568
in abbreviated form, “Thus (declares) PN:... (ummaPN).” At times
the tablets record a double declaration, issued simultaneously by both
contracting parties.- C AL
2.1 Organs of the Government
2.1.1 The King
The kingdom of Arraphe was a minor state subordinate to the “Great
King” of Mittani. Very little is known about this “vassal” relation-
ship, for want of pertinent textual evidence.^7 The institutional func-
tions, powers, and interventions of the king of Arraphe are poorly
documented. Aside from a few orders addressed to central or periph-
eral palace officials, concerning various administrative matters (see,
e.g., HSS 15 1; JEN 551), the king’s role as legislator is possibly
attested in the frequent mentions of “edicts/proclamations” (“ùdùtu)
at the end of various private transactions. The standard formula
reads: “The tablet was written after the proclamation at the city gate
[or other topographical location]” (†uppu ina arki “ùdùti ina... “a†ir).
As noted above, it is still a matter of dispute whether these “edicts/
proclamations” correspond to the Old Babylonian mì“arum-edicts,
issued for the remission of debts.2.1.2 The Administration
2.1.2.1 Within the limits of its political subordination to the Mittani
overlord, the kingdom of Arraphe was administered by the king
(“arru), as head of the central palace bureaucracy (ekallu), under whose
control provincial and local authorities operated. The palace archives
attest to various officials, whose hierarchical position and powers are
still not entirely clear.^8 Among them may be mentioned “governor”
(Sum. (LÚ.)GAR.KUR = Akk. “akin màti or “aknu), “vizier” (Sum.(^7) Cf. Zaccagnini, “Les rapports...”
(^8) For a preliminary list of the pertinent sources, cf. Mayer, Nuzi-Studien1, esp.
121–31.
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