It is said: I was there, Ahiqar, chief of the Magi of the king and his guard. And when I was a young man, the soothsayers and those who know the course of the stars, and the learned men [said]: “You will not have a son.” I possessed great wealth and much property, and I married [sixty] wives and built them sixty palaces and completed the building of wonder. And when I was sixty years old, I went to the temple of the idols

and I offered them sacrifices and offerings, and burnt spices and incense to them, and said: “Indeed, O gods, give me a son so that I may be pleased with him, and he shall be my heir when I die, and he shall close my eyes and bury me. From the day of my death until his death, if he spends one golden talent from my wealth every day, my money will not diminish and my wealth will not decrease.” The idols did not answer him anything. Therefore he was sad, and great sorrow overcame him. He returned from there and pleaded with the exalted God. And he sought Him with all his heart and said: “O God, Lord of heaven and earth, O Creator of all creatures, I beseech You in Your mercy, give me a son so that I may be comforted”

by him and that he may be my heir, and that he may be present when I die, so that he may close my eyes and bury me.” Then a voice came to him, saying: “Because you have trusted in the idols, and placed your hope in them and not in Me, because of that you will die without sons; however, to comfort you, behold, take Nadan, your sister's son, and make him your son; teach him your doctrine and he shall be your son." Then I took my sister’s son Nadan, and he was a little boy, and I gave him to eight wet nurses to bring him up and nurse him. They made him fat with rich food, honey and butter, and he was clothed with scarlet and purple, and they let him sleep on rugs and carpets. And Nadan grew up and was celebrated as a vessel of honour. And he learned writing, wisdom

and philosophy. And when Sennacherib the king returned from his pleasure and from his journey, after some days he called me, Ahiqar, his preserver and chief of the Magi, and said to me: “O my praiseworthy, beloved and honourable friend and wonderful sage, my guardian and keeper of my secrets. Behold, you have grown old and your years are many, and the day of your death draws near,” and he said: “Who will serve me after your death?” I said: “My lord, king, live forever! I have a sister’s son, I have raised him like a son, he is wise and learned.” And [he said:] “My lord, the king, go and bring him that I may see him; if he is able for my service, he shall serve me, and you may go to your house and rest from work

and spend your old age in honour.” Then I, Ahiqar, took my sister’s son Nadan and made him stand before the king with my help. And when the king saw him, he rejoiced greatly and said: “May the gods guard him, your son. As you have served me and served my father Esarhaddon, and stood in all matters, in the same way shall Nadan, son of your sister, serve after you. He shall serve me and stand before me, and I will honour him after you. And I will deal with him kindly all his days.” Then I bowed to the king and said: “My lord, king, live forever! I ask you, my lord, the king, to have patience with him and forgive his faults when he is admonished. As I have stood in your service, so shall

he serve you forever.” Then Sennacherib gave him his hand and swore to him that he would hold him in great honour and do every good for him. Therefore I, Ahiqar, received the king’s hand and went out, taking Nadan with me to teach him what he must do in the king’s service. I began to teach him night and day without ceasing until he was filled with doctrine, wisdom and knowledge, more than bread and water given for the growth of the body. He taught him this and said: Sayings of Ahiqar ‘Hear, my son Nadan, the words of my mouth, and my word shall be to you like the words of God.’ ‘My son Nadan, when you hear a word, let it die in your heart, and do not reveal it to’

‘anyone, lest it remain a hot coal and burn your tongue, and you become ashamed and blush before God and the people. ’ ‘My son, if you see something, do not tell it. ’ ‘2 My son, do not loosen a sealed bond, and do not seal one that has been loosened.’ ‘My son, make your speech straight, hurry to listen, but do not hurry to answer. ’ ‘My son, do not desire outward beauty, for beauty fades and passes away, but righteousness, goodness and a good name endure forever. ’ ‘My son, do not take a wife with a loud voice, for her speech brings forth poison. ’ ‘My son, if you see a woman adorned with fine clothing and fragrant with oils, but she is quarrelsome and has a loud voice, do not desire her. If you give her all that you have, you will gain nothing good from her ’

‘and you will sin against God, and He will be angry with you. ’ ‘My son, do not be hasty like the almond tree, which grows first and its fruit ripens last; be still like the fig tree, which grows last and its fruit is eaten first among all trees. ’ ‘My son, incline your head and look down, and soften your voice; do not shout or raise your voice in arrogance, for if a house could be built with a loud voice, the donkey would build two houses a day, and if the plough were driven with shouting and strength, it would never be taken from the camel's neck. ’ ‘My son, it is better to carry stones with a wise man than to drink wine with a wicked man. ’ ‘My son, pour your wine over the grave of the righteous, and do not ’

