them for the
purpose of guaranteeing their obedience.*

* Shamua and Shamai "fled in like manner towards Karduniash,
before the King of Elam;" it would seem that Rittimerodach
had entered into secret negotiations with Nebuchadrezzar,
though this is nowhere explicitly stated in the text.

Several of the nobles abandoned everything rather than submit to such
tyranny, and took refuge with Nebuchadrezzar: others entered into secret
negotiations with him, and promised to support him if he came to their
help with an armed force. He took them at their word, and invaded Namar
without warning in the month of Tamuz, while the summer was at its
height, at a season in which the Elamites never even dreamt he would
take the field. The heat was intense, water was not to be got, and the
army suffered terribly from thirst during its forced march of over
a hundred miles across a parched-up country. One of the malcontents,
Eittimerodach, lord of Bitkarziabku, joined Nebuchadrezzar with all the
men he could assemble, and together they penetrated as far as Ulai.
The King of Elam, taken by surprise, made no attempt to check their
progress, but collected his vassals and awaited their attack on the
banks of the river in front of Susa. Once "the fire of the combat had
been lighted between the opposing forces, the face of the sun grew dark,
the tempest broke forth, the whirlwind raged, and in this whirlwind of
the struggle none of the characters could distinguish the face of his
neighbour." Nebuchadrezzar, cut off from his own men, was about to
surrender or be killed, when Eittimerodach flew to his rescue and
brought him off safely. In the end the Chaldaeans gained the upper hand.*

* _Donation to Rittimerodach,_ col. i. 11. 12-43. The
description of the battle as given in this document is
generally taken to be merely symbolical, and I have followed
the current usage. But if we bear in mind that the text lays
emphasis on the drought and severity of the season, we are
tempted to agree with Pinches and Budge that its statements
should be taken literally. The affair may have been begun in
a cloud of dust, and have ended in a downpour of rain so
heavy as to partly blind the combatants. The king was
probably drawn away from his men in the confusion; it was
probably then that he was in danger of being made prisoner,
and that Rittimerodach, suddenly coming up, delivered