tch troops and restore the
country of the king to the king. But if no troops arrive, the country of
the king is gone over to the men even to the Confederates. This is the
deed [of Su-ar]datun and Malchiel...."

The loyalty of Ebed-Tob, however, seems to have been doubted at the
Egyptian court, where more confidence was placed in his rival and enemy
Su-ardata (or Su-yardata, as the owner of the name himself writes it).
Possibly the claim of the vassal-king of Jerusalem to have been
appointed to his royal office by the "Mighty King" rather than by the
"great king" of Egypt, and consequently to be an ally of the Pharaoh and
not an ordinary governor, may have had something to do with the
suspicions that were entertained of him. At all events we learn from a
letter of Su-yardata that the occupation of Keilah by Ebed-Tob's
enemies, of which the latter complains so bitterly, was due to the
orders of the Egyptian government itself. Su-yardata there says--"The
king [my lord] directed me to make war in the city of Keilah: war was
made; (and now) a complaint is brought against me. My city against
myself has risen upon me. Ebed-Tob sends to the men of the city of
Keilah; he sends silver, and they have marched against my rear. And the
king knows that Ebed-Tob has taken my city from my hand." The writer
adds that "now Labai has taken Ebed-Tob and they have taken our cities."
In his subsequent despatches to the home government Su-yardata complains
that he is "alone," and asks that troops should be sent to him, saying
that he is forwarding some _almehs_ or maidens as a present along with
his "dragoman." At this point the correspondence breaks off.

Malchiel and Tagi also write to the Pharaoh. According to Tagi the roads
between Southern Palestine and Egypt were under the supervision and
protection of his brother; while Malchiel begs for cavalry to pursue and
capture the enemy who had made war upon Su-yardata and himself, had
seized "the country of the king," and threatened to slay his servants.
He also complains of the conduct of Yankhamu, the High Commissioner, who
had been ordered to inquire into the conduct of the governors in
Palestine. Yankhamu, it seems, had seized Malchiel's property and
carried off his wives and children. It was doubtless to this act of
injustice that Labai alludes in his letter of exculpation.

The territory of which Jerusalem was the capital extended southward as
far as Carmel of Judah, Gath-Carmel as it is