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

12 INTRODUCTION

and 5th year of Amenhotep IVth's joint
reign. The political prospect then was that
Nukhashi, Ni, Zinzar, and Kinanat (or the
Upper Orontes) were still faithful, but
in danger. The Damascus plain was
seriously threatened. The Lower Orontes,
or Amurra, was already in revolt under
Azira, and the Khatti were hostile.

From this point we may approximately
start the reckoning of Azira's wars and
attacks on Ribaddi, say in the 5th year of
Amenhotep IV., the epoch of letter 140,
when Ribaddi first asks for troops to defend
himself from Abdashirta and the Khabiri.

In letter 174 we read that Ribaddi had
fought for five years, bringing this point to
about the 10th year of Akhenaten.

Then in letter 186 Ribaddi's son had been
sent from Berut to see the king, but had not
succeeded in doing so for three months.
About a year must be allowed to this point,
or the 11 th year.

In letter 204 Ribaddi complains that
Gubla has been besieged for three years,
causing famine, owing to the cutting off of
the arable land. As the complaints of the
trouble of Gubla begin in letter 187, this
three years will date from about then, so