‘drink it with the wicked. ’ ‘My son, be a companion to wise and God-fearing men so that you become like them, and do not be a companion to wicked men lest you become like them, learn their ways, and provoke anger against yourself.’ ‘Be humble in your youth and obedient, so that you will be honoured in old age.’ ‘My son, if a rich man eats a snake, they say, “He ate it for medicine,” but if a poor man eats it, they say, “He ate it out of hunger.”’ ‘My son, eat your sour curdled milk and do not desire that of others.’ ‘My son, do not eat bread with one who is not modest, and do not share a secret.’ ‘My son, repay goodness to the one who understands you, and do not rejoice at their misfortune. ’ ‘My son, do not draw near to a woman who is quarrelsome and loud. ’ ‘My son, the ’

‘wise falls and rises, and the just is not shaken.’ ‘My son, when the wise becomes ill, he finds his cure, but for the fool there is no remedy for his sickness.’ ‘My son, when you meet by chance a needy and poor man, stand before him cheerfully; if he does not repay you, God will repay you. ’ ‘My son, do not be weary in the chastisement of your son, for blows are to the child what manure is to the earth, the halter to the animal, and the bar to the door. ’ ‘My son, instruct your son in his childhood so that he does not grow strong and rise against [you], and you become ashamed among your friends. ’ ‘My son, acquire a middle-sized bull and a donkey with good hooves, but do not acquire a goring bull, and do not be a companion to a beardless man. ’ ‘My son, do not acquire a servant who has run away from his lord, nor a thieving maid, for everything you entrust to their hand they will lose. ’ ‘My son, the speech of a lying man is like the sparrows that fly in the air, and although’

‘fat sparrows, he who does not make [it] known believes them. ’ ‘My son, do not allow your parents to be cursed, because God hears their voice.’ ‘My son, do not set out without a sword, for you do not know what enemies will meet you. Do not let the remembrance of God slip away, for you do not know when the enemy is ambushing you. ’ ‘My son, be prepared on your way and cautious, because your enemies are many.’ ‘My son, as a tree is beautiful, its leaves splendid and its fruits good, so is a man good with his wife and his children righteous; and a man without a wife and children or brothers is despised by the world, and he is like a tree by the roadside, which every passer-by plucks and the beasts of the field tear off its leaves. ’ ‘My son, do not say, 'My master’

‘is a fool and I am wise,' but treat him with honour, and even if he is foolish, you will be loved. ’ ‘My son, do not speak before your master haughtily like a fool, so that you do not become despised. ’ ‘My son, do not be among those to whom their master says, ‘Go away from my sight,’ but among those to whom he says, “Well done, good servants.” ’ ‘My son, when your servants stand before you, do not love one and hate the other, but know which of them will remain with you to the end. ’ ‘My son, the servant who abandons his first master does not prosper. ’ ‘My son, a goat that multiplies its tracks and wanders here and there will become the prey of wolves. ’ ‘My son, the tail of the dog gives him his bread and his mouth draws blows. ’ ‘My son, test ’

‘your son or servant with bread or something of little value first; then you shall leave your possessions in their hand.’ ‘My son, he whose hand is full is called wise and praiseworthy, and he whose hand is empty and poor is called foolish, and nobody honours him.’ ‘My son, I have eaten wormwood and aloe, and I have seen nothing more bitter than poverty. ’ ‘My son, I have carried lead, rolled iron, salt, and heavy stones, and I have not found anything as heavy as a loan; and the one who resides among his in-laws is much more scorned. ’ ‘My son, the blindness of the eye is better than the blindness of the heart. ’ ‘My son, a stumble with the feet is better than a stumble with the tongue. ’ ‘My son, a friend who is near is better than a brother who is far away, and a good name is better than many salves. ’ ‘My son, a man who has no rest in his life, the death’

‘is better for him. ’ ‘My son, the sound of weeping is better than the loud voice of laughter. ’ ‘My son, a loaf in your hand is better than a talent in another’s pot. ’ ‘My son, a lamb in your hand is better than a bull at a distance. ’ ‘My son, a sparrow in your hand is better than a thousand sparrows that fly in the air. ’ ‘My son, a living fox is better than a dead lion. ’ ‘Be humble in your youth and obedient, so that you will be honoured in old age. ’ ‘My son, expel with stones the dog that abandons its first masters and follows you. ’ ‘My son, he who is sent in true friendship receives honour here and a legacy in the future. ’ ‘My son, authority cannot withstand four things: armies of satraps, an evil lifestyle, a crafty conscience, and a flock of fraudsters.’ ‘My son, four other things: ’

