The Amarna Letters; Tushratta, King of Hatti (Mitanni)

EA17; From Tushratta, King of Hatti to Nibmuaria (Amenhotep III)

To Nibmuaria, King of Egypt, my brother, say: Thus says Tushratta, King of Mitanni, your brother. It is well with me. May it be well with you; with Kelu-Heba (wife of Amenhotep III), my sister, may it be well; with your household, your wives, your sons, your nobles, your warriors, your horses, your chariots, and throughout your land may it be very well.

When I sat upon my father’s throne, I was still young, and Tuhi did evil to my land, and he killed his lord. And, therefore, he did not treat me well, nor the one who was on friendly terms with me. I, however, especially because of those evils, which were perpetrated on my land, made no delay; but the murderers of Artashumara, my brother, along with all that they had, I killed.

Because you were friendly with my father, for this reason I sent and spoke to you, so that my brother might hear of this deed and rejoice. My father loved you, and you loved my father still more. And my father, because of his love, has given my sister to you. And who else stood with my father as you did? The very next year, moreover, my brother’s . . . the whole land of Hatti. As the enemy came to my land, Teshub (a Hurrian storm-god), my lord, gave him into my hand, and I destroyed him. And not one of them returned to his own land.

Behold, one chariot, two horses, one male servant, one female servant, out of the booty from the land of Hatti I have sent you. And as a gift for my brother, five chariots (and) five teams of horses I have sent you. And as a gift for Kelu-Heba, my sister, one set of gold pins, one set of gold earrings, one gold idol, and one container of “sweet oil.” I have sent her.

Behold, Keliya, my sukkal (an official) along with Tunip-ibri, I have sent. May my brother quickly dispatch them so that they may quickly bring back word so that I may hear my brother’s greeting and rejoice. May my brother seek friendship with me, and may my brother send his messengers so that they may bring my brother’s greeting and I may receive them.

EA23; From Tushratta, King of Hatti to Nibmuaria (Amenhotep III)

To Nimmuaria, King of Egypt, my brother whom I live and who loves me.

Thus speaks Tushratta, King of Mitanni who loves you, your father-in-law. For me everything is well. May everything be well for you, for your house, for Tadu-Heba, my daughter, your wife whom you love. May everything be well for your wives, your sons, your noblemen, your chariots, your horses, your soldiers, your country and everything belonging to you. May everything be well, very well!

Thus speaks Shauskha (the goddess Ishtar) of Nineveh, Lady of all the lands: I wish to go to Egypt, a land I love and then return from there.

Now I am sending you this letter and She is on the way […] Then, in the times of my father (Shuttarna) She was in that country, and just as on other occasions She stayed there and was honoured. May my brother honour Her now ten times more than the other time. May my brother honour Her. May you let Her leave when She pleases, so She may return. May Shauskha, Lady of the Heavens, protect us, my brother and myself, one hundred thousand years, and may our Queen grant us both great joy and may we treat each other as friends. Is it because Shauskha is my only Mistress? Maybe She is also the Mistress of my brother?

…..the year 36, in the fourth month of winter, on the first day. The king staying in the southern city, in Per Hai.

EA26; From Tushratta, King of Hatti to Queen Tiye (widow of Amenhotep III and mother of Akhenaten)

To Tiye, Lady of Egypt. Thus speaks Tushratta, King of Mitanni

Everything is well with me. May everything be well with you. May everything go well for your house, your son (Akhenaten), may everything be perfectly well for your soldiers and for everything belonging to you.

You are the one who knows that I have always felt friendship for Mimmuriya (Amenhotep III), your husband, and that Mimmuriya, your husband, on his part always felt friendship for me. And the things that I wrote and told Mimmuriya, your husband, and the things that Mimmuriya, your husband, on his part wrote and told me incessantly, were known to you, Keliya and Mane. But it is you who knows better than anybody, the things we have told each other. No one knows them better…

You should continue sending joyful embassies, one after another. Do not suppress them.

I shall not forget the friendship with Mimmuriya, your husband. At this moment and more than ever, I have ten times more friendship for your son, Napkhuria.

You are the one who knows the words of Mimmuriya, your husband, but you have not sent me yet the gift of homage which Mimmuriya, your husband, has ordered to be sent to me. I have asked Mimmuriya, your husband, for massive gold statues … But your son has gold-plated statues of wood.As the gold is like dust in the country of your son, why have they been the reason for such pain, that your son should not have given them to me? … Neither has he given me what his father had been accustomed to give.

From Tushratta to Akhenaten

To Napkhuria, king of Egypt, my brother, my son-in-law, who loves me and whom I love, thus speaks Tushratta, king of Mitanni, your father-in-law who loves you, your brother.

I am well. May you be well too. Your houses, Tiye your mother, Lady of Egypt, Tadu-Heba, my daughter, your wife, your other wives, your sons, your noblemen, your chariots, your horses, your soldiers, your country and everything belonging to you, may they all enjoy excellent health.

Amarna Letters

Copyright J Hill 2010