Amarna letter EA 245, titled: "Assignment of Guilt," is a medium length clay tablet Amarna letter from Biridiya the governor-'mayor' of Magidda. It is letter number four of five from Biridiya.
The letter is in pristine condition except for a missing flake (lower-right, obverse) causing a lacuna at the end of a few lines. The cuneiform characters are finely inscribed, with some photos that can even show the individual strokes of the cuneiform characters (the stroke sequence). The letter is 47-lines long, and about 5-in tall. Letter EA 245 (see here-(Obverse): https://www.britishmuseum.org/collectionimages/AN00408/AN00408147_001_l.jpg), is numbered BM 29855, at the British Museum.
The Amarna letters, about 300, numbered up to EA 382, are a mid 14th century BC, about 1350 BC and 20–25 years later, correspondence. The initial corpus of letters were found at Akhenaten's city Akhetaten, in the floor of the Bureau of Correspondence of Pharaoh; others were later found, adding to the body of letters.
EA 245, letter four of five. (Not a linear, line-by-line translation, and English from French.)[1]
(Obverse, see here https://www.britishmuseum.org/collectionimages/AN00408/AN00408147_001_l.jpg)
(Lines 1-7)--Moreover,1 I urged my brothers, "If the god of the king, our lord, brings it about2 that we overcome Lab'ayu, then we must bring him alive : - (gloss) ha-ia-ma to the king, our lord."
(8-14)--My mare, however having been put out of action : - -(gloss) tu-ra (having been shot), I took my place behind him : - (gloss) ah-ru-un-ú and rode with Yashdata.3 But before my arrival they had struck him down : - (gloss) ma-ah-ṣú-ú.
(15-23)--Yašdata being truly your servant, he it was that entered with me into batt[le]. May [... ] [... ] the life4 of the king, my [lord], that he may br[ing peace to ever]yone5 in [the lands of] the king, [my] lord.(Reverse, see here https://www.britishmuseum.org/collectionimages/AN00408/AN00408149_001_l.jpg)
(24-35)--It had been Surata that took Labaya from Magidda. and said to me, "I will send him to the king by boat : - (gloss) a-na-yi "6 Surata took him, but he sent him from Hinnatunu to his home, for it was Surata that had accepted from him : - (gloss) ba-di-ú his ransom.
(36-47)--Moreover, what have I done to the king, my lord, that he has treated me with contempt : - (gloss) ia8-qí-ìl-li-ni and honored : - (gloss) ia8-ka-bi-id my less important brothers?7 It was Surata that let Lab'ayu go, and it was Surata that let Ba'l-mehir go, (both) to their homes. And may the king, my lord, know.--(complete Obverse & Reverse, EA 245, minor, restored lacunae, (and a small corner of clay tablet missing), total ines 1-47)
The Akkadian language text:[2]
Akkadian:
Obverse (see here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collectionimages/AN00408/AN00408147_001_l.jpg)
(Line 1)--Ša-ni-tam dabābu--(..Furthermore,.. to expound upon (to talk))
(2)--UGU ŜEŠ-HI.A-ia--(upon Brothers-Mine,..)
(3)--šumma epēšu--(..If .. to make happen)
(4)--DMEŠ-nu ša LUGAL-ri(=ŠÀRru) ENBēlu-nu--("the God"-ours,.. 'which of' King-Lord-Ours..)
(5)--ù kašādu--(..and Defeat - !..)
(6)--1.diš-La-aB-A-iYa ù til-la-nu-um-ma :-(gloss) ha-ia-ma--(1.diš-Labaya,.. and "bodily" : ( - gl -) "alive",..)
(7)--nu-abālu ana LUGAL-ri(=ŠÀRru) ENBēlu-nu--(..Bring 'unto'(to) King-Lord-Ours - !...)
(8)--Ù tu-sà-ah-mi(=tazzimtu) : ( - gl -) tu-ra(tarû)--(..But "bad luck" :-(gloss) "returned"?('my horse was "shot"')..)
(9)--ANŠE.KUR.ra :-(gloss) MUNUS-ia ù uzuzzu--(Horse- :-(gloss) mine,..and "to be present",..)
(10)--EGIR.ERIM-šu : ( - gl -) harānnú--(..BEHIND.ARMY-his :-(gloss) "expeditioning"(=road, journey))
(11)--ù erēbu--(..and "to encamp"(to set),..)
(12)--itti 1.diš-Ya((=pi))-aŠ-Da-Ta--(with Yashdata - !...)
(13)--Ù adi kašādu--(..But before "conquering"(reaching/vanquishing),..)
(14)--ù dâku :-(gloss) mahāṣ(ú)u--(and "killed" : ( - gl -) 'fighting' - !..)
(15)--ù elû-mì(+šamû(heaven)?) 1.diš-Ya(=pi)-aŠ-Da-Ta--(and "ascended-up" 1.diš-Yashdata,..)
(16)--Ardu-ka ù š-ût--(Servant-yours,.. and "who of",..)
(17)--erēbu itti--(-(always)-"to enter" with,..)
(18)--ina MÈERIM(=tāhāzu) tāhāzu--(..into BATTLE-War-Battle - !..)
