Petrie, William M. Flinders: Syria and Egypt from the Tell el Amarna letters (London, 1898)

INTRODUCTION u

small proportion of peaceful letters under
Amenhotep III., all the rest of these record
the downfall of Egyptian power under
Akhenaten. It is possible to glean some
indications, however, of a more exact dating,
and to allot the main outlines to their
approximate years.

In the Mitanni letters up to No. 8 they
are to Amenhotep III., No. 9 is to the
IVth.

In the Kardunyash letters up to No. 17
they are to Amenhotep III., No. 18 is to
the IVth.

In the letter from an unknown king to
the kings of Kinakhi (No. 40) condolences
on the death of a king, evidently Amen-
hotep III., are named. In letter 123 is
a reference to the 3rd year, which cannot
be any but the year of Amenhotep IVth,
and must have been written later, as his
father did not die till the 5th year of his
son's reckoning. At this time caravans
seem to have been freely passing.

Two important letters (ill, 112), of
Akizzi of Qatna, near Damascus, addressed
to Amenhotep III., show that serious
troubles were in progress before his death,
probably in the last year or two, the 4th