151 B.—A letter from the “Chief of the town Naziba” to say he goes with his chariots and horses to meet the King's soldiers. This place must, therefore, have been in or near the plains. It may be the Nezib of the Bible (Josh. xv. 43), now Beit Nusîb, eight miles northwest of Hebron, close to Keilah. The chariots could easily reach this vicinity from the plain, by the broad flat highway of the Valley of Elah.
55 B. M.—With the usual salutation, Ben Addu, captain of the King's horse, says: “Now they watch the land of the King my Lord exceedingly. And who am I—a dog.... He will hear the messages of the King my Lord and of the Ka-pa (for Paka?) of the King my Lord. To (Sagusi Khasi?) ... thus (says) Ben Addu: I bow at thy feet. All is failing. So now those who are our friends are fleeing to the King; will not he despatch ... the road.... Now they guard the road: it is cleared for thee.”
56 B. M.—The usual salutation from Ben Addu, of the city of Pitazza; continues: “Now they guard the city, and land of the King my Lord, the Sun from heaven: all that the King [pg 275] has said they watch—the allies. And the decree of the message of the King my Lord Bel Anapa (Baal Anubis) the Paka of the King my Lord has uttered. The King my Lord is mighty as the Sun in heaven. Whom I but a dog, and shall such a one not mind the message of the King my Lord the Sun from heaven?”
153 B.—From the same Ben Addu, of Pitazza, with the usual salutation, and to the same effect as the preceding, but too broken to read.
The only site which seems to be suggested by Pitazza is the important ruin of Futeis, southeast of Gaza. It is near the road to Egypt and in the plains. The letters probably refer to arrangements for the flight of the kings of Jerusalem and Gezer, or of their wives.
77 B. M.—A short broken letter by Satiya, who was apparently chief of the city (or chief town) of Eni-Saam(si), which is perhaps En-Shemesh, close to Zorah, in the Valley of Sorek, now 'Ain Shems. It is the Ir-Shemesh of the Bible (Josh. xix. 41), otherwise Beth-Shemesh (Josh. xv. 10). Here, again, we find an Egyptian station in an open valley, on one of the main roads to Jerusalem.
133 B.—“To the King my Lord by letter thus (says) the chief of Kanu thy servant: at the feet of the King my Lord seven times and seven times I bow. Thou thyself hast sent to me, to muster to meet the Egyptian soldiers (bitati); and now I with my soldiers and with my chariots (am) in sight of the soldiers of the King my Lord, as far as the place you will march to.”
This town cannot well be any of the Kanahs of Palestine, since the word would then be “Kanatu.” It is more probably the important ruin Kanya, close to Rabbath of Judah, immediately west of the Valley of Elah; chariots would be possible in this vicinity.
Letters from Uncertain Sites
33 B. M.—“To the King my Lord by letter thus (says) Abd Istar(?)[363] the King's servant. At the feet of the King my Lord I bow, seven times at the feet of the King my Lord, and seven more, both heart and body. And this is to show the King my Lord how mightily he fights against me, and destroys the rulers from the presence of the King my Lord; and the great King shall give orders for my defenders. Moreover, it sends messages to the King my Lord as to me, and I shall hear all the messages of the King my Lord. I will listen. Now ten women (concubines?) I am retaining.”