(19)--ù lū nâ[-[[di (cuneiform)|d]]u ana šâšu ]--(and "may it be" 'to (have)-praise' for him,..)
(20)--til-la-aṭ(tillu) LUGAL-ri(=ŠÀRru) ENBēlu-ia--(.."warriors"(workers)-(of),. King-Lord-Mine,..)
(21)--[[[ù (cuneiform)|ù]] ] epē[-[[ši (cuneiform)|š]]u ]--(..and "to treat"... [.. ])-(lacuna)
(22)--gabbu ina [... ]--(..everyone in [..?.. ])-(lacuna)
(23)--LUGAL-ri(=ŠÀRru) ENBēlu-ia--(.., King-Lord-Mine - ! ..)
Reverse (see here: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collectionimages/AN00408/AN00408149_001_l.jpg)
(24)--Ù 1.diš-Sú-Ra-Ta--(But,.. 1.-Surata..)
(25)--yi(=pi)-il5-qû(leqû) 1.diš-La-aB-A-iYa--(..took Labaya..)
(26)--ištu URUMa-GID6-Daki--(from Magidda,..)
(27)--ú yi(=pi)-qabû ana iā-[[[ši (cuneiform)|ši]] ](iāši)(--(and "said" to me: -)
(28)--enūma ša GIŠMÁ : ( - gl -) a-na-yi--(.."Now 'that by' BOAT :-(gloss) 'ship'...)
(29)--uššuru-šu--(..Send (issue)!..(i.e. Labaya)..)
(30)--ana LUGAL-ri(=ŠÀRru),.. ù (pi)leqû--(to (the) King,.." ..But 'taken'..)
(31)--1.diš-Sú-Ra-Ta ù (pi)tarû--(..(by) 1.-Surata,.. and "returned"-him..)
Cuneiform score (per CDLI, Chicago Digital Library Initiative),[3] and Akkadian, and English.
Note: on Reverse", line 42.: - ma : ( - gl -) ha-ia-ma___1=dišLabaya, - _tillu_-nu-um-ma___1=dišLabaya, - (equipment)-nu-um-ma : ( - gl -) ha-ia-ma (by boat)(land carriage?)7.nu-ub-ba-lu-uš-šu a-na (Šàrru)_Šàr_-ri _EN_-nu___abālu ana (Šàrru)Šàr-ri EN-nu - !___bring (him alive) to King Lord-ours - !EndQuote
ut!-no)___ _ÁRAD_-ka, - u šu-ú-te___Servant-yours, - but ?straight-away?17.yi-ru-ub-mi it-ti# [x ]##___erēbu-mi, - itti-[x ]##___entered-Myself, - with [them ? ]## 18.i-na MÈ (me3=tāhāzu) ta-ha#-zi##___ina (MÈ = tāhāzu) - tāhā#zu##___into BATTLE, battle19.ù lu-ú yi-na- -[-[[di (cuneiform)|di]]-nu a-na ša-šu ]___u lū nâ[]du ana šâšu ]___and "may-it-be" pr[aise for Him ]20. _til-la-aṭ _ŠÀRRU_-ri# [_[[EN (cuneiform)|EN]]_ ]-ia21.[[[Ù (cuneiform)|ù]] ] li-pa-aš#-[[[ši (cuneiform)|ši]]-ih ]
šà-geš-_MÁ_ giš-ru((yes)) : ( - gl -) a-na-yi___Quotei-na-mí _MÁ_ giš-ru : ( - gl -) a-na-yi___QuoteBy boat ....(?by land carriage)29.ú-ta-aš-ša-ru-uš-šu___uššuru___(I will) send30.a-na (_lugal_)_Šarru_-ri ù yi-ìl-qé-šu___ana (_lugal_)_Šarru_-ri, - ù___to King, - 30.5--------------ù yi-ìl-qé-šu___-----------------u leqû___-----------------and take31.1=dišSú-ra-ta ù yu-ta-šar-šu___1=dišSú-ra-ta___1Surata31.5-------------ù yu-ta-šar-šu___----------------u uššuru___----------------and send (Him)32.iš-tu _IRI_ He-na-tu-naki___ištu _URU_ He-na-tu-naki___from _city_ Hannathon33.a-na _É_-šu ù 1=dišSú-ra-ta___ana _É_-šu,EndQuote - ù 1=dišSú-ra-ta___To _house_hisEndQuote - and 1Surata
Note: the rest, (majority), of line 42, is the up-side-down cuneiform from Obverse, Line 6
nu-um-ma : ( - gl -) ha-ia-ma
42.yu-ta-šir9___aṣû___brought43.1=dišLa-ab-a-ia ù___1=dišLa-ab-a-ia ù___1Labaya43.7--------------ù___----------------u___----------------and44.yu-ta-šir9-mì 1=diš, diškur-me-her___aṣû 1=diš, diškur-me-her___brought 1Ba'al-Mehir45.a-na _É_-šu-ni___ana _bītu_-šu, - !___to _house_-his, - !
("may you know ")47.(Šàrru)Šàr-ru EN-ia - !___(Šàrru)Šàr-ru EN-ia - !___King Lord-mine - !