ia i-ri-szu lu-ut-ti-in | let him go, and I, 10 each, my brother, may I live. |
| 28 | _kur_ an-ni-tu4 sza _szesz_-ia _kur_-su2 u3 _e2_ an-ni-tu4 sza _szesz_-ia _e2_-su2 | this land of my brother his land and this house of my brothers his house |
| 29 | a-nu-um-ma _dumu-kin_-ia a-na _szesz_-ia al-ta-par {disz}gi-li-ia u3 _szesz_-ia | Now, my messenger to my brother I have sent. Giliya and my brother |
| 30 | lu-u2 la-a i-gal-la-a-szu ha-mut#-ta li-mesz3-szer3-szu-ma li-il-li-ik | May there be no evil against him, may a curse curse him, and may he go. |
| 31 | ki-me-e sza _szesz_-ia szul-ma#-an#-szu e-sze-em-me ma-a-ti-isz dan-nisz2 lu-he2-et-te | Like that of my brother, may he hear his well-being. May he be strong in the land. |
| 32 | a-na da-a-ra-tim-ma sza# _szesz#_-ia szul-ma-an-szu lu-ul-te-em-me | May I hear of the well-being of my brother forever. |
| 33 | u3 a-ma-a-tu4 an-na-a-tu4 sza ni-il-ta-nap-pa-ru {d}iszkur be-e-li | And these words that we keep writing to Adad my lord |
| 34 | u3 {d}a-ma-nu-um li-mesz3-szer3-szu-nu-ti-ma u3 i-na pa-ti-i-szu-nu | and Amanum, their witnesses, and in their presence |
| 35 | li-ik-szu-du u3 ki-i sza i-na-an-na a-di-szu-nu-ma lu-u2 ma-asz-lu | And as now, let them be as numerous as before. |
| 36 | ki-i-me-e i-na-an-na ni-ir-ta-na-'a-am u3 ki-i sza i-na-an-na | Now, we will keep on searching, and as now, |
| 37 | a-na da-a-ra-ti-im-ma lu-u2 ni-ir-ta-na-'a-am | May we continually praise you forever! |
| 38 | a-nu-um-ma a-na szul-ma-a-ni-szu sza _szesz_-ia 1(disz) _gal ku3-sig17_ tam-lu-u2 ; _{na4}za-gin3-kur_ | Now, for the well-being of my brother, one great gold tamlû-stone (and) lapis lazuli |
| 39 | sza-qar-szi 1(disz) ma-ni-in-nu kab-bu-ut-tu4 2(u) _{na4}za-gin3-kur_ 1(u) 9(disz) _ku3-sig17-mesz_ | šaqarrānu, 1 maninnu heavy, 20 lapis lazuli, 19 gold |
| 40 | sza _murub2_-szu _{na4}za-gin3-kur ku3-sig17 gar-ra_ 1(disz) ma-ni-in-nu kab-bu-tu4 4(u) 2(disz) _na4_ ; _nir2-kur_ | of its middle: lapis lazuli, plated with gold; 1 maninnu, large; 42 stones, nirkur-stone; |
| 41 | 4(u) _ku3-sig17_ sza su2-uh-si2 {d}inanna sza _murub2_-szu _na4 nir2-kur ku3-sig17 gar-ra_ | 40 (shekels of) gold of the šuḫsi of Ishtar, which is in its middle: gold nirkur-stone set in gold; |
| 42 | 1(u) s,i-mi-it-tu4 _ansze-kur-ra-mesz_ 1(u) _{gesz}gigir-mesz gesz-mesz_ qa-du mim-mu-szu-nu | ten teams of horses, ten chariots, together with all their equipment |
| 43 | u3 3(u) _munus-us2-mesz_ a-na szul-ma-a-ni sza _szesz_-ia ul-te-bil2 | and 30 women for the greeting of my brother I have sent. |
Sources & licences
- Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative · CDLI: reuse of catalogue/transliteration data with citation of CDLI; images restricted (not fetched) · Cuneiform Digital Library Initiative (CDLI), https://cdli.earth/ ; cite CDLI and the P-number
- Open Richly Annotated Cuneiform Corpus (ORACC) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (ORACC default); per-file JSON license fields say: This data is released under the CC0 license (133618) · ORACC project editions, https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/ ; cite the individual project (see texts.extra_json.project)
Cite the original edition and translator. Page generated by Unread Atlas from the public corpus export of 2026-10-18.