neighbouring city of Usu, which seems to have occupied the site of
Palætyros on the mainland, thereby depriving the Tyrians of their
supplies of wood, food, and fresh water. The city of Tyre was at the
time confined to a rocky island, to which provisions and water had to be
conveyed in boats. Hence the hostile occupation of the town on the
mainland caused many of its inhabitants to die of want. To add to their
difficulties, the city was blockaded by the combined fleet of Sidon,
Arvad, and Aziru. Ilgi, "king of Sidon," seems to have fled to Tyre for
protection, while Abimelech reports that the king of Hazor had joined
the Beduin under Ebed-Asherah and his sons. It may be noted that a
letter of this very king of Hazor has been preserved, as well as another
from Ebed-Sullim, the Egyptian governor of the city, whose powers were
co-extensive with those of the king.

Soon afterwards, however, the Sidonian ships were compelled to retreat,
and the Tyrian governor made ready to pursue them. Meanwhile he sent his
messenger Elimelech to Khu-n-Aten with various presents, and gave the
king an account of what had been happening in "Canaan." The Hittite
troops had departed, but Etagama--elsewhere called Aidhu-gama--the
_pa-ur_ or "prince" of Kadesh, in the land of Kinza, had joined Aziru in
attacking Namya-yitsa, the governor of Kumidi. Abimelech adds that his
rival Zimridi of Sidon had collected ships and men from the cities of
Aziru against him, and had consequently defeated him, but if the Pharaoh
would send only four companies of troops to his rescue all would be
well.

Zimridi, however, was not behindhand in forwarding his version of events
to the Egyptian court, and assuring the king of his unswerving fidelity.
"Verily the king my lord knows," he says, "that the queen of the city of
Sidon is the handmaid of the king my lord, who has given her into my