applied to the countries in
the neighbourhood of the Persian Gulf, had been transferred
to the western coasts of Arabia, as well as that of Magan.

Esarhaddon deferred his revenge to a more convenient season, and
utilised the respite fate had accorded him on the Elamite border to
hasten his attack on Egypt (673 B.C.). The expedition was a failure, and
Taharqa was greatly elated at having issued with honour from this trial
of strength. As most of the countries over which his enemy exercised
his supremacy were those which had been ruled by his Theban ancestors
in days gone by, Taharqa engraved on the base of his statue a list of
nations and towns copied from one of the monuments of Ramses II. The
Khati, Carchemish, Mitanni, Arvad--in short, a dozen peoples already
extinct or in their decline, and whose names were merely perpetuated
in the stereotyped official lists,--were enumerated in the list of
his vanquished foes side by side with Assyria. It was a mere piece of
bravado, for never, even when victorious, did he set foot on Syrian
soil; but all the same the victory had caused the invading host to
retire, and the fame of this exploit, spreading throughout Asia, was not
without its effect on the minds of the inhabitants. The island of Tyre
had never officially recognised the Assyrian suzerainty. The Tyrians had
lived in peace since the defeat of Elulai, and had maintained constant
commercial relations with the continent without interfering in active
politics: they had, perhaps, even been permitted to establish some
settlements on the coast of the mainland. Their king, Baal, now deemed
the moment a propitious one for coming forward and recovering his lost
territory, and since the Greek princes of Cyprus had ranged themselves
under the hegemony of Assyria, he thought he could best counterbalance
their influence by seeking support from Egypt, whose ancient greatness
was apparently reviving. He therefore concluded an alliance with
Taharqa,* and it would be no cause for astonishment if we should one day
discover that Judah had followed his example.

* The alliance of Baal with Taharqa is mentioned in the
fragment of the _Annals_, under the date of year X., and the
name Baal is still decipherable amid the defaced linos which
contained the account of events which took place before that
year. I think we may reasonably assign the first
understanding between the two sovereigns, either to the