‘the intelligent and the foolish, the rich and the poor ’ The proverbs of the wise Ahiqar are finished. . I, Ahiqar, assumed that all that I had taught my sister's son, Nadan, would be kept by him and written in his heart, and that he would benefit much from it, and that he would stand in my place before Sennacherib and serve him; and I did not know that he did not profit by all that I taught him, and that he did not hearken to my word at all, but mocked and despised it, saying, "Ahiqar has grown old and his mind has retired," and he began to destroy my property and my sustenance foolishly, and he beat my servants and my maidservants, and he sold my horses and my mules, and whatever pleased his eyes he did. So, when I saw these things, and that he had no compassion on what I possessed, nor on the people

of my house, I said to him, "Do not come near my property, and do not trouble the people of my house or my servants. As long as I live, no one shall have power over my property." So I, Ahiqar, took the brother of Nadan, Nabuzardan, and brought him to my house to teach him and to take his brother's place. And when Nadan saw his brother in the house, he was enraged and became very angry. He began to accuse, saying: "Ahiqar has gone mad and his wisdom is gone and his mind withdrawn, because he gives his property and his house to my brother Nabuzardan, a little boy without mind and intelligence, and he expels me from his house." And when I heard this, I said: "Woe to my wisdom that has proved foolish in my son Nadan." And after he was angry, he went to the king's gate of my lord. [There] he sat and wrote, accusing me, finding fault, and speaking foolishly.

Treachery. And he wrote two letters to the hostile kings of Sennacherib and his enemies. One letter was to King Akhi, the son of Sennacherib, king of Media and Persia, and in it he wrote this: “From Sennacherib and from Ahiqar, his chief of the Magi and notary, greeting and accepting your handshake. O honourable king, in the hour in which this letter reaches your hands, arise and come quickly without delay to Assyria, and I will hand over the kingdom to you without war or effort.” And he wrote another letter in my name, “I, Ahiqar, to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt,,” and he wrote this in it: “There shall be peace between me and you, O praiseworthy king. At the time this card comes into your hands, do me a favour and come to me on the 25th day of the month.

In the month of Āb, and I will give you Assyria and Nineveh, and I will give you the kingdom without battle or effort." And he made his handwriting like mine, and sealed the letters with his seal, and threw them into the palace, where they would be seen by the king's people. And he wrote another letter in the name of King Sennacherib, my lord, and sent it to me, and in it he wrote this: "From King Sennacherib to my chief of the Magi and keeper of my secret, Ahiqar, greetings! In the hour in which this letter reaches your hand, gather the troops and meet me on my way to the Mountain of Ṣoḥu, for I am going to the Plain of the Eagles on the 25th of the month of Āb. And when you see that I am approaching you, command the troops to rise up against me, as if they were about to wage war against me.

This amounts to mockery, because he defied your lordship and poured scorn upon it.” Then the king returned to the house and came to me and said to me: "By God, my king Sennacherib was very pleased with you, and he praised and exalted you because you have done what was written in the letter. Now he has sent me to you, so that you and I alone may be present before him. So order the troops to return to their homes." So I ordered the troops to return to their homes, and I and Nadan came to the king. I said to him: "When he saw me, he said: 'You have come, O Ahiqar, my notary and governor of my kingdom, you whom I loved and to whom I said, “Go and rest in your house because of your old age.” But you have returned and become one of my enemies.'" And he drew

and gave me the letters that Nadan had written under my name, and he made his signature like mine, and they were sealed with my seal. When I read them, I was horrified and all my bones were shaken; my tongue was chained, and when I wanted to utter one of my wise words, I could not. Then Nadan opened his mouth wide against me and said: "Depart from before the king, O foolish old man, O wicked old man, and give your hands that they may be bound," and he commanded, and the bonds came, and they bound my feet and put the chains on my hands. And the king turned his face away from me, and he was very angry with me, and he said to the executioner, whose name was Nabusemakh: "Get up, take Ahiqar, and go and kill him, and take his head a hundred cubits from his body." Then I, Ahiqar, fell to the ground before the king and said to him: "Live, my lord the king, forever! For

