“… Then Pirhi Did Some Unseemly Deeds in My Land and Slew his Lord” (EA 17:12–14): The Phenomenon of Murder as Reflected in the El-Amarna Archive

This article examines the practice of murder as documented in the fourteenth-century BCE Egyptian El-Amarna archive in light of studies of the phenomenon from a modern social science perspective. Defined as the deliberate taking of someone’s life, the act may be expressive (i.e., prompted by high emotions) or instrumental (i.e., committed for a specific purpose, such as political assassination). It is more common in countries whose citizens exhibit a low level of self-restraint or in regions plagued by chaos and uncertainty. During the El-Amarna period, in this respect, the rulers of the Syro-Canaanite city-states who were subject to Egypt experienced an increasing loss of control that prompted a wave of crime. Harnessed to political purposes, this largely took the form of guerrilla warfare and terrorism. The correspondence between the Egyptian kings and the rulers of the great kingdoms documents a number of political assassinations designed to remove the existing leadership, together with acts related to plunder and spoil. In the exchanges between the Pharaohs and their vassals, murder more frequently occurs in the context of marauding and pillage as part of the endeavour to break free from the yoke of the Egyptian Empire. Attempted murder, killing in self-defence, and the half-hearted response of the Egyptian authorities are also examined.