# Prostration formula > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Prostration_formula > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Prostration_formula.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostration_formula > Source revision: 1297825971 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) In Amarna letters, phrases of servility [Amarna letter EA 364](/source/Amarna_letter_EA_364), ***"Justified War"***, [City-state](/source/City-state)-ruler [Ayyab](/source/Ayyab) of Ashartu to Pharaoh. Line 5, *"7 times (and) and 7 times...", (7-[šu](/source/%C5%A0u_(cuneiform)) 7-[ta](/source/Ta_(cuneiform))-[an](/source/An_(cuneiform)), (5 cuneiform characters)), "I bow down" (line 6: 2 signs: [am](/source/Am_(cuneiform))-[qut](/source/Qut_(cuneiform)))*.[1] In the 1350 BC [correspondence](/source/Text_corpus) of 382 letters, called the [Amarna letters](/source/Amarna_letters), the **prostration formula** is usually the opening subservient remarks to the addressee, the [Egyptian](/source/Ancient_Egypt) [pharaoh](/source/Pharaoh). The formula is based on [prostration](/source/Prostration), namely reverence and submissiveness. Often the letters are from [vassal](/source/Vassal) rulers or vassal [city-states](/source/City-state), especially in [Canaan](/source/Canaan) 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](/source/Biridiya) of [Magidda](/source/Megiddo_(place))-(Megiddo), (EA for 'el [Amarna](/source/Amarna)'). ### Biridiya letter 242, no. 1 of 7: title: *"Request granted"* - Say to the king-(i.e. [pharaoh](/source/Pharaoh)), my lord and my [Sun](/source/Ra): Message-('[um](/source/Um_(cuneiform))–[ma](/source/Ma_(cuneiform))') of [Biridiya](/source/Biridiya), the ruler of [Magidda](/source/Megiddo_(place)), 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](/source/Oxen), [x***[sheep](/source/Sheep) and [Goats](/source/Goat),***x***[bi\]rds](/source/Bird)*** [ ... ] ... [ ...***And in]deed***, [the ...] ... of ***the [l]and*** are at peace, but I am at war. —EA 242, lines 1-17 (complete, but with [lacunae](/source/Lacuna_(manuscripts))) See: [Amarna letters](/source/Amarna_letters#7_times_and_7_times_again) for the phrase *"7 times and 7 times"*. ### Biridiya letter 246, no. 5 of 7: title: *"The sons of [Lab'ayu](/source/Labaya)"* - Say to the king, my lord and my [Sun](/source/Ra): Message of [Biridiya](/source/Biridiya), your loyal servant. I fall at the feet of the king, m[y] lord and my Sun, 7 times and 7 times. - I have heard the mes[sage] o[f] the ki[ng ...] .... ([lacuna](/source/Lacuna_(manuscripts))) Reverse: - and [ ... ], and indee[d ...] you ar[e ...]. May the king, my lord, know. The two sons of [Lab'ayu](/source/Labaya) have indeed gi[v]en their [money](/source/Money) to the ['Apiru](/source/Habiru) and the ***[Suteans](/source/Sutean)*** ***in ord]er 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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Ra) of the [dawn](/source/Dawn) (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 [chariots](/source/Chariot), together with my brothers, my ['Apiru](/source/Habiru) and my [Suteans](/source/Sutean), at the disposition of the [archers](/source/P%C3%ADtati), wheresoever the king, my lord, shall order--(order me to go). —EA 195, lines 1-32 (complete) ## See also Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Category:Amarna letters](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Amarna_letters). - [Amarna letters](/source/Amarna_letters) - [Amarna letters–phrases and quotations](/source/Amarna_letters%E2%80%93phrases_and_quotations) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Rainey, 1970, *El Amarna Tablets, 359-379,* pp. 22-23. - [Moran, William L.](/source/William_L._Moran) *The Amarna Letters.* Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987, 1992. (softcover, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8018-6715-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8018-6715-0)) - [Rainey](/source/Anson_Rainey), 1970. *El Amarna Tablets, 359-379,* [Anson F. Rainey](/source/Anson_Rainey), (AOAT 8, *Alter Orient Altes Testament 8*, Kevelaer and Neukirchen -Vluyen), 1970, 107 pages. This archaeological corpora-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Archaeological-corpora-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AArchaeological-corpora-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Archaeological-corpora-stub) This article about subjects relating to ancient Egypt (c. 3150 BC – 30 BC) is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:AncientEgypt-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AAncientEgypt-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:AncientEgypt-stub) This ancient Near East–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:AncientNearEast-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AAncientNearEast-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:AncientNearEast-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Prostration formula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostration_formula) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostration_formula?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.