Biblical Hebrew Forum

[rob acosta <robacosta AT hotmail.com>]

Jim
   You wrote:
   "As you probably know, we have more information about Canaan in Year 12 
(if it?s Year 12 of Akhenaten?s 17-year reign) than virtually any other year 
in ancient history. We know who was ruling Shechem, Jerusalem and the Ayalon 
Valley, and we know how each of those rulers operated."
  I am puzzled by this statement because scholars I've read report the 
opposite.  In the "Chronology of the Amarna Letters" by the reknowned EF 
Campbell he writes the most famous figures of that era, Labayu, Miliku and 
Abdi Heba were long dead by the time the Egyptian Maya became commissioner of 
Gezer which he says can be conclusively placed in Year 8-9 of Akhenaten.    
Yet you claim they were alive in Year 12 and somehow play a part in the story 
of Abraham, Lotand Melchezidek.  Scholars I've read agree Labayu died before 
both the deaths of Amenophis lll and Abdi Ashirta... (incidentally, K.A. 
Kitchen in his book "Suppilulima and the Amarna Pharaohs"  states, rather 
emphatically Abi Milki abandoned Tyre no later than Year 14 of Akhenaten.)  
In short, according to scholars,there are no records of Jerusalem or the Hill 
Country in the second half of Akhenaten's rule.No replacement was named after 
the death of Abdi Hebaand and according toscholars Milkilu is dead before the 
capture of Labayu's son's just as Akhenaten's reign begins and could not have 
been alive as late as Year 12.   This is not personal opinion but is 
according to Campbell, Na'aman, Kitchen and Redford. Please be kind enough to 
provide documented sources for your assertions which clearly contradict 
theirs.. Perhaps I can get Mr Na'aman or someone of that stature to respond 
to information that so opposes mainstream researchers.

   Rob Acosta