Amarna letter: Royal Letter from Ashur-uballit, the king of popular Assyria, to the king of Egypt ca. 1353–1336 B.C. - Replica Tablet

This popular document was found in the late 1880s at the site of Amarna, the religious capital of Egypt under Akhenaten. It was likely originally stored in administrative offices that formed part of a palace complex in the central part of the city. It is written in cuneiform script on a clay tablet using a reed stylus. The language is an Assyrian dialect of Akkadian, the lingua franca of the time. In this letter the king of Assyria, Ashur-uballit, sends a personal messenger and offers gifts to the king of Egypt, most probably Akhenaten, in order to open communications with the major superpower of the region.

For further discussion and translation, see the Curatorial Interpretation below.

Object Details
Title: Amarna letter: Royal Letter from Ashur-uballit, the king of Assyria, to the king of Egypt

Period: New Kingdom, Amarna Period

Dynasty: Dynasty 18

Reign: reign of Akhenaten

Date: ca. 1353–1336 B.C.

Geography: From Egypt; Probably from Middle Egypt, Amarna (Akhetaten)

Medium: Clay

Dimensions: H. 7.7 cm (3 1/16 in.); W. 5.5 cm (2 3/16 in.)

Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1924

Accession Number: 24.2.11

WARNING: The tablets are made with white clay. It is then painted with acrylic paint. For this reason, there may be letter, tone and texture differences. The photos are of the original pieces in the museum. Please consider this when shopping. In addition, cargo numbers are entered into the system after passing through customs. Due to unforeseen reasons, the shipping time may be extended. The responsibility for this issue belongs to the cargo company.

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