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Chapter XXX. The Theban Revolt.THE Shepherd Kings built their capital city at Av-ar´is, in the Delta, and it was a great city, and strongly fortified; with room for over two hundred thousand households, and covering over eight square miles of land. Although the Cushites completely subjugated Lower Egypt; from Upper Egypt they received loyalty and tribute; and were there considered overlords. Native Egyptian princes ruled Upper Egypt, under the eye of the Cushites, from their capital city at Thebes (theebz). Over time, the princes of Thebes had acquired honor, arms, expert leaders, and wealth, due to the successful campaigns they had undertaken against the E-thi-o´pi-ans (who were themselves a branch of Cushites) to their south. The Cushite Pharaoh, who reigned in the Delta, must have felt either threatened, or jealous, of the growing power of the The´bans; for he sent delegations to the Theban court, each one containing more humiliating demands of absolute obeisance than the last. Now the Theban prince, whose name at this juncture was Ra-sek´en-en, had not transgressed his fidelity to his overlord in any way, if his own account of the matter can be believed. Thus the Thebans, in silence and in great dismay, did not know how to answer the Cushite delegation, for good or ill; for rebellion was not their aim, nor absolute slavery. However, they were driven to take up arms against the Shepherd Kings at last. At first Rasekenen was only able to match the armies of the Cushites, battle for battle; but soon he began to gain on them. City after city, and district after district, was slowly freed from the Cushite yoke, until nothing remained to them but their capital city of Avaris in the Delta. In the course of these wars, Rasekenen was killed, but his son Ka-mo´sis assumed the lordship of Thebes, and the leadership of the Theban rebellion. He was able to accomplish little, however, for he too was killed shortly thereafter; and his brother, A-mo´sis, took up the Egyptian cause. Amosis raised the standard of national independence, and sent a call to arms to all parts of Egypt. He was able to field an army of four hundred and eighty thousand men, with which he mounted a new assault on Avaris. He also built a fleet of ships at Thebes, which he sailed down the Nile to aid in this assault; for Avaris was surrounded by moats in some places, and lagoons in others, and Amosis perceived that a combined attack by both land and sea might produce the desired result. However, Avaris was strongly fortified, and neither the city nor the Cushites succumbed to this first attack. Four more assaults, in fact, were mounted against the capital of the Shepherd Kings; and at last the defenders were wearied out; and being seized by a panic, they hastily made terms; and left Egypt. But Amosis, not trusting them to honor their word, or to settle anywhere nearby to his borders, lest they be tempted again to invade the country, pursued them as far as southern Palestine. The Cushites turned and gave battle about twenty miles south and west of Beersheba, where Isaac and Jacob pitched their tents. Amosis won the victory in this battle with a great slaughter, and the Cushites suffered such a humiliating defeat that they did not dare advance against Egypt again. The survivors, Josephus tells us, were the first to build Jerusalem.
Go to the next chapter: A New Dynasty
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Nothing New Press: Chapter XXX: The Theban Revolt, from The Story of the Ancient World by Christine Miller
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