INTRODUCTION

During the Late Bronze Age, the Egyptians achieved both international recognition from various competing powers and imperial control over the Levant. These relations were established through conquest, but maintained through diplomacy. This diplomacy is evident in one of the most studied collections of letters from the ancient world—the Amarna letters, which are named after the modern Egyptian site from which they were found. Though these letters were found in Egypt, they were written almost exclusively in Akkadian and they relate the correspondences of 18^th dynasty pharaohs (especially Akhenaten) with various great kings across the Near East as well as petty client[1] kings from the Levant. Since these letters have been excavated in the late 19^th century, they have been debated with regard to their historical reconstruction.[2] On the surface, it seems clear that the Late Bronze Levant was characterized by disorder and conflict, particularly in Canaan, which will be the focus of this discussion. Numerous letters describe conflicts between client kings as well as issues with marginalized people groups. Despite the apparent disorder and conflict indicated by several of the Amarna letters, Egypt actually maintained effective control over Canaan through highly organized administration and communication and by exploiting client kings by allowing them to compete for loyalty rather than micromanage their relationships. To understand Egypt’s imperial policy during the Amarna period, this discussion will explore (1) the historical background of the Late Bronze Age and the Amarna period, (2) the organized administration and communication, and (3) the conflicted client kings who were exploited in their competition for loyalty to pharaoh.