A Jerusalem Ruler's Letters to Pharaoh

Seven times, and seven times again: that is how often a ruler of Jerusalem says he bows to Pharaoh, in a letter sent to Egypt.

Scripture: Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying,

These are Amarna letters, from Tell el-Amarna in Egypt, dated to the fourteenth century BC. Some Amarna letters are held at the British Museum in London.

The writer is Abdi-Heba, a local chieftain of Jerusalem in the mid-1330s BC. Six of his letters are catalogued, numbered E A 285 to 290.

Marauding bands called Habiru were attacking the region. He pleaded with Pharaoh for an army, or at least an officer to command.

Scripture: In letter E A 287 he credits Pharaoh with his post. That may be flattery, rather than the real situation.

Jerusalem then may have been a small highland stronghold, with no fortifications or large buildings, and his district perhaps held fifteen hundred people.

This photo shows a different letter, from Labayu, ruler of Shechem, also in the British Museum. Another ruler, Shuwardata, called Abdi-Heba a new Labaya, for seizing towns.

Much is unknown: whether his family ruled Jerusalem or Egypt appointed him, and what finally became of him. Even his background is unclear: his name honours a Hurrian goddess, and the Hurrians were a people whose culture is linked to the Mitanni Empire. Whether he was Hurrian himself is unknown.

Joshua 10 tells of a king of Jerusalem calling on four other kings. No source here ties the two together. The names differ, and the Bible says king, while Abdi-Heba denied even being a mayor. Whether the two connect isn't addressed in my sources.

The letters were found in the ruins of Akhenaten's capital, Tell el-Amarna. Who dug them up is not named in the material I'm using, so I won't guess.

Letters from a ruler of Jerusalem, asking Pharaoh for troops. May the Lord Jesus Christ be with you today. Follow Bible Evidence for the next discovery.