Three letters from Rib-Hadda, Mayor of Gubla, to Pharaoh Akhenaten.
EA 81
{Rib-Hadda say}s to {his} lord, {king of all countries, Great King, K}ing of Battle: May the Lady of Gubla grant power {to the kin}g, {my lord}. I fa{l}l {at the feet} of my lord, my {Sun}, 7 times and 7 times. 6-13{May} the king, my lord, know that the war of ‘Abdi-Ashirta is {se}vere, {and} he has taken all my cities {for} himself. Gubla and Batru{na re}main to me, and he strives to take the two towns. He said to the men {of Gubl}a, “{Ki}ll your lord and be join{ed} to the ‘Apiru [i.e. Ibrim = Hebrews] like Amm{iya}.” 14-24 {And so} they became trait<ors> to me. A man with a bronze dagger : pat-{r}a {at}tacked m{e}, but I ki{ll}ed him. A Shirdanu{wh}omI know g{ot awayt}o ‘Abdi-Ashirta. At his order was this {de}ed done! I have stayed {like th}is in my city and done nothing. I am unable to go out {into the countryside, and} I have written to the palace, {but you do not re}ply {to me}. I was struck {9 ti}mes. 25-33 {According}ly, I f{ear for} my life. {And I have writt}en re{peatedly to the palace}, “Do not {be negligent. Why are you ne}gligent o{f the distress afflictingme? I}f within these two months there are no archers, then {. . .} May he not fall {upon} my {city} and take me. I h{avewritten to the pal}ace. What <am I to say> to my pea{santry}? 34-41 Like a bird in a trap : ki-lu-bi (cage), so are they in {Gubl}a. “{Fo}r l{ac}k of a cultivator their {field} is {li}ke a woman without a husband.” {Their sons, their} dau{gh}ters, {the fur}nishings of their houses are gone, {since they have been s}old {i}n the land of {Ya}rimuta {for} provisions to keep them alive. 41-47 {I} was the one that said to them, “My god {is send}ing archers.” Since they (now) kno{w that} there are none, they have tu{rned against} <u>s. If within two months archers do not come ou{t}, then {‘Ab}di-Ashirta will certainly come up and take the two t{owns. 48-51 Pre}viously Sumur and {its} men were {st}rong, and there wa a {gar}ison with us. Wh{at} can I {d}o by my{sel}f? 52-59 . . .
EA 122
Rib-Hadda writ{es t}o his lord, king of all countries, {Great} King, King of Battle: May the Lady of Gubla grant power to the king, my lord. I fall at the feet of my lord 7 times and 7 times. 9-19 As to the king’s saying, “Guard yourself,” consider that previously, in the days of my ancestors, there was a garrison of the king with them and property of the king was at their disposal, but as far as I am concerned, there are no provisions from the king at my dis{pos}al, and there is no garrison of the king with me. 19-31 I must guar{d mys}elf by myself. . . . There is a garri{son} . . . of the king with him, and there are pro{visi}ons from the king at his disposal, but for me there is neither garrison nor provisions from the king. 31-39 Pahura has committed an enormity against me. He sent Suteans and they killed Shirdanu-people. And he brought 3 men into Egypt. How long has the city been enraged at me! 40-49 And indeed the city keep saying, “A deed that has not been done since time immemorial has been done to us!” So may the king heed the words of his servant and send (back) the men, lest the city revolt. What am I to do? 50-55 Listen to m<e>. For <my> sake, do not refuse! {But whether} the men are at court o{r n}ot, listen to me. I keep writing like tis to the palace, but <my> w<ords> are <not> heeded.
EA 123
Rib-Hadda writes to his lord, Great King, king of all countries, King of Battle: May the Lady of Gubla grant power to the king, my lord. I fa<ll> at the feet of my lord, <my> Sun, 7 times and 7 times. 9-15 A deed that has not been done from time immemorial has been done to Gubla. Pihura {s}ent Suteans; they kill{ed} Shirdanu-people, 16-21 {t}ook 3 meen, and brought them in{to} Egypt. 22-28 {If} the king, {my} lord, does not se{nd} them (back), there is {su}rely going to be a revolt against m{e. I}f the ki{ng}, my {lor}d, loves {his} loya{l} servant. {then} send (back) the {3} men that I may live and guard the city for the king. 29-37And as to the king’s writing, “Guard yourself,” with what am I to guard? Send the 3 men whom Pihura brought in and then I will survive: ‘Abdi-Ashirta, Yattin-Hadda, ‘Abd<i>-Milki. 38-43 {Wh}at are the sons of ‘Abdi-Ashirta that they have taken the land of the king for themselves? May the king send archers to {take} them.