Biridašwa
Biridašwa was a mayor of Aštartu,, south of Damascus,, during the time of the Amarna letters correspondence, about 1350–1335 BC. A second mayor of Aštartu, Ayyab, existed in this short 15–20 year time period.
History
Though Biridašwa did not communicate with the Egyptian pharaoh directly in any of the Amarna letters, he, along with the mayors of Busruna and Halunnu were involved with the intrigues of city/city-state takeovers, in the region of Damascus. The region around Dimašqu was named Upu, or Apu, a name going back to at least pharaoh Thutmose III's time,.Amarna Archive
Letters authored by him
In the Amarna Archive, no letter has been found authored by Biridašwa.Letters mentioning him
The Amarna Archive have four references to the name Biridašwa, found in two letters EA 196 and EA 197.Biryawaza, who was associated with Dimašqu, wrote 2 letters addressed to pharaoh concerning problems with Biridašwa.
Amarna Letter EA 197
id t your servant in A- “ his horses and his chariots to the Habiru, and you did not to the king, my lord.” am I but a servant? Everything that is mine is for the king. Biridašwa saw this deed and incited the town of Yanʾuam against me. He shut the city gate behind me and captured the chariots from the town of ʿAštartu. He gave them to the Habiru and did not give them to the king, my lord. The king of Buṣruna and the king of Halunnu saw, and they waged war with Biridašwa against me. They said: "Come! Let us kill Biryawaza. We will not dispatch him tohšu."But I got away from their and stayed in Damascus. When that I was serving were saying, "We are tti," but I was saying, "I am a servant of the king of the land of Egypt." And Arzawya went to Qid. He brought ʿAḏi’s troops, and he seized Šaddu. He gave it over to the Habiru; he did not give it to the king, my lord.
Look, Etakkama caused the land of Qidšu to go out of control, and this one, Arzawya, together with Biridašwa, is causing the land of Apu to go out of control. So the king should take care of his land lest hostile men capture it. Since my brothers are hostile to me, I am guarding Kumidu, the city of the king, my lord. The king should make peace for his servant; the king should not abandon his servant, the kings of and the land of Apu''' see i
I have seen the regular troops.
Edition by Jacob Lauinger and Tyler Yoder.
Amarna Letter EA 196
Biryawaza writes to the pharoh mentioning both the King of the Land of Hatti, dating this letter to when Suppiluliuma I of Hatti attacked Tushratta of Mitanni, and Biridašwa.Spea, my yawaza, servant. I fall t the feet of the king,l, seven plus seven times.
I have obeyed when the k lord, sent -saya. I am on guard, and I ve the king, my lord, in this ace. Abundant of the king, my lord, should reach tt. The guard of the king, from me. I am the of the king who remains to . The king, my lord, should know that l of the servants of the king, my lord, left to follow of the land of Hatti, but all of the commissioners, my rd, who came forth ved.
my, my my wives my daughter-in-law, and he placed in the lap.
Something else: Now,, my lord, has learned of this matter. Since time immemorial, a ruler has not done this de.
Something else: The king, lord, should dispatch 200 men to me in order to guard in order to guard the cities of the king, lord, til I see the regular army of the king, my lord. The king, my lord, should not keep silent rding this deed that Biridašwa done se the land of, my lord, and cities departed.
Edition by Jacob Lauinger and Tyler Yoder.