In the 1350 BC correspondence of 382–letters, called the Amarna letters, the prostration formula is usually the opening subservient remarks to the addressee, the Egyptian

pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until th ...

. The formula is based on

prostration Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especially t ...

, namely reverence and submissiveness. Often the letters are from

vassal A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. ...

rulers or vassal

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...

s, especially in

Canaan Canaan (; Phoenician: 𐤊𐤍𐤏𐤍 – ; he, כְּנַעַן – , in pausa – ; grc-bib, Χανααν – ;The current scholarly edition of the Greek Old Testament spells the word without any accents, cf. Septuaginta : id est Vetus T ...

but also in other localities. The formula is often repetitive, or multi-part, with parts seeming to repeat and can go forward in a typical standard format. However, the prostration formula may also be duplicated in a similar format at the end of a letter, or a foreshortened part of the formula may be entered, for effect, in the middle of a letter.

Some example letters with the ''Prostration formula''

The letters EA 242 and 246 are from Biridiya of Magidda-(Megiddo), (EA for 'el

Amarna Amarna (; ar, العمارنة, al-ʿamārnah) is an extensive Egyptian archaeological site containing the remains of what was the capital city of the late Eighteenth Dynasty. The city was established in 1346 BC, built at the direction of the Ph ...

').

Biridiya letter 242, no. 1 of 7: title: ''"Request granted"''

:Say to the king-(i.e.

), my lord and my Sun: Message-(' um– ma') of Biridiya, the ruler of Magidda, the loyal servant of the king. I ''prostrate'' myself at the feet of the king, my lord and my Sun, 7 times and 7 times. I herewith give what the king, my lord, requested: 30

oxen An ox ( : oxen, ), also known as a bullock (in BrE, AusE, and IndE), is a male bovine trained and used as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration inhibits testosterone and aggression, which makes the ma ...

, '' sheep and Goat">sheep.html" ;"title="'' sheep">'' sheep and Goats, ''x'' Bird">bids">sheep">'' sheep and Goat">sheep.html" ;"title="'' sheep">'' sheep and Goats, ''x'' Bird">bids'' [ ... ] ... [ ...''And in]deed,'' [the ...] ... of ''the [l]and'' are at peace, but I am at war. —EA 242, lines 1-17 (complete, but with Lacuna (manuscripts), lacunae) See:

Amarna letters–phrases and quotations The Amarna letters (; sometimes referred to as the Amarna correspondence or Amarna tablets, and cited with the abbreviation EA, for "El Amarna") are an archive, written on clay tablets, primarily consisting of diplomatic correspondence between t ...

, for ''"7 times and 7 times"'' phrasing.

Biridiya letter 246, no. 5 of 7: title: ''"The sons of Labaya, Lab'ayu"''

:Say to the king, my lord and my Sun: Message of Biridiya, your loyal servant. I fall at the feet of the king, m lord and my Sun, 7 times and 7 times. :I have heard the mes ageo the ki g ....... (

lacuna Lacuna (plural lacunas or lacunae) may refer to: Related to the meaning "gap" * Lacuna (manuscripts), a gap in a manuscript, inscription, text, painting, or musical work ** Great Lacuna, a lacuna of eight leaves where there was heroic Old Norse p ...

) Reverse: :and ... and indee ...you ar ... May the king, my lord, know. The two sons of Labaya, Lab'ayu have indeed gi n their

money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money ar ...

to the 'Apiru and the '' Su teans'' ''in ord">Sutean.html" ;"title="'' ''Sutean">teans'' ''in ordr to w[age war again]st'' me. [May] the king [''take cognizance] of [his servant]''. —EA 246, 1-9, reverse 1-11 (complete, but with lacunae)

An example of: "Dirt, Ground, Chair, and Footstool"

Biryawaza letter EA 195, no. 2 of 4: title: ''"Waiting for the Pharaoh's words"''

This letter contains all the uses of "dirt, ground, chair, and footstool", seldom found in one letter. :Say to the king, my lord: Message of Biryawaza, your servant, the dirt at your feet, and the ground you tread on, the chair you sit on and the footstool at your feet. I fall at the feet of the king, my lord, the Sun of the

dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the appearance of indirect sunlight being scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc has reached 18° below the observer's ho ...

(over): ''li-me-ma'' (peoples), 7 times plus 7 times. My lord is the Sun in the sky, and like the coming forth of the Sun in the sky (your) servants await the coming forth of the words from the mouth of their lord. I am indeed, together with my troops and

chariot A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nb ...

s, together with my brothers, my 'Apiru and my

Sutean The Suteans (Akkadian: ''Sutī’ū'', possibly from Amorite: ''Šetī’u'') were a Semitic people who lived throughout the Levant, Canaan and Mesopotamia during the Old Babylonian period. Unlike Amorites, they were not governed by a king. They ...

s, at the disposition of the archers, wheresoever the king, my lord, shall order--(order me to go). —EA 195, lines 1-32 (complete)

References

Moran, William L. William Lambert Moran (August 11, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American Assyriologist. He was born in Chicago, United States. In 1939, Moran joined the Jesuit order. He then attended Loyola University in Chicago, where he received his ...