Abdi-Ashirta

Abdi-Ashirta (Akkadian: 𒀵𒀀𒅆𒅕𒋫 Warad-Ašîrta [ARAD2-A-ši-ir-ta]; fl. 14th century BC) was the ruler of Amurru who was in conflict with King Rib-Hadda of Byblos.

Reign

Petty Kingdom of Amurru

While some contend that Amurru was a new kingdom in southern Syria subject to nominal Egyptian control, new research suggests that during Abdi-Ashirta's lifetime, Amurru was a "decentralized land" that consisted of several independent polities. Consequently, though Abdi-Ashirta had influence among these polities, he did not directly rule them.[1]

Conflict with Byblos

Rib-Hadda complained bitterly to Pharaoh; in the Amarna letters (EA) — of Abdi-Ashirta's attempts to alter the political landscape at the former's expense.[2] Abdi-Ashirta's death is mentioned in EA 101 by Rib-Hadda in a letter to Akhenaten.[3]

Succession

Unfortunately for Rib-Hadda, Abdi-Ashirta was succeeded by his equally capable son Aziru, who would later capture, exile and likely kill Rib-Hadda. Aziru subsequently defected to the Hittites, which caused Egypt to lose control over her northern border province of Amurru which Aziru controlled.

Amarna Archive

The Amarna Archive mentions his name 97 times.[4]

Authored

Amarna Letter EA 060

(o 001) [To] the king, the Sun god, my lord, a message from ʿAbdi-ʾAširte, your servant, the dust of your feet. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord, seven times and seven times.

(o 006) Look, I am a servant of the king and a dog of his house. I guard all the land of Amurru for the king, my lord. I said repeatedly to Paḥanaṯe, my commissioner, “Bring auxiliary troops in order to guard the lands of the king!”. Now all of the kings of the king of the people of the Hurrian lands desire to wrest the lands from my control and the control of [the commissioner] of the king, [my] lord, [but I] am guarding them. [Look, Pa]ḥanaṯe is w[ith you]. The king, [my] Sun god, should ask him if I am not guarding Ṣumur (and) Ullaza. When my commissioner (is absent) because of the instructions of the king, my Sun god, I guard the grain harvest of Ṣumur and of all the lands for the king, the Sun god, my lord. So may the king, my lord, care for me and assign me into the charge of Paḥanaṯe, my commissioner. [5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Benz, B. (2016). The Land Before the Kingdom of Israel: A History of the Southern Levant and the People who Populated It. Winona Lake, Indiana: Eisenbrauns. pp. 141–166.
  2. ^ William L. Moran, The Amarna Letters, Johns Hopkins University, 1992. p.xxiii
  3. ^ Moran, p.174
  4. ^ https://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/aemw/amarna/qpn?xis=qpn.r0002f8
  5. ^ Edition by Jacob Lauinger and Tyler Yoder (CC-BY-SA 3.0).
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