HKB
decree is very powerful. Who am I but a dog, and shall such a one not listen to the message of the King his Lord, the Son of the Sun?”
122 B.—From Yadia, the captain of the horse, with the usual salutation; it continues: “Now they guard ... my. May the Gods of the King my Lord grant to all his lands not to be confounded. I hear the message of the King my Lord to his Paka. Lo! without resting he has caused the land of the King my Lord to be defended; and now establish O King my Lord one who is in favor in the sight of the Paka of the King my Lord, who is mighty in the sight of the King my Lord. He will work with joy to ... whatever is (proclaimed?) by desire of the King my Lord. Now he will watch the land carefully.”
54 B. M.—From the same Yadaya, captain of the horse, with the usual salutation; it continues: “Now (they watch for a message?) of the King my Lord the Son of the Sun. And now I am sending drink, oil, sheep, oxen, beasts, to meet the soldiers of the King my Lord ... with all for the soldiers of the King my Lord. Who am I—a dog, and shall such a one not hear the messages of the King my Lord the Son of the Sun?”
53 B. M.—The same salutation from Yadaya, captain of horse and “dust of the King’s feet.” “Now they guard the land of the King my Lord, and the King’s chief city, as has asked the King my Lord—the Sun from Heaven. Behold what the King my Lord has said to his servant—to take arms: I am now sending to the King my Lord thirty bands to carry weapons. Moreover, who am I but a dog, and shall such a one not hear the message of the King my Lord the Sun from Heaven? the Sun—Son of the Sun whom you adore.”
52 B. M. is very similar to 54 B. M. Yadia watches the land and the city, and is a dog unworthy to hear the King’s message; he sends drink (beer, according to one value of the sign—and the Egyptians drank beer)(306) and oxen, and beasts, and (beans?), and all that the King requires for the soldiers.
It is to be remarked that Ascalon was not among the cities that Joshua took, but we learn that the region submitted to the Hebrews (B. 103) and Ascalon was lost before 1360 B.C.
LETTERS FROM MAKKEDAH
These letters appear to be early. They have been supposed to come from Megiddo, but the topography (111 B. and 72 B. M.) cannot be reconciled with the latter, and applied exactly to the former town (now El Mughâr); in addition to which Megiddo appears as Makdani in the letter from Accho (95 B.).
113 B.—“To the King my Lord ... and my Sun by letter thus (says) Biridi a faithful servant, that I bow at the feet of the King my Lord and my Sun and my God, seven times and seven times. I have heard (literally, the servant has heard) the messages of the King my Lord and my Sun, and now they guard the city of Makidah, the chief city of the King my Lord.” The text is broken, but seems to read probably “without rest, and is set right ... without rest they watch with chariots, and they guard with chariots of the King my Lord, from those who do injury. And now behold a battle of chiefs in (or from) the land (below Mizpah?).(307) The King is my Lord for his land.”