you have ordered my death, and my person shall be a gift for your life, but I know one thing: I have neither fault nor crime. But one [thing] I ask of my lord the king: command that I be put to death at the door of my house, and that my body be given to my servants to bury." So the king said to the executioner: "Go, kill him at the door of his house, and give his body to the people to bury." Then I, Ahiqar, when I went out from before the king, sent word to my wife and commanded her to meet me with a thousand maidens dressed in purple and scarlet robes to mourn for me before death. And you, O my wife, Eshfagni, return to the house and prepare a table for the executioner and those who are with him; make

strong drink and much wine, and serve them." She did as I said, for she was very wise. And when they had eaten and drunk and were intoxicated, she served them, and they all slept in their places. Then I, Ahiqar, said to the executioner: "Lift up your eyes and remember the bread we ate together, and know that I am not guilty of anything, but Nadan has betrayed me; do not enter into this sin and kill me, for I am falsely accused. Remember in your mind the day when Esarhaddon, the father of this king, was angry with you and commanded me to kill you, and when I knew that you were not to blame, I hid you and did not kill you until [the day] when the king's anger was appeased and he was pleased with you; and he commanded, and I brought you before him; I received many great gifts from him. Now you, repay my reward.

Do for me what I did for you, and hide me in a place. Behold, I have a guilty servant who deserves death and is foolish in many things, and behold, he is thrown into prison, and his name is Medyapar. Take him out and clothe him with my garments, and command those who are with you—while they are drunk—to be present, and he will be killed and they will not know whom they have killed; spread his head a hundred cubits from his body, and give his body to them to bury. The news will spread through Assyria and Nineveh that Ahiqar has been slain." Then the executioner and my wife made me a hidden place under the earth, a chamber fourteen cubits long and seven cubits wide under the threshold of the door of my house; they brought me there, and they put bread and water by me, and left me; while

I was laid in the earth, they went and did as was commanded above. They told the king that "Ahiqar is dead according to your command." And when the news of my death spread through Assyria and Nineveh, they mourned for me and wept and said: "Woe to us because of you, Ahiqar, the skilful, wise and excellent scribe who solved riddles; woe to us because of you—how will we find someone like you to take your place?" Then the king called Nadan and said to him: "Go and mourn for your uncle and weep for him." But when the foolish and hard-hearted Nadan came, he did not weep, nor did he speak in my memory, but gathered adulterous and corrupt men, and they began to eat, drink, and dance. And Nadan began to kill my servants and my maidservants and to strip them naked. He was not even ashamed of my wife, who had

brought him up as her son, but he wanted to defile her, and I, oppressed, heard their cruelty and wept sadly. And after a few days Nabusemakh came to me, greeted and comforted me, and he gave me bread and water. When he went away, I said to him, "Pray to God that He will let me escape and bring me out and free me from this place." He replied, "The gods have saved you!" After that, when Pharaoh king of Egypt heard that Ahiqar, the excellent wise man and solver of riddles, had been slain, he rejoiced with great joy and wrote a letter and sent it, saying: "From Pharao king of Egypt, to Sennacherib king of Assyria and Nineveh, greetings and praise. Know, O honourable king, that I wish to build a stronghold between heaven and earth for me, and I want you to send

an architect from your vicinity who will know how to build a fortress as I desire, and who will know how to answer every question I may put to him. If you can send me a man who can build me a fortress and do these [things] that I have said, I will send you the tribute of Egypt and all its borders for three years; but if you cannot, then send with our letter the tribute of Assyria and Nineveh for three years. When this letter came and was read before King Sennacherib, he called together all the nobles, the wise men, the philosophers, the magicians and the soothsayers of the kingdom, and he read this letter before them and said to them: "Which one of you can go to Egypt and give the answer to Pharaoh?" They all answered and said to the king: "Our lord the king will know that none of us knows these questions and arguments, except

the excellent wise Ahiqar; he could do this. But you have his sister's son, Nadan; he has learned his teaching and wisdom; he can do what is asked in this letter." Then the king called for Nadan, and he came, and the letter was read before him. Nadan answered and said: "O my lord king, you see that these men have spoken nonsense and erred! Who can build a house between heaven and earth? Not even the gods! The letter is a mockery!" When King Sennacherib heard these [words] from Nadan, he was greatly grieved and wept, and came down from his seat and sat on the earth, and said: "Woe to me because of you, O Ahiqar, the skilful wise man who knew hidden things and solved riddles; woe to me because of you, O teacher of my country and guide of my kingdom. How shall I find you, O excellent one? Or where shall I seek you? Woe to me for you—how

