ABSTRACT

IN lines 55 and 56, printed below, i t is stated that Sennacherib had conquered the city of Edam, in Arabia. A notice of this event is found on a tablet (I( 3405), very much dehced, a copy of which is printed in Smith's St.~~uacherib, p. 138. The invasion by Sennacherib took place about B.C. 691. A t the time of Esarhaddon, Khazail mas king of Arabia, and when he died Esarhilddon bestowed the throne upon Ynutiih or Yiihlua, the son of Ichaza11. This occurred during the reign of Esarhaddon, and Yautah paid his appointed tribute, as Iihazail had done before him, until some time after the cleatti of Esarhaddon. Assur-bani-pal, was king of Assyria, and Saulmugina, his brother, had revolted. I t was then that Yantah joined in the revolt and raised two armies ; one he sent to Palestine, and the other to the help of the 13abylonians. H e had refused to pay his tribute, and his conduct is thus tersely described by Assur-bani-pal (W.A.I., iii. 23, 105) :-"For when Elam was speaking sedition with Accad, he heard, and then he disregarded fealty to me, (even) myself Assur-bani-pal, the King, the noblc hero, the powerful chief, the work of the hands of the god Assur. H e forsook me, and to Abiyateh and Aimu, sons of'Tenhri, his forces with them, for the assistance of Saulmuginn, my rebellious brother, he sent, and established his face. The people of Arabia lie caused to revolt with him, and carried off the pluilder of the

people whom ilssur, Istar, and the great gods had given mc." H i s was, llomever, totally defeated, for another notice says-" The Arabians who escaped from before my warriors the god Ninip destroyed. I n want and famine their life was passed, and fbs food they eat the flesh of their children. . . . . . . . . To Yautah misfortune happened, and he fled away alone to Nab,&iti." Assur-bani-pal placed Abiyateh upon the throne of Yautah." The account of these events, given in TV.'.tl.I., iii. 2 5 , 81, goes on to state that Assur-bani-pal brought Yuutall out fiom Nabaten, and kept him chsineil In the Gate of the lZising Sun, in Nineveh.