49 B. M.—After the same salutation from Yapa'a, chief of Gezer, master of the horse, the letter continues: “I hear the message of the messenger of the King my Lord exceeding much. And let the King my Lord, the Sun from heaven, counsel his servant as to his land. Now strong is the chief of the men of blood against us; and send thou to destroy him O King my Lord for me; and will not the King restore from the hand of the chief of bloody ones? We are not quite made an end of by the chief of the bloody ones.”
51 B. M.—With the usual salutation from Yapa'a, the letter continues: “Whatever the King my Lord says to me I listen to him exceedingly. It is gracious. But as I fear what shall befall, help thou my region from the power of the people of the desert lands. And now I hear that the Pauri (chiefs; see the Jerusalem letter [B. 103]) of the King gather a multitude; and it suffices for me. And they have enlarged my heart very much.”
From these letters we gather that there had been a withdrawal of the Egyptian troops about the time when the “desert people” attacked Yapa'a. That these desert people were the Hebrews under Joshua, who was the contemporary of Japhia, we learn more clearly from the Jerusalem letters. That Gezer submitted to them is also shown by the same.
Letters from Jerusalem
105 B.—“To the King my Lord ... thus (says) Adonizedek[322] thy servant ... at the feet of my Lord ... seven times and seven times ... Behold Milcilu [pg 264] is not rid from the sons of Labaya, and from the sons of Arzaya, as to their desire of the King's land for themselves. A ruling man who makes demand thereof, why has he not asked it of the King? Lo! Milcilu and Takanu have desired the doing thereof. Lo! he has marched to it. Not having desired to strive ...” The lower half of the front is here lost, and the rest is on the back.
“So now, failing those who were chiefs of the garrison of the King, let me fly to the King.[323] Truly Ben Piru (or Ben Carru) has fled his being led captive by my destroyers, he goes from the city 'Azati (Gaza): let him remind the King in his presence of a garrison to guard the land. All the King's land is rebellious. Yagu Balaam is sent, and let the King's land know from the King's scribe ... Thus says Adonizedek thy servant ... the messages.”
102 B.—“To the King my Lord is mourning thus this Adonizedek thy servant. At the feet of my Lord, of the King, seven times and seven times I bow. What shall I ask of the King my Lord? They have prevailed, they have (taken the fortress of Jericho[324]) they who have gathered against the King of Kings, which Adonizedek has explained to the King his Lord. Behold, as to me, my father is not and my army is not.[325] The tribe that has ground me in this place is very rebellious to the King, the same is struggling with me for the house of my father. Why has the tribe sinned against the King my Lord? Behold O King my Lord arise! I say to the Paka (resident) of the King my Lord, ‘Why should you tremble before the chief of the 'Abiri[326] (Hebrews) and the rulers fear [pg 265] the end? So now they must send from the presence of the King my Lord.’ Behold I say that the land of the King my Lord is ruined. So now they must send to the King my Lord, and let the King my Lord know this; behold the King my Lord has placed a garrison to stop the way ... (Bel'amu or Yankhamu?) ... of kings ... chiefs of the garrison ... the king as master to his land ... as to his land she has rebelled, the (lands) of the King my Lord—the whole of it. Ilimelec[327] cuts off all the King's land. And let one warn the King as to his land. I myself speak pleading with the King my Lord and (for once?) let the King my Lord behold the entreaties. And the wars are mighty against me, and (I am not receiving any pledge?) from the King my Lord. And let an order return from the King (my Lord). Whether will he not order chiefs for garrison? And let him be kind, and let the King my Lord regard the entreaties. This tribe behold O King my Lord has risen up. Lo the Paka they have expelled. I say the lands of the King my Lord are ruined. Dost not thou hear this same of me? They have destroyed all the rulers. There is no ruler now O King my Lord. Let the King give his countenance to the chiefs; and whether shall the chiefs of the Egyptian soldiers (pitati) remain at rest? They have lingered O King my Lord. The lands are failing to the King my Lord. The Hebrew chiefs plunder all the King's lands. Since the chiefs of the Egyptian soldiers (pitati) have gone away quitting the lands this year O King my Lord, and since there is no chief of the Egyptian soldiers (pitati) there [pg 266] is ruin to the lands of the King my Lord. They have ... O King my Lord, and Adonizedek (is) dust ... messages (are asked?) of the King my Lord, there is destruction by the foe of the lands of the King my Lord.”
