RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Amarna Ambo
metal which it sent as a present, in one case the proportion of pure gold being only six parts in twenty. The relation of Assyria to Babylonia receives side-light in the fact that the Babylonian asks help against his " vassal " Asshur-uballit of Assyria, who, however, seems to be in friendly relations with Egypt; a second point in this connection is contained in the reference in the Tushratta correspondence to the sending of the image of Ishtar of Nineveh to Egypt, which implies that Nineveh was then a part of Mitanni (see Assyria, vi., 2, and cf. C. Niebuhr, Studien zur Ge-
schkhte des alten Orients, Leipsic, 1894, p. 92).
But the most important results historically are those which relate to the connections of Egypt with Syria and Palestine. Thothmes III. had carried the arms of Egypt as far as the Taurus Mountains. A period of Egyptian quiescence had followed, and, as a consequence, in the period of the letters Egyptian hegemony was threatened in three ways: first by revolts of the cities under governors who had been appointed by the Pharaoh or by the governors who were unfaithful; second, by a Hittite advance from the north and northeast; third, by the Habiri from the east. The correspondence abounds in charges by governors who claim to be faithful to the Pharaoh against other governors; and again and again they beg for help from him which apparently is not sent, though the news of continuous loss of territory is the burden of the letters. Some of the men charged with rebellion protest their fidelity and make countercharges, but in many cases practically confess their disloyalty by their excuses for not rendering service due or required. The whole situation is one of the weakening of Egyptian influence as its leadership and control slips away under the battering of the triplex adverse forces. The mention of the advance of the Hittites is most illuminating, showing the beginning of the empire established in the century following. The question raised by the frequent mention of the Ilabiri has been answered in three ways: (a) they were the Hebrews of the Exodus just arriving from the wandering; (b) they were Hebrews, but not those of the Exodus, representing rather the Abrahamic-Lot tribes prior to the settlement in Egypt which is described in the last chapters of Genesis; (c) they were not Hebrews at all, but people of nomadic strain whose exact affiliations are unknown. The first of these three answers is not now supported by any prominent authority; the other two are still under debate. In favor of the second is the single Egyptian inscription (Meneptah's; see Egypt) which plainly mentions the Hebrews as already in Canaan during the reign in which most modern scholars place the Exodus and before the tribes under Moses could have entered the land.
The geographical information can not be given nere at length, since almost every item would require extended discussion. A large number of Known cities or localities is named, such as Tyre,
K rVBybl°S' Beirut' AJalon> Accho, Megiddo, ivaaesh, Gath, Lachish, Jerusalem, Mitanni, and Mom. Other places are mentioned in such connections that the approximate locality is recognized,
such as Tunip, south of Aleppo. Still other placenames appear in the correspondence, the exact or even approximate location of which is undetermined, such as Katna and Irkata. 2. Geo- One hundred and thirty towns in all graphical, are mentioned. But the existence of these places is made known and their relative importance often appears from the character of the passage in which the names occur. For the political geography of the region and the time, these tablets are of the first importance.
The linguistic data given in the letters afford a means of comparison of the Babylonian and Assyrian with earlier and with later forms, and so constitute a standard of comparison in what had been a dark period for both. For Aramean and Canaanitic the data are the earliest 3. Linguis- known and, therefore, of the highest tic. value. These letters show the Sem-
itic languages represented as differing only dialectically, and as in all probability mutually intelligible to the inhabitants of the different regions. Geo. W Gilmoke.
Bibliography: H. Winckler, Der Thontafelfund von El- Amarna, in Schrader, KB, v. 1, Berlin, 1896; idem, Tel-el- Amarna Letters, New York, 1896 (transliterated text and transl. in Germ, and Eng.); C. Bezold, Oriental Diplomacy, London, 1893; C. R. Conder, Tel-el- Amarna Tablets, ib. 1893 (transl. and discussion of the tablets in the British Museum); W. M. F. Petrie, Tel-el- Amarna, ib. 1894 (account of the excavation and its results); idem, Tel-el-Amarna Letters, ib. 1898; C. Niebuhr, Die Amarna- Zeit. JEgypten und Vorderasien um 1UO0 vor Christus nach dem Thontafelfunde von el-Amarna, Leipsic, 1899; Assyrian and Babylonian Literature, New York, 1901 (gives transl. of selected letters). The discussion in periodicals has been very full; consult Presbyterian Review, x. (1888) 476-481; PSBA, x. (1888) 540-569; Babylonian and Oriental Record, iii. (1889) 286-288, v. (1891) 114-119; Bibliotheca Sacra, 1. (1893) 696; Thinker, ix. (1894) 408; Nation, lix. (Jan. 5, 1894).
AMAZIAH, am"a-za'ia: Eighth king of Judah. He was the son of Joash, and reigned 838-810 B.C., according to the old computation; 797-792, according to Duncker; 800-792, according to Weilhausen; 796-778, according to Kamphausen; 799-773, according to Hommel. At the age of twenty-five he succeeded his father, who had been murdered by his servants, and his first act was to put the conspirators to death; in harmony with Deut. xxiv. 16, however, he spared their children. He attacked the Edomites, gained a victory over them, and captured a stronghold known as " the Rock," to which he gave the name " Joktheel." He may also have taken and destroyed Elath, which his son Uzziah rebuilt (II Kings xiv. 22). He next began war against Joash of Israel, but was defeated, and Jerusalem was taken and pillaged. Like his father, Amaziah was slain by conspirators, whose motive is not known. He was buried with royal honors at Jerusalem. The prophetic writers of the Book of Kings reckon him among the better kings of Judah, but the Chronicler ascribes his downfall to idolatry and apostasy from Yahweh.
(W. Lotz.) Bibliography: His history is in II Kings xiv. 1-20; II Chron. xxv. Consult the works mentioned under Ahab.
AMBO: A sort of raised platform in early Christian churches, used for a variety of purposes.
Ambo Ambrosian