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Haapi

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Haapi, also Haip and Ha'ip was a commissioner of the 1350-1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence. The name "Hapi" in Egyptian is the name for the Nile god Hapy. (There is also another Hapi, which see.)

Haapi is referenced in 3 letters from the Byblos-(Gubla) corpus of the prolific writer Rib-Hadda, of 68 letters. Haapi is also referenced in letter EA 149 of Abi-Milku of Tyre, Lebanon-(Surru), (EA for 'el Amarna').

The following letters are referenced to Haapi/Ha'ip:

  1. EA 107—Title: "Charioteers, but no horses"–Rib-Hadda letter, (no. 36 of 68). Note: see Maryannu; in letter: mar-i(y)a-nu-ma, =charioteer.
  2. EA 132—Title: "The hope for peace". –Rib-Hadda letter, (no. 61 of 68). See: Egyptian commissioner: Pahura.
  3. EA 133—Title: "Some advice for the king"–Rib-Hadda letter, (no. 62 of 68).
  4. EA 149—Title: "Neither water nor wood"–Abi-Milku letter no. 4 of 10.

The letters of commissioner: Haapi/Ha'ip

EA 149, "Neither water nor wood", letter no. 4 of 10

Letter no. 4 of 10 by Abi-Milku of Tyre. (First half of letter)

"To the king-(i.e. pharaoh), my lord, my Sun, my god: Message of Abi-Milku, [yo]ur servant. I fall at the feet of the king, [m]y lo[rd], 7 times and 7 times. I am the dirt under the feet and sandals of the king, my lord. O king, my lord, you are like the Sun, like Baal, in the sky. May the king give thought to his servant. The king, my lord, charged me with guarding Tyre-("Surru"), the maidservant of the king, but after I wrote an express tablet-(i.e. tablet-letter), to the king, my lord, he has not replied to him. I am a commissioner of the king, my lord, and I am one that brings good news and also bad (news) to the king, my lord. May the king send 20 palace attendants to guard his city in order that I may go in to the king, my lord, and see his face. What is the life of a palace attendant when breath does not come forth from the mouth of the king, his lord? But he lives if the king writes [t]o his servant, and he lives [for]ever. For my part, [si]nce last year [my intention has been] to go in [and beho]ld the face of the king, my lord, [but Zimredda-( of Sidon/Siduna), the p]rince, [heard about m]e. He made [my caravan] turn back [fro]m the king, my lord, [saying, "Who c]an get you in [to the king?" Hea]r, my lord! Aziru, [the son of Abdi]-Ašratu, [the re]bel against the king, [has taken possession of Sumu]r. Haapi [...] ...[g]ave Sumur [t]o Aziru. May the king not neglect [th]is city and his land. When I hear the name of the king and the name of his army, they will be very afraid, and all the land will be afraid, that is, he who does not follow the king, my lord. The king knows whether you installed me as commissioner in Tyre. (Still), Zimredda seized Usu from (his) servant. I abandoned it, and so we have neither water nor wood. Nor is there a place where we can put the dead. So may the king, my lord, give thought to his servant." -EA 149, (only "1st half", lines 1-54, with lacunae; lines 54+ -84, omitted)

EA 132, "The hope for peace"

Rib-Hadda letter; see Egyptian commissioner: Pahura.

EA 107, "Charioteers, but no horses"

See also Maryannu; in letter: mar-i(y)a-nu-ma, =charioteer.

"Rib-Hadda says to (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, my Sun, 7 times and 7 times. Being a loyal servant of the king, the Sun, with my mouth I speak words-(('matters'/'discussions')) to the king that are nothing but the truth. May the king, my lord, heed the words of his loyal servant. May the archer-commander stay in Sumur-(Zemar), but fetch Ha'ip to yourself, examine him, and find out about [his] affai[rs]. Then if it pleas[es] you, appoint as its commissioner someone respected by the kin[g's] mayors. May my lord heed my words. Seeing that Aziru, the son of 'Abdi-Aširta, is in Damascus-("Dimašqu"), along with his brothers, send archers that they might take him, and the land of the king be at peace. If things go as they are now, Sumur will not stand. Moreover, may the king, my lord, heed the words of his loyal servant. There is no money to pay for horses; everything is gone so that we might stay alive.. So give me 30–pairs of horses along with chariots. I have charioteers: mar-ia-nu-ma, but I do not have a horse to march against the enemies of the king. Accordingly, I am afraid, and accordingly, I have not gone to Sumur." -EA 107, lines 1-48 (~complete, undamaged-(with Notes))

EA 107 is a virtually undamaged tablet-letter. 107 also shows the precise spelling of the term: charioteer/Maryannu.

The 'matters'/'discussions', (i.e. the topic), of this letter appears to be twofold: 1) Ha'ip justification, or appropriateness as a commissioner, and 2) the events in Damascus/Dimašqu with the warring Aziru.

See also

References

  • Moran, William L. The Amarna Letters. John Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)
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