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Rib-Hadda once more appears as a litigant against another mayor
in a case of a different nature. His lawsuit (dìnu), quoted in EA 116,
EA 117, and EA 118 (cf. also EA 119 and EA 120), seems to be
concerned with some property he had shipped to the king, which
had been illicitly seized or confiscated by his rival Yapah-Haddu.^8
The trial had to be expressly presided over by one Egyptian gover-
nor (or more) duly sent by the king himself. The governor or gov-
ernors would then hear (“emû) his case (awàtu) and decide (paràsu).Personal Status
1.Free persons
A class that is sometimes mentioned in the texts is called hup“u, an
ambiguous term which is generally translated as “peasantry.” The
nobles are referred to by Rib-Hadda as the “lords of the city” (bèlùàli)
in EA 102:22 and EA 138:49.2.Slaves
The same logographically written term (ìr) was used by the vassal
rulers to designate themselves vis-à-vis their lord and for real slaves
dealt with as property, as in EA 99, where they are qualified as “of
good quality” and are sent among other items to the pharaoh as
part of a dowry (cf. EA 120). The slaves supplied in Amarna are of
two kinds. On the one hand, we find prisoners of war, or people
seized by the enemy, as reported by some vassals. On the other
hand, mention is made of free people who are sold into slavery as
a result of the famine conditions and the critical economic situation
of the population. Sons and daughters are sold for provisions, as
Rib-Hadda insistently reports (cf., e.g., EA 74, EA 75, EA 81), as
well as soldiers, according to EA 108 and EA 109. Both prisoners
and debt slaves could be redeemed by payment of ransom money
(cf., e.g., EA 109, EA 116, and EA 292).Sale
Sale of persons and personal property, usually to obtain provisions,
is simply described with the verb nadànu, “to give.”^9 The ransom(^8) See the interpretation of Na"aman, “Looking for the Pharaoh’s Judgment,” 150–57.
(^9) Note in EA 108 and EA 109 the expression nadànu ina luqiused for the sale
of soldiers, tentatively translated by Moran as “to sell into captivity.”
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