Šuta
Encyclopedia
Šuta, was an Egyptian
commissioner of the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters
correspondence
. The name Šuta is a hypocoristicon-(nickname/petname) for the Ancient Egypt
ian god Seth
, (Seth being the "God of the Desert", and an 'anti-Horus
' god-(duality, Horus/Seth)).
The following letters are referenced to commissioner Šuta, (EA for 'el Amarna
'):
pharaoh
, are of moderate length, and topically discuss the intrigues of the cities, that are adjacent to Jerusalem, (a region named: Upu
).
Letter EA 288: (Abdi-Heba no. 4 of 6)
).
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
commissioner of the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters
Amarna letters
The Amarna letters are an archive of correspondence on clay tablets, mostly diplomatic, between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru during the New Kingdom...
correspondence
Text corpus
In linguistics, a corpus or text corpus is a large and structured set of texts...
. The name Šuta is a hypocoristicon-(nickname/petname) for the Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
ian god Seth
Seth
Seth , in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is the third listed son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, who are the only other of their children mentioned by name...
, (Seth being the "God of the Desert", and an 'anti-Horus
Horus
Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists...
' god-(duality, Horus/Seth)).
The following letters are referenced to commissioner Šuta, (EA for 'el Amarna
Amarna
Amarna is an extensive Egyptian archaeological site that represents the remains of the capital city newly–established and built by the Pharaoh Akhenaten of the late Eighteenth Dynasty , and abandoned shortly afterwards...
'):
-
- EA 234—Title: "Like MagdaluMigdolMigdol, or migdal, is a Hebrew word which means either a tower , an elevated stage , or a raised bed . Physically, it can mean fortified land, i.e. a walled city or castle; or elevated land, as in a raised bed, like a platform, possibly a lookout...
in EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
"–SatatnaSatatnaSatatna, or Sitatna, and also Šutatna/Shutatna-, was a 'Mayor'/Ruler of Akka, or Acco, modern Acre, Israel, during the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence....
of AkkaAcre, IsraelAcre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
/Acre, IsraelAcre, IsraelAcre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
letter. - EA 288—Title: "Benign neglect"–Abdi-HebaAbdi-HebaAbdi-Heba was a local chieftain of Jerusalem during the Amarna period . Abdi-Heba's name can be translated as "servant of Hebat", a Hurrian goddess. Some scholars believe the correct reading is Ebed-Nob...
letter. See: Tjaru.
- EA 234—Title: "Like Magdalu
EA 288, "Benign neglect"
Abdi-Heba's letters, to the EgyptianAncient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
, are of moderate length, and topically discuss the intrigues of the cities, that are adjacent to Jerusalem, (a region named: Upu
Upu
Upu, also called Apu , was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named Dimašqu/Dimasqu/ etc. Upu, also called Apu (and Ubi or Upi by some authors), was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named Dimašqu/Dimasqu/ etc. Upu,...
).
Letter EA 288: (Abdi-Heba no. 4 of 6)
- "Say [t]o the king-(i.e. pharaohPharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
), my lord, [my Su]n: [M]essage of 'Abdi-HebaAbdi-HebaAbdi-Heba was a local chieftain of Jerusalem during the Amarna period . Abdi-Heba's name can be translated as "servant of Hebat", a Hurrian goddess. Some scholars believe the correct reading is Ebed-Nob...
, your servant. I fall at the feetProstration formulaIn the 1350 BC correspondence of 382–letters, called the Amarna letters, the Prostration formula is usually the opening subservient remarks to the addressee, the Egyptian pharaoh. The formula is based on Prostration, namely reverence and submissiveness...
of the king, my lord, 7 times and 7 times. Behold, the king, my lord, has placed his name at the rising of the sun and at the setting of the sun. It is, therefore, impious what they have done to me. Behold, I am not a mayor;—I am a soldier of the king, my lord. Behold, I am a friend of the king and a tributeTributeA tribute is wealth, often in kind, that one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often the case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. Various ancient states, which could be called suzerains, exacted tribute from areas they had conquered or threatened to conquer...
–bearer of the king. It was neither my father nor my mother, but the strong arm of the king that [p]laced me in the house of [my] fath[er]. [... c]ame to me ... [...]. I gave over [to his char]ge 10–slaves, Šuta, the commissionerCommissionerCommissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
of the king, ca[me t]o me; I gave over to Šuta's charge 21–girls, [8]0–prisoners, as a giftGreeting-gift (Šulmani)The Greeting-gift were gifts, or presents exchanged between Kings, and rulers of the 1350 BC-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence...
for the king, my lord. May the king give thought to his land; the land of the king is lost. All of it has attacked me. I am at war as far as the land of ŠeruSeruSeru is a town in southeastern Ethiopia. Located in the Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region, this town has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 2302 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Seru woreda....
and as far as Ginti-kirmil. All the mayors are at peace, but I am at war. I am treated like an 'ApiruHabiruHabiru or Apiru or ˁpr.w was the name given by various Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Mitanni, and Ugaritic sources to a group of people living as nomadic invaders in areas of the Fertile Crescent from Northeastern Mesopotamia and Iran to the borders of Egypt in Canaan...
, and I do not visit the king, my lord, since I am at war. I am situated like a shipShipSince the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
in the midst of the sea. The strong hand (arm) of the king took the land of Nahrima-(Mittani), and the land of KasiKingdom of KushThe native name of the Kingdom was likely kaš, recorded in Egyptian as .The name Kash is probably connected to Cush in the Hebrew Bible , son of Ham ....
