Cyprus & Alashiya

The following letter recently surfaced in the antiquities collection of a noble European family and is published here for the first time. The brackets indicate illegible text that has been restored by the translator.—Ed.

[Say] to the [goo]d Ambassador [Rob]ert Merrillees, my fath[er]: message of E[ric] Cline, your son. For me all goes well, and for you may all go well. For your household, for your wife, [f]or your family, for your horses, your chariots, and in your country, may all go ve[ry] well. For my household, for my wife, for my family, for my horses, my chariots, and in my country, all goes very well.

With all due respect and apologies, since I like and admire you very much personally and professionally, since you have been a guest in my house, and since I have been a guest in your [hous]e, I am concerned that your position that Alashiya was not ancient Cyprus is outdated and is very much a dead horse, or at least a horse that should be led out to pasture, preferably in the northern Levant, and left there.