“Your envoys are speaking to you untruths!” (EA 1:82): lies in the international El-Amarna correspondence

Lying constitutes the malicious provision of false information or the intentional hiding of correct information. Modern research identifies various types: beneficial (i.e., stated for the benefit of the liar), defensive, offensive, etc. Both the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern literature present lying as a moral affront. This article examines the phenomenon as it appears in the 44 international letters in the El-Amarna archive. This period witnessed intensive diplomatic activity between the great powers, during which each king was seeking to gain prestige and increase his kingdom’s power on the international stage. An analysis of the documents reveals that lying was commonly practiced in this arena. Herein, I identify the lies, discuss the way in which people are described as liars, elaborate situations in which the correspondents sought to verify statements, and examine cases of fraud. The study thus explores the international correspondence in the El-Amarna literature in light of the biblical texts and new theories in the field of the social sciences.