-(Kush), but now the 'Apiru have taken the very cities of the king. Not a single mayor remains to the king, my lord; all are lost. Behold, Turbazu was slain in the city gateCity gateA city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. Other terms include port.-Uses:City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods and animals...
of Silu-(Tjaru). The king did nothing. Behold, servants who were joined to the 'Api[r]u smote Zimredda of LakisuLachishLachish was an ancient Near East town located at the site of modern Tell ed-Duweir in the Shephelah, a region between Mount Hebron and the maritime plain of Philistia . The town was first mentioned in the Amarna letters as Lakisha-Lakiša...
, and Yaptih-Hadda was slain in the city gate of Silu. The king did nothing. [Wh]y has he not called them to account? May the king [pro]vide for [his land] and may he [se]e to it tha[t] archersArchers (Egyptian pítati)The Pítati were a contingent of archers in the Egyptian Empire, often requested and dispatched, to support the Egyptian vassalage in Canaan, or northern Canaan...
[come ou]t to h[is] land. If there are no archers this year, all the lands of the king, my lord, are lost. They have not reported to the king that the lands of the king, my lord, are lost and all the mayors lost. If there are no archers this year, may the king send a commissioner to fetch me, me along with my brothers, and then we will die near the king, our lord. [To] the scribeScribeA scribe is a person who writes books or documents by hand as a profession and helps the city keep track of its records. The profession, previously found in all literate cultures in some form, lost most of its importance and status with the advent of printing...
of the king, my lord: [Message] of 'Abdi-Heba, servant-( (your) servant). [I faProstration formulaIn the 1350 BC correspondence of 382–letters, called the Amarna letters, the Prostration formula is usually the opening subservient remarks to the addressee, the Egyptian pharaoh. The formula is based on Prostration, namely reverence and submissiveness...
ll a[t (your) feet]. Present [the words-(words="discourse") that I hav]e offered to [the king, my lord]" I am your servant [and] your [s]on." -EA 288, lines 1-66 (complete, with lacunaLacuna (manuscripts)A lacunaPlural lacunae. From Latin lacūna , diminutive form of lacus . is a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or a musical work...
)
EA 234, "Like Magdalu in Egypt"
Letter no. 2 of 3 by Satatna of Akka-(now Acre, IsraelAcre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
).
- "To the king, m[y] lord, the Sun from the sky: Message of SatatnaSatatnaSatatna, or Sitatna, and also Šutatna/Shutatna-, was a 'Mayor'/Ruler of Akka, or Acco, modern Acre, Israel, during the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence....
, the ruler of AkkaAcre, IsraelAcre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
, your servant, the servant of the king, and the dirt at his feet, the ground on which he treads. [I] prostrateProstration formulaIn the 1350 BC correspondence of 382–letters, called the Amarna letters, the Prostration formula is usually the opening subservient remarks to the addressee, the Egyptian pharaoh. The formula is based on Prostration, namely reverence and submissiveness...
myself at the feet of the king, my lord, the Sun from the sky, 7 times and 7 times, both on the stomach and the back. - May the king, my lord, heed the word of his servant. [Zir]damyašda des[er]ted [B]iryawazaBiryawazaBiryawaza was king of Damascus in the middle fourteenth century BC. In the Amarna letters, he was ordered by his Egyptian overlords to take armed action against Labaya's sons ....
. He w[as] with Šuta a ... [...] of the king, in the gar[rison]GarrisonGarrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
city. He said [n]ot[hi]ng [t]o him. Out came the troops of the king, my lord. He w[as] with them in Magidd[a].Megiddo (place)Megiddo is a tell in modern Israel near Megiddo Kibbutz, known for its historical, geographical, and theological importance especially under its Greek name Armageddon. In ancient times Megiddo was an important city-state. Excavations have unearthed 26 layers of ruins, indicated a long period of...
Nothing was said to hi[m]. Then he deserted to me, and Šuta has just written to me,—"Hand over Zirdamyašda to Biryawaza." But I have not agreed to hand him over. Akka is like MagdaluMigdolMigdol, or migdal, is a Hebrew word which means either a tower , an elevated stage , or a raised bed . Physically, it can mean fortified land, i.e. a walled city or castle; or elevated land, as in a raised bed, like a platform, possibly a lookout...
in EgyptAncient EgyptAncient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
-(named MizriMizraimMizraim is the Hebrew name for the land of Egypt, with the dual suffix -āyim, perhaps referring to the "two Egypts": Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt....
), and has the king [my lord], not [h]eard that Šuta is turned against me? May the king, my lord, [sen]d his [com]missionerCommissionerCommissioner is in principle the title given to a member of a commission or to an individual who has been given a commission ....
to fet[ch] him." -EA 234, lines 1-35 (lost partial of sentence)
See also
- Tjaru-(called Silu, on the Way of Horus)
- Amarna lettersAmarna lettersThe Amarna letters are an archive of correspondence on clay tablets, mostly diplomatic, between the Egyptian administration and its representatives in Canaan and Amurru during the New Kingdom...
- Abdi-HebaAbdi-HebaAbdi-Heba was a local chieftain of Jerusalem during the Amarna period . Abdi-Heba's name can be translated as "servant of Hebat", a Hurrian goddess. Some scholars believe the correct reading is Ebed-Nob...
of Jerusalem, and UpuUpuUpu, also called Apu , was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named Dimašqu/Dimasqu/ etc. Upu, also called Apu (and Ubi or Upi by some authors), was the region surrounding Damascus of the 1350 BC Amarna letters. Damascus was named Dimašqu/Dimasqu/ etc. Upu,...