Tjaru

Tjaru was an ancient Egyptian fortress on the "Way of Horus," the major road leading out of Egypt into Canaan. It also appeared, though much less commonly, under the names "Zaru", "Tharu" and "Djaru", and was known to the Greeks as "Zele" or "Sile". It has been suggested that its remains form the Tell el Habua near Kantara. [Ian Shaw, "The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt", Oxford University Press 2000, ISBN 0192802933, p.212] [Barry J. Kemp, "Ancient Egypt: Anatomy of a Civilization", Routledge 2005, ISBN 0415235499, p.25]

The Horus of Mesen was worshipped at Tjaru in the form of a lion, and because of its close theological connections to Edfu, it is sometimes referred to as the Edfu of Lower Egypt. [Dieter Kurth, "The Temple of Edfu: A Guide by an Ancient Egyptian Priest", American Univ in Cairo Press 2005, ISBN 9774247647, p.82 ]

Tjaru, being a frontier town in an inhospitable desert region, was a place of banishment for criminals. Horemheb in his Great Edict threatens as punishment for various crimes by officials disfigurement and banishment to Tjaru. [James Henry Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Chicago 1906, Part Three, §§ 51ff.]

Tjaru: as Amarna letters " 'Silu'," 1350 BC

Silu is referenced twice in one letter of the 382–Amarna letters correspondence of 1350-1335 BC. The letter refers to Turbazu, the presumed 'mayor'/ruler of Silu, who is "..slain in the city gate of Silu." Two other mayors are also slain at the city gate of Silu. Turbazu's death is also reported in one additional letter of the Amarna letters, EA 335, (EA for 'el Amarna').

Part of EA 288, letter of Abdi-Heba of Jerusalem

Abdi-Heba's letters, to the Egyptian pharaoh, are of moderate length, and topically discuss the intrigues of the cities, that are adjacent to Jerusalem.

A section of letter 288, title: "Benign neglect", (starting at line 17):

:" [...] :".... I gave over [to "his" char] ge 10 slaves, Šuta, the commissioner of the king, ca [me t] o me; I gave over to Šuta's charge 21 girls, [8] 0 prisoners, as a gift for the king, my lord. May the king give thought to his land; the land of the king is lost. "All of it has attacked" me. I am at war as far as the land of Šeru and as far as Ginti-kirmil. All the mayors are at peace, but I am at war. I am treated like an 'Apiru, and I do not visit the king, my lord, since I am at war. I am situated like a ship in the midst of the sea. The strong hand (arm) of the king took the land of Nahrima-(Mittani), and the land of "Kasi", but now the 'Apiru have taken the very cities of the king. Not a single mayor remains to the king, my lord; all are lost. Behold, Turbazu was slain in the city gate of "Silu"-(Tjaru). The king did nothing. Behold, servants who were joined to the 'Api [r] u "smote" Zimredda of Lakisu, and Yaptih-Hadda was slain in the city gate of "Silu". The king did nothing. " [Wh] y" has he not called them to account? May the king [pro] vide for [his land] and may he [se] e to it tha [t] archers [come ou] t to h [is] land. If there are no archers this year, all the lands of the king, my lord, are lost.":"...." -end of line 53 (lines 54-66(End), omitted)

ee also

*Abdi-Heba
*Amarna letters
*Way of Horus

References

*Moran, William L. "The Amarna Letters." John Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, ISBN 0-8018-6715-0)

Footnotes