The Amarna Letters from the Egyptian New Kingdom

Cuneiform Tablets found at the Site of Pharaoh Akhenaten's Capital

Oct 25, 2008

The Amarna tablets are a unique collection of writings from the Egyptian New Kingdom, scribed in the 14th century BCE and re-discovered by Egyptian peasants in 1887.

The tablets, which number around 380 were found at el Amarna the site of Pharaoh Akhenaten’s capital in Egypt, located on the River Nile about 185 miles south of Cairo.

Some are complete and some fragmented and today are scattered around museums in: Oxford, London. Berlin, Paris and Cairo. Some are also in private hands. They reveal some of the mysteries of ancient Egypt.

Akkadian Cuneiform Script

Many of the tablets, mostly letters, and described as diplomatic correspondence, were written in Akkadian cuneiform script and were sent to (and from) a number of Egyptian pharaohs over a period of between 15-30 years.

Several of the tablets were scripted in a rare Canaanite- Akkadian language and have been described by Shlomo Izre’el as, “The most important source for the study of the Canaanite dialects in the pre-Israelite period.”

The letters sent to Egypt from rulers around the Middle East and western Asia including Babylonia, Assyria, Hatti and Mitanni, all city-states or kingdoms in their own right but some subject to overall Egyptian authority.

This short article is designed simply to stimulate the interest of the reader and encourage them to explore the subject in more detail. Consequently an in depth examination of the letters’ content is beyond its scope. There are however a number that deserve to be highlighted.

British Museum Ancient Egyptian Collection

Two of the tablets housed in the British Museum collection give us a fascinating glimpse into the world of early Egyptian and Middle Eastern history.

Pharaoh Amenhotep IV

Addressed to the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV and sent by Burnaburrais, a king of Babylonia, (part of modern Iraq) one letter complains that Amenhotep does not send such valuable gifts to him as he sent to his father. He also discusses the longstanding cordial relations between Egypt and Babylonia. He concludes by confirming that gifts of horses and lapis lazuli had been despatched to the pharaoh in Egypt.

Another tablet was sent to Amenhotep III from Tushratta, King of Mitanni (part of modern Syria) and advises the pharaoh that he has sent a statue of the goddess Ishtar to Egypt where he hopes it will be held in great honour.

The Amarna letters were also sent to Egypt from kingdoms with names that are still recognisable today. They include Damascus, Gaza and Jerusalem.

Considerable work has gone into the publication of the Amarna Tablets: in 1907, Norwegian J A Knudzton published what is still thought by many as the standard edition.

William Moran of Harvard University has done some valuable work and considerable research leading to publication has been done at Tel Aviv University.

Sources:

Provenance study of the Amarna Tablets by Profs. Goren, Finkelstein and Na’aman

The copyright of the article The Amarna Letters from the Egyptian New Kingdom in Archaeological Artifacts is owned by Neil Gunn. Permission to republish The Amarna Letters from the Egyptian New Kingdom in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.