have I lost your wisdom through the words of a foolish boy without God? Who will give you to me and tell me that Ahiqar is alive? To him I will give half of my kingdom." When Nabusemakh heard these words and saw the weakness that overcame him, he stood before him and confessed [his] fault and said: "My lord, I have disobeyed your command, and every servant who disobeys the command of his lord is guilty of death. If you wish, crucify me, for I have disobeyed your command. But I knew that Ahiqar was oppressed, and behold, he is hidden and saved!" When the king heard my speech, he rejoiced greatly and said: "Well done, good servant. If your word is true, I will make you rich; if I see Ahiqar alive, I will give you a hundred talents of gold.

half of my kingdom." Then Nabusemakh said to the king: "Do not remember my fault." Then the king swore to him that he would not regard it as a fault. At that hour Nabusemakh went, came to me, opened the door, and took me out. And I was strengthened in my trust in God. Then I myself came to the king. And when I was before him, I prostrated myself on the ground before him. The hair of my head was long and had grown down to my shoulders, my beard had reached my chest, my nails were like those of an eagle, my body was wasted, and the natural color of my face was like ash. When the king saw me and looked a long time at what I had become, he was very sad and ashamed for me. He was unable to speak a single word to me because of his weeping. And he said to me: "O Ahiqar, I have not sinned against you, but it is your son!" I said

"My lord, live forever! Now that God has shown me your face, no harm remains." And the king answered and said: "Blessed be the name of God, who knew you were in distress and saved you. Go now to the bath, wash your hair, shave your head, cut off your beard and your nails; eat and drink for forty days so that your strength returns, and then come to me." So I went to my house and did as the king had said. I waited twenty days, and then I came to the king, for the king's business was urgent. And when I was before him, he took out the letter that the Egyptians had sent him, and he said, "Take and see, O Ahiqar, what the Egyptians have sent us after your death. All our people have fled to Egypt because of the silver they demand from us." When I read the letter and its plan, I said to the king: "Do not

be saddened by this, my lord. I will go and answer Pharaoh. I will answer his questions, bring the tribute from Egypt, bring back all those who have fled there, and confound all your enemies with the help of God and your kingdom." When the king heard this, he rejoiced greatly and gave gifts to my wife. As for the executioner, he raised him to a high position and gave him gifts. The next day I, Ahiqar, wrote a letter to my wife and said to her: "At this hour, when this letter reaches your hands, order the hunters to catch two eaglets, and tell the cotton or hemp workers to make two ropes of cotton, a thousand cubits long; order the carpenters to make two boxes, and give Nabulhal and Tabshalem to the nurses.

And you shall kill a sheep every day and feed it to the eaglets so that they may grow. You shall make the children ride on the backs of the eagles as long as they are not a burden. Tie the ropes to the feet of the eagles and let them fly in the air, and let the children ride on their backs for a short time so that they get used to carrying them; and when they are up in the air, teach the children to shout on the backs of the eagles as they fly: 'Bring us mortar, mud, bricks, and stones, for the builders and workmen are idle—they are building a fortress in the sky for Pharaoh the king.' And when these words are fulfilled, bring [the little ones] down and come into the house until I arrive." And my wife, Eshfagni, was wise and intelligent, and she did all that I had commanded. And after a few days I said to the king

that my journey to Egypt had come, for it was time to go." Then he gave the command, and I took large troops with me. When we had advanced a day's journey and come to an open plain, I took the eagles out of the cages, tied the ropes to their feet, and made the children ride on their backs; they flew through the air until no one could see them. As they rose, the children cried and said: "Bring us mortar, mud, bricks, and stones, because the architects and workers are idle, while they want to build a fortress in the high sky." Then he brought them down as I had taught my wife before. When the Assyrians who had fled to Egypt heard this, they all returned to their lands. Entry of Ahiqar into Egypt and [how] he stood before Pharaoh the king When I, Ahiqar, reached

Egypt, with my troops, they informed the king about me and said, "A man has been sent to you from Sennacherib as you requested." And the king commanded, "Give him a place to rest there," and again he commanded that I should enter to him. When I stood before him, I prostrated myself on the earth and greeted him. He said to me: "What is your name?" I said to him: "I am your servant Abiqam, an ant among the ants of Sennacherib." When Pharaoh heard this, he reproached me and said: "Am I so small in the eyes of your lord that he sent me an ant to answer my questions?" And he said: "Go, O Abiqam, to your place, and return to me tomorrow." Afterwards I went away from him, and he commanded all his lords: "Tomorrow all of you, put on red garments and come to me."

