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April 16, 2008
How Long Do You Think It Took to Negotiate These Few Words?
While working on RS 1975.2, I decided to take a closer look at another tablet. RS 19.78 (PRU VI #52), also from Ugarit, reads in my translation,
On this day, in front of witnesses, Akiteššub frees the commander of a thousand from the oath (i-na ma-mi-ti). But he (the commander of a thousand?) had not agreed to swear to it (ù la-a u-ma-gàr a-na it-mi-šu).Nonetheless, the commander of a thousand and his sons are free from hands of Akiteššub, man of Armanu.
Witness: Elhipšarru, man of [Arm]anu.
Witness: ???? son of N[a ????]
Witness: Abdi-[?????? s]cribe.
Akiteššub's hieroglyphic Hittite seal is impressed on the upper edge of this tablet. I take the oath to be an oath of allegiance of some kind, perhaps a vassal oath. If my understanding is correct, Akiteššub relieved the commander of a thousand from an unwelcome obligation. Just who all thought it unwelcome is not clear. My guess is that Akiteššub was up to his keister in political trouble, presumably with the king of Ugarit and maybe with the Hittite overlords as well. I suspect the commander of a thousand also had more than a few of his own political problems at this stage of his career.
I'll take on the place name Armanu later.
Posted by Duane Smith at April 16, 2008 2:16 PM | Read more on Ugarit |
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