This letter, like others, clearly indicates a withdrawal of the Egyptian troops shortly before the appearance of the Hebrews.
106 B.—The salutation is broken, but is the same as before—from Adonizedek. The text continues: “... which have done for me Milcilu, and Suardata[328] for the land of the King my Lord. They have hired soldiers of the city of Gezer, soldiers of the city Givti[329] and soldiers of the city Kielti.[330] They have gone out to (or seized) the city of Rubute.[331] The King's land rebels to the chiefs of the Hebrews, and now against this capital city U-ru-sa-lim (Jerusalem) the city called Beth Baalath,[332] a neighbor of the city of the King—has rebelled, to delay the chiefs of the city of Kielti. Let the King hear as to Adonizedek; and will not he order Egyptian soldiers (pitati), and shall not the King's land turn to the King? And because there are no Egyptian soldiers (pitati) the King's land has rebelled to the chiefs of the tribe of the Hebrews. They have demanded to dwell in the same with me. They have gone out against (or seized) Milcilu ... and the city.... And let the King do justice to (or purify) his land.”
104 B.—The same salutation from Adonizedek. He continues: “Lo! the King my Lord has established his law from the (rising?) of the Sun to the going down of the Sun. He is a flatterer who deceives as to me. Lo! am not I a ruler myself, a man allied to the King my Lord? Lo! I myself am a [pg 267] good chief of the King, and I have sent tribute to the King. There is no chief to join me, and my friends (or army) fail; they have been fighting for the King mightily. I remain ... in this Beth Amilla[333] ... from before me thirteen ... I am giving ten slaves ... Suuta the King's Paka (resident) takes charge from before me of twenty-one slave women. Twenty chiefs who remain trusty to my hand Suuta has led away to the King my Lord,[334] which the King advises to his country. The whole of the King's country, which is seized from me, is ruined. They have fought against me as far as the lands of Seeri (Seir)[335] as far as the city Givti Kirmil (Gibeah of Carmel?).[336] They have banded together against all the chiefs of the governments, and they have fought with me. Behold I, the chief of the lords (or of the Amorites), am breaking to pieces,[337] and the King my Lord does not regard entreaties, while they have fought against me (unceasingly?). Behold array O mighty King a fleet in the midst of the sea. Thou shalt march to our land, the land of Nahrima and the land of Cazib, and behold these are fortresses of the King.[338] Thou shalt march against the chieftains of the Hebrew. There is not a single ruler for the King my Lord. They have destroyed all. Lo Tuurbazu[339] (is slaughtered?...): in the great pass of the city of Ziluu[340] they have bowed down. Behold [pg 268] Zimridi of the city of Lachish. The slaves have subjected him; they have done as they chose[341].... The region of Rimmon[342] laments: slaughter (is) in the midst ... the fort of Zilu is overthrown ... let the King take heed ... let the King give his countenance to.... Egyptian soldiers (pitati) to the land.... Since there are no Egyptian soldiers (pitati) in this same year destruction has destroyed the people of all the lands of the King my Lord. Do not they say to the face of the King my Lord, ‘Behold the land of the King my Lord has been ruined, and all the rulers have been slain, within this same year.’ Will the King not order his Paka? And let the fleet come to me as helpers, and let them take care of the port (with the King commanding?) ... (to) the scribe of the King my Lord, (lo!) Adonizedek is his servant, at his feet (he bows). Translate the messages now to the King. I am thy ... myself.”