tened to extinguish its
civilization altogether. The nations of Asia Minor and the AEgean Sea had
poured into Syria as the northern barbarians in later days poured into
the provinces of the Roman Empire. Partly by land, partly by sea, they
made their way through Phoenicia and the land of the Hittites,
destroying everything as they went, and carrying in their train the
subjugated princes of Naharaim and Kadesh. For a time they encamped in
the "land of the Amorites," and then pursued their southward march.
Ramses III. met them on the north-eastern frontier of his kingdom, and
in a fiercely-contested battle utterly overthrew them. The ships of the
invaders were captured or sunk, and their forces on land were decimated.
Immense quantities of booty and prisoners were taken, and the shattered
forces of the enemy retreated into Syria. There the Philistines and
Zakkal possessed themselves of the sea-coast, and garrisoned the cities
of the extreme south. Gaza ceased to be an Egyptian fortress, and became
instead an effectual barrier to the Egyptian occupation of Canaan.

When Ramses III. followed the retreating invaders of his country into
Syria, it is doubtful whether the Philistines had as yet settled
themselves in their future home. At all events Gaza fell into his hands,
and he found no difficulty in marching along the Mediterranean coast
like the conquering Pharaohs who had preceded him. In his temple palace
at Medinet Habu he has left a record of the conquests that he made in
Syria. The great cities of the coast were untouched. No attempt was made
to besiege or capture Tyre and Sidon, Beyrout and Gebal, and the
Egyptian army marched past them, encamping on the way only at such
places as "the headland of Carmel," "the source of the Magoras," or
river of Beyrout, and the Bor or "Cistern." Otherwise its resting-places
were at unknown villages like Inzath and Lui-el. North of Beyrout it
struck eastward through the gorge of the Nahr el-Kelb, and took the city
of Kumidi. Then it made its way by Shenir or Hermon to Hamath, which
surrendered, and from thence still northward to "the plain" of Aleppo.

In the south of Palestine, in what was afterwards the territory of
Judah, Ramses made yet another campaign. Here he claims to have taken
Lebanoth and Beth-Anath, Carmel of Judah and Shebtin, Jacob-el and
Hebron, Libnah and Aphek, Migdal-gad and Ir-Shemesh, Hadashah and the
district of Salem or Jerusalem. From thence the Egyptian force