ORIEiNTAL DISCO VERIKS ON OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY. 49 



Discussion. 



Mr. Rouse. — I should like to say a word or two regarding the Tell- 

 Amarna tablets, having read twice over Colonel Conder's book, the 

 first complete translation of these tablets. He points out that 

 M'hereas Prof. Sayce has said that the Habiri meant confederates, 

 that that word is not applied to the confederates of the North ; for a 

 large portion of the letters referred to a confederation of Northern 

 tribes in the north of Canaan under a King of the Mitanis against 

 the King of Egypt, and the persons there mentioned are not called 

 Habiri at all. But the Habiri, on the other hand, those people in 

 the South who appeared and overran the Southern region, as told in 

 these letters, are called a " tribe " and a " race." Further, they are said 

 to have overrun the territory to the South, especially that under 

 the dominion of the King of Jerusalem. He writes himself in these 

 letters that they overran it from Mount Seir onward. 



Of course the Israelites did come from that neighbourhood : they 

 went round Edom, or Mount Seir, they then passed through Moab 

 and across the Jordan, and they fought all along through the south 

 of Canaan from where Edom began right up to the middle of 

 Canaan, fighting against the King of Jerusalem and his allies. Of 

 course the account in the Bible is only a summary ; for, though it 

 is told that two or three great battles took place, it is shown that 

 Joshua was five years in conquering this region. 



Then, again, the leader of this tribe or race that was fighting 

 against the King of Jerusalem bears a Hebrew name which reminds 

 us of Elimelech (Ilimelec). 



Again he speaks of not only their ravaging, but their having 

 deprived the King of Egypt of all allies, and finally in another letter 

 of their depriving himself of all subjects, when he says, " I have no 

 subjects left." 



The King of Jerusalem in these letters is always writing to the 

 King of Egypt to send back the army which that King formerly had 

 there, and finally he writes, " We are fleeing from Jerusalem, 0 King," 

 which is exactly what in Joshua's time the King of Jerusalem did. 

 The four ill-fated kings, including him of Jerusalem, having gone 

 out to fight the Israelites, were fleeing from them when they were 