When morning dawned, even the king put on purple and sat on his throne, and all his counselors stood around him. He commanded, and they brought me in before him, and he said to me: "O Abiqam, what am I like, and what are my lords like?" I said to him: "O my lord, you resemble the idol Bel, and your lords resemble its deacons." Then he said to me: "Go, O Abiqam, to your house and come to me tomorrow." After I went out, the king commanded all his nobles: "Put on white linen garments tomorrow and come to me." And the king also was clothed in white linen and sat on his throne with his nobles standing before him. He commanded that I be brought in before him, and he said to me: "O Abiqam, whom do I resemble, and whom do my lords resemble?" I said to him: "You resemble the sun, and your lords resemble [its] rays."

Then he said to me: "Go to your place and tomorrow come to me." After I went out, he commanded his lords: "Tomorrow, dress in black, and even the temple veil shall be of black cloth." The king dressed himself in silk and sat on his throne, and he commanded that I be brought before him. Then he said to me: "Whom do I resemble, and whom do my lords resemble?" I said to him: "You resemble the moon, and your lords the stars." He said to me: "Go today to your place and come back tomorrow." After I went out, he commanded his lords to put on garments of various colors, and that the gates of the palace be draped in red; the king put on the general ephod and sat on his throne. He commanded, and I came before him, and he said to me: "To whom can I resemble, and to whom do my lords resemble?"

I said to him: "You resemble the month of Nisan, and your lords its flowers and blossoms." When the king heard this, he rejoiced greatly and said: "O Abiqam, the first time you likened me to Bel and my lords to his servants; the second time, to the sun and my lords to its rays; the third time, to the moon and my lords to the stars; and the fourth time, to the month of Nisan and my lords to its flowers. Yet tell me: your lord Sennacherib—what is he like, and what are his counselors like?" Then I cried out and said to him: "God forbid that I should speak the name of my lord the king while you sit on your throne; rise to your feet, and I will tell you what my lord the king is like." Then Pharaoh rose from his throne, and I said to him: "My lord is like the power of the wind, and his great ones like lightning. When he wills, the wind blows, the rain falls,

and when he commands, thunder thunders and lightning flashes; he prevents the sun from shining and its rays from appearing. With the rushing of the wind he destroys the statue of Bel and his lords so that they cannot stand before him, and he restrains the moon and the stars from rising. When he wills again, he commands the southern part, and rain and hail fall, and the month of Nisan is struck so that its flowers and blossoms fall." When King Pharaoh heard these words, he was astonished and very angry; he was amazed and said: "O man, tell me truly, what is your name?" Then I said to him: "I am Ahiqar, keeper of the secrets of King Sennacherib." The king said to me: "We have heard that Ahiqar was killed, and behold, you are alive?" I replied to him: "It is by the grace of the merciful God, who saved me from a plot by evil men who oppressed me

And they lied before the king about me, and he ordered my death; blessed is the one who puts his trust in Him." The king answered and said: "Go today, O Ahiqar, to your place, and tomorrow return to me and tell me a word which neither I nor my lords have heard, nor has it been heard in all the land of Egypt." Thereupon I went to my dwelling and pondered what word I could say that had never been heard. So I took a tablet and wrote as follows: "From Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to Sennacherib, king of Assyria and Nineveh, greetings and respect. Know, O my brother, that brothers need brothers and kings need beloved kings. Now, at this moment, I lack revenues, my treasures and stores are exhausted by my troops; I ask out of brotherhood that you lend me nine hundred talents of gold, and after

a time I will return this loan to you." I folded the letter, and in the morning I presented myself before Pharaoh. And he commanded me to say the word he had asked for. Then I brought forth the letter and gave it to him. When he read it, they were all amazed and astonished, and said: "Truly, this word has never been heard in all the land of Egypt." Then he said: "It is confirmed—Assyria shall receive the loan from Egypt." When they heard this, they were greatly amazed. I confirmed the aforementioned loan to them, and they accepted it according to their will. Thereupon the king said: "I ask you to build me a wondrous and exalted fortress between the sky and the earth, where I may dwell all my days, and let its height be a thousand cubits." I replied to him: "Your command shall be done; I will build you a fortress as you desire,"

