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Margin top: ENKOMI 1961
Virolleaud + photos tablettes
French Archaeological Expedition to Enkomi-Alasia Famagusta, poste restante. 13.XI.61.
Dear friend, I thank you for your letter of 6 25 October and am glad that this discovery at Ras Shamra of some 50 tablets or fragments of alphabetic text and mythological ones has given you joy and strength to undertake study and publication.
Before my departure from Damascus, 8 days ago, I made every effort to obtain the loan of the originals. The Director-General of Antiquities and his Council composed of representatives of the other ministerial departments, of the University and of the Muslim clergy declared that they could not authorise it. They asked that you come to Damascus for the study of the texts. I replied that given your age and your many occupations, this was out of the question. I finally requested an audience with the new Minister of National Education, whom I know from the period - pre-Nasserian. After having explained the problem to him and said that in the interest of a rapid publication of these very important and difficult texts, it would be advisable to return to the tradition of temporary loan, as before Suez, the minister supported my request.
65 figures hard to readstruck struck outadded written in above” jug ditto, and what it repeatsword reading not certain