The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-10
oontemporary inscriptions desienste them as

Contemporary inscriptions designate them as
"the great people," or tho great country"
lees with reference to the area they occupied
than to their reputation for brave and chival-
rous qualities. Long before Mr.. sayco had
begun to amass corroborative evidence on the
subject, Bruesch Bey asserted that we shall
fall into no error II We recognize in the Kheta
tho Hittitcs Of the Bible" When Thothmes III.
conquered them they werc occupying a con-
siderable tract In the north Of Syria. but by
the beginning OF the nineteenth dynasty ID. c.
1400) thor power had extended over all the
neighboring nations. These predecessors OF
the Assyrian conquerors held the first place In
the league OF the cities and potentates Of
western Asin- The Egyptian inscriptions
refer to their sovereigns with comparative
respect and to their gods with reverence. IL
one may Judge OF chronological relationship
from external appearances. Rrugsch would
not incline to classify tho Hittitcs among the
Canaanites. Benrdless. armed in a different
manner. fighting in groups Of three men
In each chariot Of war. and arranged
In order Of battle according TO well.
considered plan previously laid down.
the kheta present In the wall paintings
a striking contrast to thei. Canaanite allies.
In the pictures representing tho wars OF
Rameses H. against Khota-sar. the Hittito
monarch appears surrounded by his Generals
and servants. who are mentioned by namo
down to "the letter writer" His warriors
were divided into foot soldiers and lighters in
chariots, and consisted partly Of Kheta. partly
Of foreign mercenaries.
The wars OF Seti I. which eventually brought
him into collision with the Kheta were cuused
by tho continual encroaclime nts OF tho neigh
boring peoples upon tho Delta. Tho weak
reign OF hls father. Rameses l.. had prompted
them. and especially the shasu tBedouins)to
press forward over the eastern frontier Ito find
sustennnce for their cattle on the possessions
OF Pharaoh" and also to make good tho claims
which they believed themselves to have in
herited from the Hyksos Kings. They were
repulsed and conquered by Seti l.. who. TAX
ing possession Of the land OF the Shasu. to
its utmost bounds. became lord OF the whole
OF the Edomitish Ncgeb. The Pharaoh next
proceeded to punish the ph9nicinns for having
gone to the help Of the Shasu. and then turned
against tho Rutcnuu Of Canaan. This country
was completely overrun. andthe great fortress
OF Kadesh having been captured. the land Of
the Hittites lay open to tho Egyptian soldiers.
Although the we'll ordered hosts OF the Khcta.
on foot, on horseback and in chariots. offered
sturdy resistance to the invaders. they were
overwhelmed and subjected to humiliating
peace. 6eti /. also carried his wars to the
West. and particularly against the Libyan
tribes. whose appearance is depicted on the
Egyptian monuments. The double plume on
tho crown OF the head and tho side locks Of
hair mark In a striking way those races which
are designated in tho inscriptions as 1.-The
light or fair people"
Notwithstanding the ostensible success OF
Sctfs campaigns tho tributes collected from
conquered nations. which had been abundant
undpr Thot hnaa III now Howad in 1aca M.
piously. and accordingly sources Of wealth had
to be sought elswhero to meet tho outlay re-
Quired for costly buildings. SO the King be-
gan to give special care to the working OF tho
gold mines In eastern Egypt and Nubia. and
to that end sank wells In the midst OF the
parched mountains Of the gold bearing region.
Whether the mines yielded an amount OF bull
lion commensurate wit! the labor expended
we do not know. but there Is reason to believe
that under Seti I. and his successor there was
dearth Of money-a fact which helps to ex-
plain the oppression Of the Israeltes usually
referred to this epoch. Pecuniary resources
were needed not only for the incessant wars.
but also. as we have said. for edifces the
construction OF which was now resumed on
a great scale. The reigns OF Seti /. and OF his
successor. Rameses IL. constitute one OF the
periods during which Egyptian art enjoyed
the peculiar favor OF the sovereign. and re-
sponded to his encouragement by the creation
OF real masterpieces. The Hall Of Columns at
Karnak and the Temple of Osiris at Abydos
are works OF the highest order. whose splcndor
consists above oil else In the beauty Of the
sculpture. even to the hieroglyphio characters.
The celebrated tomb OF Seti is also one OF the
remarkable achievements OF Theban art. 1t is.
however. to be noted that notwithstanding the
great sums lavshed by Rameses II. on archi-
lecture and sculpture. the results were mark
eddy inferior to those which had been attained
under his father Seti.
The wars OF Rameses II. (Sesostris) have
often been described. and the great battle
with the Kheta at Kadesh is set forth In the
epic poem OF Pentaur the Scribe. We possess
papyrus copy Of this work. and Brugsch
gives o translation OF 1t in the volume before
us. On the whole. the Egyptians and the Hit
tites seem to have been pretty evenly mat ched
and eventually permanent peace and alli-
ance was arranged between them. Harnesses
II. marrying daughter OF the Kheta monarch.
1t was tho daughter Of this Kheta wife OF
Harnesses who. according to jewish tradi-
ton. found Moses in tho hullrushes when she
went to battle. Brugsch, indeed. Is convinced
that the Pharaoh who knew not Joseph who
oppressed the children OF Israel. and who
adorned the cities OF Ramses and Pithon with
temples and treasures. can 10 no other than
Harnesses II. He notes. however that whilo
the fact that this Pharaoh was the founder Of
Ramses-on the site OF Zoan-Tanis on the
thon navigable Tanitic branch Of the Nile-is
unquestionably demonstrated by the Egyptian
monuments. the inscriptions do not mention
the lsraelites by name. BruGsch infers that
they were included in tho general term Of
" foreigners"
III.
Rameses II. rei9ned slxty-scven years, Of
which probably more than half must be MS
signed to his Joint reign with his father lie
had 10 children-sixty sons and nfty-nine
fact which warrants us in ascrib-
ing to him a great number Of concublnes be-
sides his four lawful wives. Ho was sue
ceeded by his fourteenth son. Meneptah H.,
the elder male children having died during