Amarna letter EA 245

Amarna letter EA 245, titled: "Assignment of Guilt," is a medium length clay tablet Amarna 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 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 letter is 47-lines long, and about 5-in tall. Letter EA 245, 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.

Akkadian text

The Akkadian language text:
Akkadian:
Obverse
''Reverse''

Cuneiform score, Akkadian">Akkadian language">Akkadian, English">English language">English

Cuneiform score, and Akkadian, and English.

Obverse

Paragraph I (lines 1-7)

1. Ša-ni-tam du-ub-bu-ba-ku-mì
___Ša ni tam, — dabābu
___Furthermore, — I urged
2. _UGU-ŠEŠ^hi-a_-ia
___ _UGU-ŠEŠ^hi-a_-ia-!
___ Compatriots^pl.-mine -!

Sub-paragraph

3.Šum-ma-mi yi-pu-šu-mi
___Šumma epēš u
___^QuoteIf bring
4. _^dingir-meš_-nu ša _Šàr_-ri _EN_-nu
___ilu^pl.-nu, — ša _Šàr_-ri _EN_-nu, —
___gods^pl.-our, — which King-Lord-ours, —
5.ù ni-ik-šu-du-um-mi
___u ka šā du-!
___and defeat-!
6.^1=dišLa-ab-a-ia ù _til-la_nu-um-ma
___^1=dišLa b a ya, — _til lu_-nu-um-ma
___^1=dišLabaya, — -nu-um-ma : ha-ia-ma
7.nu-ub-ba-lu-uš-šu a-na _Šàr_-ri _EN_-nu
___abā lu a na Šàr-ri EN-nu -!
___bring to King Lord-ours -!
^EndQuote

Paragraph II (lines 8-23)

8. Ù tu-sà-ah-mì : tu-ra
___U tu-sà-ah-mì : tu-ra
___But "bad luck" :
9.x?-pa? _ANŠE-KUR-RA:MUNUS_-ia ù iz-zi-iz-mì
___x?-pa? _ANŠE-KUR-RA:MUNUS_-ia,- u u zzu z u
___/+-x?-pa?-+/ horse-mine,- and
10. _EGIR_-šu : uh-ru-un-ú
___ _EGIR_-šu : harrānu —!
___behind -His : expedition-ing —!
11.Ù ir sa-ka-ap-mi
___u sa kā pu-mi
___and en-camped-Myself
12.it-ta ^1=diš-Ya-aš-da-ta
___it ti ^1=diš-Ya-aš-da-ta
___with ¹Yashdata.

Segue

13.Ù a-di ka-ša-di-ia
___U a di ka šā d u
___But before "conquering"-
14.ù da-ku-šu : ma-ah-ṣú-ú
___u dâku-šu, - : mahāṣ u, —!
___and "death-us", - : "struck-down", —!
15.ù al lu-ú-mì ¹⁼ Ya-aš-da-ta
___u elû lū ¹⁼Ya-aš-da-ta
___and ascended, "let-it-be", ¹Yashdata, -
16. _ÁRAD_-ka ù šu-ú-te
___ _ÁRAD_-ka, - u šu-ú-te
___Servant-yours, - but ?straight-away?
17.yi-ru-ub-mi it-ti^# ^##
___erēbu-mi, - itti-^##
___entered-Myself, - with ^##
18.i-na MÈ ta-ha^#-zi^##
___i na - tā hā^#zu^##
___into BATTLE, battle
19.ù lu-ú yi-na- -
___u l ū na |nâ
___and "may-it-be" pr
20. _til-la-aṭ _ŠÀRRU_-ri^# -ia
21. li-pa-aš^#-

Bottom

22.gáb-bá i-na
23. _Šàr_-ri _EN_-ia
24.ù ^1=dišSú-ra-ta^#

Paragraph III (lines 24-35)

24.
___u ^1=dišSú-ra-ta^#
___and ¹Surata

Reverse

Paragraph III (lines 24-35)