but I added: "O my lord the king, the builders and architects shall be from you, but the mortar, mud, lime, and stones shall be provided by you." And Pharaoh replied: "So it shall be." And the next day I took the eagles out and set the children on their backs, and they flew up into the air until they could not be seen, and they began to cry out: "Bring us mortar and stones, that we may build a fortress for King Pharaoh, for the builders are idle! Bring us strong drink and wine to drink!" When Pharaoh and his lords saw [this], their minds were amazed and astonished. Then I took a whip and began to strike the king’s lords so that they would bring what the builders asked for, and I cried to my troops that they too should strike both the great and the small, until they brought mortar and stones. When they saw that they were beaten without mercy, they fled hastily in secure. Thereupon Pharaoh became enraged

and he said: "Ahiqar, are you mad? Who can bring them what they ask for at such a height?" I replied and said to him: "You are the mad one! If my lord were here, he would build two fortresses in a single day." Pharaoh answered and said: "Cease an hour from this and go to your place; tomorrow come to me again." And when morning came, I went to him, and he said to me: "O Ahiqar, what is the tale of the lustful horse of your master? He neighs there in Assyria, and our mares here hear his voice and miscarry." When I heard this, I went out from before him and told my servants to catch me a cat. And when they had caught the cat, I commanded them to strike it mercilessly. And they began to beat it with many blows, and the Egyptians heard this and reported it to the king. Thereupon he called me and said: "Why are you beating this cat?"

I said: "O my lord, this wicked cat acted treacherously against me, for I had a rooster, beautiful, sweet, and with a remarkable voice, that was given to me by my lord, and it told the hours of the night. And in that night this unlucky one went to Assyria and ate my rooster and brought its head here." Then King Pharaoh answered and said to me: "O Ahiqar, I see how much you have aged; your wisdom is diminished and your knowledge has grown small. Between Egypt and Assyria there are more than three hundred and sixty parasangs, and how could a cat cross that distance in one night, devour your rooster, and bring its head here?" Then I answered and said to him: "Between Egypt and Assyria there is this distance—could not this cat go

and return in a single night? But tell me—how is it possible that my lord’s horse neighs there, and your mares miscarry here?" When he heard this, he was astonished and knew that I had solved his question. Then he said to me: "Explain to us this riddle: A builder built a pillar of eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-three bricks, and its shadow rests upon three hundred and sixty-five stones. Above it he planted twelve cedars, and on each cedar he fixed thirty long branches, and on each branch two boughs—one white and the other black." Then I said to King Pharaoh: "The herdsmen of Assyria and Nineveh know this: the builder is God, who built the year, and it is the pillar; He set the hours of the year at eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-three,

and he fixed the days of the year to three hundred and sixty-five days. The twelve cedars are the twelve months of the year; each cedar has thirty sticks, which are the days of a month; and on each stick there are two branches, one white and the other black—that is, day and night." Then Pharaoh said to me: "O Ahiqar, twist for me ropes of the sand of the river." Thereupon I said to the king: "Now, command that they bring me from your treasury such a rope, that I may see it and make one like it." The king said: "You have spoken well. But if you do not make me the rope as I said, the tribute of Egypt shall not be given to you." And when he said this, I went outside and saw a pillar of a house. I made holes in this pillar and let the sun shine

through these holes, and I filled my hands with sand and poured it into the holes, and it began to twist like a cable such as he desired. I said to the king: "Command your servants to take the cables, and however many you want, I will make them." He was greatly astonished and said: "O Ahiqar, we have a millstone of remarkable size; I want you to sew it for us." And he commanded it to be set before me. Then I said to him: "It is well that I sew it," and I took another broken stone and brought it before the king and said to him: "Know, O my lord the king, that I am here a stranger, and I have not brought with me the tools of the carvers. Command the beloved tailors of your city to make me a needle from this stone, and I will sew for you this millstone." Then Pharaoh laughed, and all his lords

laughed, and they said: "Blessed be the name of the Lord, who has given Ahiqar such teaching, wisdom, and great knowledge." The departure of Ahiqar from the land of Egypt and his return to Sennacherib, king of Assyria and Nineveh. When Pharaoh and his lords saw that they had been overcome, and that I had solved for them all the questions and riddles of the king, and that no reason remained to detain me, they gave me silver and the three years’ tribute of Egypt, and they gave me the nine hundred talents of gold which I had written in my letter that Pharaoh had borrowed from my lord Sennacherib, the king. He gave also to me and to my troops provisions and expenses for the way until we should return to our land. Then I took his hand and set out, and when I arrived in Assyria,

