The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-17
A NEW LIGHT ON PHARAOH.
LA GRANGE. ILL.

A NEW LIGHT ON PHARAOH.
PROF. FLINDERS PETRIE contributes
to the Century an account of his dis
covery of a tablet which gives the
first historic account of the oppres-
sion of the children of Israel. Con-
corning the character Of "Pbaraoh of
the Hard Heart" Prof. Petrie writes
as follows: A melancholy prospect he
had seen as he grew up. His father
had been active in the earlier years
of the reign; but after about twenty
years he ceased all personal labor
and seems to have sunk in his fatu-
GUS pride into mere despot, devoted
to perpetuating his effigies on the
monuments and his family in the
harem. The kingdom went steadily
into decay year after year, and the
old man became more indolent and
more fatuous, while none of his sons
seems to have been allowed to take
up the reins and save the country.
Egypt is desolated and abandoned
to invasion from all lands; the bar
barians overrun its frontier, the re-
VOTERS invade it daily, every country
is pillaging its cities, raiding it's
dwellings in the fields and on the
river. They abide and settle there
for days and months, seated in the
land; they reach the hills of middle
Egypt. = They search for
the corn land, seeking to fill their
bellies; they come to Egypt to find
provision for their mouths"
Such is the melancholy picture
drawn by Merenptah of the state of
the country on his accession-a strik-
ing contrast to the work of the really
great kings of Egypt, of the Amen
hotep and Thothmes line, who had
handed on the rule of Syria from
father to son unbroken. The contin-
uous record that we have of Thoth-
mes III. shows that every year regu-
larry he went through Syria to receive
tribute and maintain his power, TAX
ing all the young princesses to1be ed
ucated in Egypt, before they came to
act as vassals in their own country.
Until he was over so this annual out
ing was kept up and his children to
the third and fourth generation re-
ceived this dominion IN peaceful sue
cession. But under Rameses.all this
stability had vanished; few raids
which did not cover half the previous
conquests of Syria, treaty on equal
terms with the foe and the boastful
king sunk into an inglorious lethargy,
in which even Egypt itself was large
ly given up to the foreigners.
And this decay was what had eaten
into the soul of Merenptah during all
his youth and vigor; until he was at
least 40 nothing could be done by
him. 1t was not until the olds king
had come to that condition which we
can now see before our eyes.in the
Cairo museum-a withered mummy,
which seems as if still dwelt in and
half alive with the spirit of insensate
pride-it was not until the evil genius
of the land was in his tomb that a
stroke could be struck for the free
dom of the country.
Then began careful preparation.
For four years Merenptah was con-
solidating his power, with apparent
ly one expedition to Syria, up the
coast to the plain of Esdraelon and
Tyre; this conquest we have learned
| of only since finding the new tablet.
But it did not do more than secure
the principal fortress near the coast
and command the corn districts of
Philistia and Esdraelon, which were
cultivated by the people of Israel,
among others. 1t is evident that re-
organization had been going on,
Strengthening the resistance of the
country by the vigor with which the
great Libyan invasion was repealed
after the country had been long sub
hitting to minor attacks.
At the end of March, in his fiftieth
year, Merenptah had a dream. Ptah,
the great god of Memphis, appeared
to him and warned him to be ready a
fortnight hence. This is, doubtless,