New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-26
A PHARAOH'S COURTSHlP.
OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE EGYPTIAN uo'-
ERN,fENT BROUGHT TO LIGHT
London, jane g.

thirtV-fOur centuries ago. vi th"' :,
prized by the historian than the o''ic''i 1880
ri,hor.o ur,nown Of the Eighteenth Egyptian
DYNASTY: or that would more inspire the ro-
rancor ,hon the story of roycl wooing two
centuries before the time of Moses. Sucl! Is 'i'e
intellectual feast however. now presented 10 .De
vrll rs n result II recent operations Ill the 'di"5
~ thc Nile: presented partly at Gizch, parity a'
berlin. and partly in the British Museum
Five vcors AGO. about the discovery was maze
An Egyptian peasant woman was PROVING ''o"'
,hc long rows Of ruins called Icl-el-Amarha' OH
tie eastern bank Of the river -oo nii'''
above Cairo. She was seeking ntrates, 10 use
for fcrtilizng her garden, but found none. III,
stead, prying into an ancient tomb, she ,o"n'
some tablets of clay, carefully hnished al" c'oe'S
oovored with curious characters They excited
her curiosity, and her cupiditS as WE'LL LOT sue
had heard Of travellers from Europe paying SILVER
and cold for such things. So she continued her
search and called some Of her neghbors TO as
sst her. In short time they brought to light
no less than 300 of the tablets, varying
In size from a few inches 10 two feet square, all
covered With cuneiform writings Ihcy loon
the treasure trove to Cairo and readily soi1 IL
for what seemed to them a good price, Dut not
more than a single of the tablets wouid le'ch
in the European market News OF the discovery
soon reached Europe, and there was rush 10
secure the booty. Berlin got the bulk oil IT, some
900 pcccs The British Museum purchased
ciohtv-two. and nearly all the rest went to the
Museum AZ Gizch
The tablets brought 10 London and Berlin were
soon in the hands Of the ablcst Psychologists, ana
their Inscriptions were translated lhey prove"
10 he the official records documents ana letters
Of the Egyptian Foreign Office during the
Eighteenth Dyrasty. They included letters of
If flp mons
raLylon and Militant, and official reports from
Egyptian viceroys in Tyre Sidon, Gebal and
Jerusalem They literally tcemed with minute
information concerning one of the most important
but hitherto least known portions Of Oriental
history.
The story is we'll known Of the overthrow OF
tLc Shcphcrl Kings by Aahmcs, about 1900 Il. C.,
and Of tie brilliant c)nqucsts Of his Successors
down TO Thothmcs III who, by the battle OF
Mngcldo. in 1880 b. C.. made himself lord OF all
lands from Tie Nile TO the Euphrates. The eighth
king Of thi, line was Amenophs III, already
famed n n mighty hunter There is a scarabacns
in The British Museum that tells of his killing,
with his own hand, lO2 lions during single tour
in Militant Upon him and his reign these newly
| fonnd tablets throw much light. They tell that In
Militant Ire not Only slew lions, but fell de'pera'v
in love with n princess Of that country named 1hi.
!
ability. She was very beautiful, blue eyed and
Of fqir complexion She was, moreover. re-
laious cnthusiast. devoted 10 the worship Of the
Solar Di.t. which she introduced into Egypt.
Tol-rl-Amarna. indeed. where these tables were
found. is the rnin Of the mighty temples which she
and Ter son, Amcnophis " erected in honor Of the
Solar Disk
Sc was not, However. the only wife Of Amcno-
Mi. IT. The table.s tel Of his marriage 10 two
other Irncr.scs. respectively the sister and tie
daughter Of Kallirasin, the King Of Babylon. Nor
was lie satisfied with thc". but wished greatly to
we'd also the Youngest daughter Of that King, who
was name Sukhartr and was her fathers favoriic
child The correspondence concerning this alliance
/ il voluminouS and exceedingly interesting. Inc
| l'alyloniau KING reluctant 20 give his d1ugh-
ter t, the Ecypthn. and began making excuses
| First. he sni1 Sic was too young. and asked
Amenophis t, wait. Then he complained of tie
| treatment accorded TO his -i.cr who had become
the wife Of Amcnophi- years before.
"Sncr that day" lie wrote, no man hath seen
her, and none knowcth whether she be alive OF
dead
The Fgyp;aa replied flat she was In high
honor nj his court. aud invited Kamasn TO send
| ambassadors and zoe il IT was not Ambassadors
were sent but tley bon bacl; 10 Babylon word
that they had not seen the missing lady. Amcno-
| phi thercupon said:
The were boys Send men, send wise men.
ana they will see how thy sister IS honorcd. y
Another embassy was sent, with satisfactory re-
suits But then Kallimasin invented another cX-
cu- lie declared that other KINGS who had
sought his daughters in marriage Ind sent him
rich Gifts and Lad slowercd presents even upon his
ambassadors. But Amenophis he'd neglected 10
do so. anil had even impressed into his own service
the troops WHO had formed the escort of the am
ha.salors This Amenophs denied rather inGig-
nantly saying:
Il have not thy soldiers II they have not re-
| turned 10 thee, they must have got lost in the
wilderness; or perhaps the Canaanites have stolen
| thcm!"
rs for gifts he offered 10 do more handsomely
than any other sutton had ever done And now
came ont tie true reason Of Kallmasin's reluctance
70 give Sulhartc 10 Amenophis. lie was himself
in love. with an Egyptian princess, but Amcnophis
had refused outright 10 give her to him Tie
Egyptian king considered himself far superior to
the labylonion. His own passion made him
humble himself enough TO seek the Babyonian
princess in marriage; but give Of his own
princcs~es to the King of Babylon he would not.
The daughter of King Of Egypt lie wrote. is
not to he given 10 n nobody" This insult was
mccky swallowed b. KGllmasn, who merely re-
ncwcd his appeals. Surely thou art King he
wrote and canst do As thou wilt. Thou canst
give and DENY il. Surely there in
Egypt many daughters Of princes who are bcaut-
| full women. ] besccch thee send me one!
The Egyptian King still refused and then the
| Babylonian grew angry. lnasmuch thou
wilt not send Inc Il wife. he wrote. Il will so deal
with thee ienceforh no Babylonan princess
shall enter Egypt But presently better spirit
prevailed and KalIimasin for consideration, y
gave his favor,e child to he the wife Of Amen
ophis lie wrote To the latter follows:
with reference TO thy request for my daughter
Sukharte to wife, she has to age when
she can Ike married. and il thou wilt write, and
send the required presents I will send her to
thee ="