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  • From: "Peter Kirk"<peter_kirk AT sil.org>
  • To: <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re[2]: Lab'aya
  • Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2000 21:54:47 -0500


Dear Ian,

Thank you for these translated texts about Lab'aya. You may remember
that David Rohl identifies Lab'aya with Saul, first king of Israel.
These texts give me the chance to test out that identification - at
least the possibility of falsifying it, though it probably cannot be
verified.

I wonder, on what authority do you write "Lab'aya is the troublesome
king of Shechem"? This is not stated in any of the letters which you
translate. (He would hardly have given away his capital as mentioned
in EA289.) Are there other letters making this identification? I ask
because Rohl quotes de Vaux in claiming that it is nowhere stated that
Lab'aya's capital was Shechem, but only that Shechem was within his
extensive territory - which, according to a map which Rohl attributes
to John Hayes and Maxwell Miller, covered roughly today's "occupied
West Bank" (but excluding Jerusalem, which was surrounded) plus
Gilead.

Here are some comparisons between Labayu and Saul and tentative
identifications:

EA253, EA254: No mention in HB of Saul conquering Gezer, but this is
not surprising if the Egyptians quickly pressured him to return it to
the "Philistines" (i.e. the inhabitants at that time of the region
later known as Philistia).

EA254: "I didn't know that my son had gone with the enemy {habiru}." -
Either a reference to Saul's son-in-law David, or to his son Jonathan
as being in league with David's band of "habiru" or "Hebrew" outlaws
in the Cave of Adullam.

EA255: Mutba`lu ("man of Baal") is perhaps Saul's son Ishbosheth or
Ishbaal ("man of Baal"), who reigned in Gilead after Saul's death (2
Samuel 2:8,9, suggesting that Mahanaim was his capital). Which Amarna
letter or other evidence shows that Mutba`lu's capital was Pella?

EA287: The sons of Lab'ayu may have been Ishbaal and David. They are
clearly threatening Jerusalem, from the north and the south (Hebron)
respectively.

EA289: The same situation is becoming desparate. Could "the sons of
Arzaya" be Joab, Abishai and Asahel sons of Zeruiah (2 Sam 2:18)?

EA237, EA244: From an earlier time (?), expansionist campaigns by
Lab'ayu which fit with the picture of Saul trying to push back the
"Philistines".

EA245: The Megiddo campaign has failed (so no mention in the Bible)
but Lab'ayu has escaped.

EA246: Attempts to take Megiddo continue. Perhaps this one is before
Lab'ayu's death, the sons may include Jonathan.

EA250: This one must be after Lab'ayu's death, so his sons could be
Ishbaal and David. Gitti-rimunima is presumably Gath-Rimmon in the
coastal plain (Jos. 19:45, 21:24). "Qina" is elsewhere written "Gina"
(incuding by Lloyd Barre) and identified with modern Jenin, is the Q
an artifice of Italian?

EA280: So is Abdi-Heba also a traitor to Pharaoh? All this sounds very
modern, lots of small states protesting their allegiance to their
large (but in fact fairly powerless) neighbour while quarrelling among
themselves. The name Shuwardata could be Indo-European meaning "the
sun has given" and Rohl identifies him with Akish of Gath, whose name
could be short for Aki-Shimige, "the sun has given" in Hurrian.

Conclusion: There is nothing here to falsify David Rohl's theory, but
also no decisive confirmation.

Peter Kirk


______________________________ Reply Separator
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Lab'aya
Author: <mc2499 AT mclink.it> at Internet
Date: 05/02/2000 18:39


At 23.59 05/02/00 +0100, Ian Hutchesson wrote:
>If anyone is interested, I have put up the Lab'aya letters from Amarna on
>my website. The texts are the work of Mario Liverani. I have just
>translated them from Italian to English for personal interest.

To be a bit more helpful I should supply my website when posting this sort
of message. (-:

(Thanks, Lee.)


Cheers,


Ian

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/LeftBank/5210/histreli.htm


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  • Lab'aya, Ian Hutchesson, 02/05/2000
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: Lab'aya, Ian Hutchesson, 02/05/2000
    • Re[2]: Lab'aya, Peter Kirk, 02/07/2000

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