25. yi-il₅-qé-mì 1-diš-La-
___laq û 1-diš-La-
___took...¹Labaya
26.iš-tu _IRI_ Ma-gid₆-da^ki
___iš tu _URU_ Me-gid₆-da^ki
___from _city_ Megiddo
27.ù yi-iq-bi a-na ia-a-
___u qa bû a na i ā ši —
___and said to me —
28.^QuoteI na-mí )šà-~~geš~~-_MÁ_ giš-ru) : a-na-yi
___^Quotei-na-mí _MÁ_ giš-ru : a-na-yi
___^QuoteBy boat....
29.ú-ta-aš-ša-ru-uš-šu
___u š š u ru
___ send
30.a-na _Šarru_-ri ù yi-ìl-qé-šu
___a na _Šarru_-ri,— ù
___to King,—
30.5--------------ù yi-ìl-qé-šu
___-----------------u le q û
___-----------------and take
31.^1=dišSú-ra-ta ù yu-ta-šar-šu
___^1=dišSú-ra-ta
___¹Surata
31.5-------------ù yu-ta-šar-šu
___----------------u uššuru
___----------------and send
32.iš-tu _IRI_ He-na-tu-na^ki
___iš tu _URU_ He-na-tu-na^ki
___from _city_ Hannathon
33.a-na _É_-šu ù ^1=dišSú-ra-ta
___a na _É_-šu,^EndQuote — ù ^1=dišSú-ra-ta
___To _house_his^EndQuote — and ¹Surata

Segue

33.5-------------ù ^1=dišSú-ra-ta
___---------------u ^1=dišSú-ra-ta
___---------------and ¹Surata
34.la-qí-mi _kù-BABBAR^hi-a_ ip-țì-ir-ri-šu
___le q û _kù-BABBAR^hi-a_
___took silver, - returning
34.6-------------ip-țì-ir-ri-šu
___----------------tâ r u
___----------------returning
35.i-na _ŠU_-ti-šu : ba-di-ú
___i na _ŠU_-ti-šu : ba-di-ù
___in "Hand"-his — : ba-di-ù-!

Paragraph IV (lines 36-47)

36. Ša-ni-tam, - mi-na-am-mi ep-ša-ku-mì
___Ša ni tam, — mīnu epēšu
___Furthermore, — what done
36.3----------mi-na-am-mi ep-ša-ku-mì
___------------- — Mi-na-am-mi ep-ša-ku-mì
___------------- — ^QuoteWhat done
37.a-na _Šàr-ri_ _EN_-ia
___a na _Šàr-ri_ _EN_-ia—?
___to _King_ _Lord_-mine—?
38.i-na-mí _sig_-ia : ya-qí-ìl-li-ni
___i numa-, — _sig_-ia : ya-qí-ìl-li-ni —!
___Now, — contempted —!
39. — Ù _DUGUD_ : yu-ka-bi-id
___ — U : yu-ka-bi-id
___ — But are honored
40. _ŠEŠ_^HI-A-ia șé-eh-ru-ta₅
___ _ŠEŠ_^HI-A-ia,— șehēru, —!
___^pl.-mine,— less important, —!^EndQuote

Segue

41.Ù ^1=dišSú-ra-ta
___U ^1=dišSú-ra-ta
___But ¹Surata
42.yu-ta-šir9
42.yu-ta-šir9
___aṣû
___brought
43.^1=dišLa-ab-a-ia ù
___^1=dišLa-ab-a-ia ù
___¹Labaya
43.7--------------ù
___----------------u
___----------------and
44.yu-ta-šir₉-mì ^{1=diš, d}iškur-me-her
___aṣû ^{1=diš, d}iškur-me-her
___brought ¹Ba'al-Mehir
45.a-na _É_-šu-ni
___a na _bītu_-šu, -!
___to _house_-his, -!

Sub paragraph

46.Ù lu-ú yi-de-mi
___U, — l ū id û, -
___And, — "may-it-be" proclaimed, -
47.Šàr-ru EN-ia-!
___Šàr-ru EN-ia-!
___King Lord-mine-!