A Marriage Between Egypt And Babylon
During the height of the Amarna Age, after a long period of negotiations, Egypt and Babylonia renewed their alliance through a diplomatic marriage. The efforts to reach this agreement had begun when Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten (ca. 1353-1335 B.C.E.) was new to the throne as Pharaoh of Egypt. At this time Egypt had dominated the Near East through its control of Palestine and coastal Syria, as well as through other kingdom's reliance on its vast wealth in gold.
For Late Bronze Age Empires diplomatic marriage alliances were designed to be demonstrations of far-reaching authority. At the time of this marriage, Burnaburaish (ca. 1359-1333 B.C.E.) had already been king in Babylonia for some time and had witnessed a world where Egyptian authority was unquestioned. Now, as the Amarna Age unfolded, all this was changing with the slow unraveling of Egyptian imperial power.
A Note From The Bride To Akhenaten
From the Amarna Letters archive there are several tablets that tell the story of a vast exchange of wealth that occurred surrounding the marriage of this Babylonian princess, a daughter of Burnaburiash named Kidin-Adad, with the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. In fact, Amarna Letter 12, (EA 12) is a brief note sent by the princess herself.
Kidin-Adad writes to “Her Lord”, and sends well wishes for a safe journey and return to home. Whatever the exact meaning of this short missive might be remains elusive, but her request that the reader “not worry or it will make her sad,” speaks to an unmentioned conflict. Soon all would be resolved however, as Amarna Letters 13 and 14 are extensive lists detailing the exchange of a wedding dowry sent from Babylonia with reciprocal gifts sent from Egypt .
A Wealthy Prize For Egypt
The tablet containing the record of goods sent as Kidin-Adad's dowery from Babylonia to Egypt is badly damaged. As it is missing an introduction or end remarks it is taken to be but part of the overall list. Regretably, the numerical entries made to the left of each description, showing the quantity of each to be sent, are also almost entirely broken away. Still the partial inventory lists 62 separate items or groups of items being sent.
Over 11 of these items contain highly prized Lapis Lazuli polished into jewelry. There are also entries for carnelian, alabaster, ebony, and obsidian as well as a stone called “mushsharu” which is believed to be onyx and cloisonne. Other items are made from or covered with gold, silver and bronze. The list contains everything from the expected goblets and cups to more exotic wash basins with claw feet made of bronze and a number of beds with claw feet made of silver.
Egypt Sends Gifts To Babylon In Return
As spectacular as these gifts may have been the list of gifts sent from Egypt to Babylonia is even more impressive. This inventory is believed to be much closer to complete and contains over 250 lines worth of entries. Indeed, sme of these entries denote multiple items, such as “375 containers of oil” and “90 mirrors of bronze.” In all, this list describes a vast array of goods that would have required a massive caravan to convey to Babylon.
Although the list is filled with items made from gold, there are also measurements of raw gold that are recorded as being sent. Additionally, there is mention of a large amount of silver and bronze sent in similar proportion to the gifts recieved from Babylon. However, where the inventories truly vary is in the absence of lapis lazuli from the list of Egyptian gifts, and its replacement with gifts made of ivory.
In addition to these valuable resources Egypt sent an extensive array of clothes, sandals and personnel effects including razors and perfumed oils. Some of the most fantastic items described are a “pomegranate made of a silver” and a silver “female monkey with its daughter in its lap." There is also the curious “one cripple of stone, with a jar in his hand” and “six pairs of animal paws of stained ivory.”
Periodically the Egyptian scribe would stop to tally the amount of gold or other items sent, making the list all the more impressive. The transport of such a treasure would likely have taken hundreds of people and animals months to complete. It is clear from these records why such marriages as this, the product of years of negotiation, were the backbone of Late Bronze Age commerce and the building blocks of Empire in the ancient Near East.
Sources:
Moran, William, The Amarna Letters, (Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992)
Roaf, Michael, Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia, (Andromeda, Oxfordshire, 2004.)
Shaw, Ian. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003.)
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