He was probably the successor of Shuwardata as ruler over the Levantine territory of Gimtu. Little is known about Abdi-Ashtarti, but from the letters he sent to the Egyptian King it is clear that the city of Qeltu (part of his dominion) was under threat at his time. In EA 63 and 64 he stated: "the war against me is severe" and in EA 335: "I am all alone". The ruler tried to favor the King, apparently by sending women to the Egyptian court in return for help. This was not in vain, as EA 65 shows Abdi-Ashtarti preparing for the arrival of Egyptian troops: "The cities of the King (...) I guard, and prepare before the arrival of the archers of the King, my lord." Overall, the situation in the region surrounding Qeltu during Abdi-Ashtarti's rule over Gimtu comes over as quite chaotic. Both EA 335 (by the hand of Abdi-Ashtarti himself) and EA 288 (sent by Abdi-Kheba of Urusalim) describe the same local rulers (Turbazu and Yaptih-Hadda) getting slain while their cities (respectively Silu and Muhrashtu) are seized. It appears that the region was suffering from a series of violent incursions of the infamous Apiru, probably worsened by a vague power struggle between Gimtu and Urusalim. The apparent intervention by the Egyptian King only underlines the gravity of this situation.
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