Reflections on the Qaṭna Letters TT1–5 (I): Hittite Expansionism and the Syrian Kingdoms,

Eduardo Torrecilla ^[1]
1. [1] Tel Aviv University
  
  Tel Aviv University
  
  Israel
Localización: Aula Orientalis: Revista de estudios del Próximo Oriente Antiguo, ISSN 0212-5730, Vol. 40, Nº. 2, 2022, págs. 321-344
Idioma: inglés
Enlaces
- Texto completo (pdf)

Resumen
- The Qaṭna letters TT1–5 are hereby analysed from a geopolitical point of view. The aim is to contribute to sharpening our understanding of Šuppiluliuma’s conquests in Syria and the Levant, which precipitated the fall of Mittani. The difficulty to interpret these texts lies in the fact that the chain of events following the socalled First Syrian War (ca. 1340)—i.e., incursions, rebellions, betrayals, and coups d’état in a number of city-states in the Orontes course—probably happened at full speed. Thus, we need to understand the geopolitical grounds that influenced the furtive policies and ‘under the table’ dealings that no doubt took place among the different actors.