King Sennacherib received me, and he was very glad, and made me sit at his right hand, and said to me: "O Ahiqar, ask whatever you desire, and it shall be given to you." I said to him: "Whatever you give me, give it to Nabusemakh, for by his mediation God gave me back my life." Afterwards the king began to ask me about everything that I had done before Pharaoh, and I related it to him, and he listened and was astonished. Then I brought forth the silver and gold that had come to him, and his joy overflowed. And he said: "What shall I give you? Say it to me!" I said to him: "May your life be prolonged, O king! I desire nothing, only command that there be given into my hands my sister’s son Nadan, for he has transgressed your command, and I will not seek his blood-vengeance,

for there were with me messengers and envoys from Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that they might see and know the power and victory of your troops, and that they might be afraid of them, for they are your enemies and adversaries. He sent the letters with the servants of the king. And Nadan took one of the letters, as if he had found it in the palace of my lord, and he read it before the king. And when the king heard it, he was troubled and astonished, and said: "O gods, what evil have I done against Ahiqar, that he has written such things to my enemy Pharaoh, and pays me such a reward?" Then Nadan said to the king: "Do not be astonished at this, but let us go at once to the Plain of the Eagles, as the letter has said, and see

whether it is true or not." Then the king went there, and Nadan with him, to the appointed place, and they saw the troops around me. And when I saw him coming, I acted as it had been written in the letter, and I set my troops against them, as though I would wage war with his enemies. And when the king saw it was so, he was greatly frightened of me, and thought that I had turned against him and become one of his adversaries. But I did not know that all this had been contrived by the cunning and guile of Nadan. Then Nadan said to the king: "You see the truth of the matter; but be not grieved by this. Return to your palace, and I will bring him to you, bound in chains, for

Then Nadan, was given the order, and they brought him to my house. They bound him with iron chains and put fetters on his feet, and I began to beat him with hard blows. I struck him a thousand times on his back and a thousand times on his belly. Every day I beat him as much as he could bear, and I threw him into the privy, where a foul odor rose. I gave him bread and water to keep him alive and I ordered Nabulhal and Tabshalem to watch over him and also to write down everything about the fool Nadan whom I had honored, and I acted kindly toward him, but he did not become wise and did not understand, and with all this he still wanted my death. Whenever I went in and out, I accused and denounced him, and I began to say to him this

‘O my son, there is an old saying: 'He who does not hear with his ears will be made to hear with his neck.'’ ‘Then the unhappy Nadan said to me: "Why are you angry with your son?" I said to him: "Because I loved you, honored you, raised you up, and made you an honorable man, and you cast me down from my friends and wished for my death. But God saved me, because He knew that I was oppressed, and He brings down the proud."’ ‘O my son, you have been to me like a scorpion that strikes its sting into brass and does not realize it. And it struck the needle. Then the needle said to the scorpion, "Behold, my sting is greater than yours."’ ‘O my son, you have been to me like a goat standing over a red berry and eating it. The red berry said to the goat, "Why do you eat me, since I have dyed your skin?" The goat answered and said:’

‘"When I am alive, I will eat you; and when I am dead, they will pull up your root and sprinkle my dust with it." ’ ‘O my son, you have been to me like the man who threw stones at God, and the stones did not reach, but they returned to him, and he also sinned.’ ‘O my son, you were to me like a man shivering with cold, and others poured a jar of water over him.’ ‘O my son, know this: if the tail of a dog were seven ells long, it would still not take the place of a horse, not even if its hair were soft and scarlet.’ ‘O my son, I said that you should stand in my place and take my teaching. But you hate my teaching, and you do not listen to my word, and you do not fear God, and He has not heard your voice.’ ‘O my son, you have been to me like a lion that saw a donkey in the morning and said to him: "And the donkey said to him: "Your greeting’

‘be given to him who tied me up here in the evening. It is good for me that I have not seen your face." ’ ‘O my son, you have been to me like a snare set on a dunghill, and a sparrow said to it: "What are you doing here?" The snare said: "I am praying to my God." The sparrow said: "What is this you are leaning on?" The snare said: "This is my staff, which I lean on in the time of prayer." Then the sparrow said: "What is that in your mouth?" The snare said: "It is food for those who are caught by me." And he said: "Come closer and eat!" And when the sparrow approached, the snare caught it by the neck. And the sparrow said to the snare: "If this is bread for the hungry, may God not accept your sacrifice, and if this is your fasting and prayer, may God not hear your prayer or end well with you."’ ‘O my son’