destroyed. Behold, Turbazu thy officer [has fallen] in the great gate of
the city of Zelah. Behold, the servants who acted against the king have
slain Zimrida of Lachish. They have murdered Jephthah-Hadad thy officer
in the gate of the city of Zelah."

We hear of another governor of Lachish, Yabni-el by name, but he
probably held office before Zimrida. At all events the following
despatch of his has been preserved:--

"To the king my lord, my god, my Sun-god, the Sun-god who is from
heaven, thus (writes) Yabni-el, the governor of the city of Lachish, thy
servant, the dust of thy feet, the groom of thy horses; at the feet of
the king my lord, my god, my Sun-god, the Sun-god who is from heaven,
seven times seven I bow myself. Glorious and supreme [art thou]. I the
groom of [the horses] of the king my lord, listen to the [words] of the
king my lord. Now have I heard all the words which Baya the prefect has
spoken to me. Now have I done everything."

Zimrida of Lachish must be distinguished from another Canaanite of the
same name who was governor of Sidon. This latter was a personal enemy of
Rib-Hadad the governor of Gebal, whose letters to Khu-n-Aten form a
considerable portion of the Tel el-Amarna collection. The authority of
Rib-Hadad originally extended over the greater part of Phoenicia, and
included the strong fortress of Zemar or Simyra in the mountains. One by
one, however, his cities were taken from him by his adversaries whom he
accuses of rebellion against the Pharaoh. His letters to Egypt are
accordingly filled with imploring appeals for help. But none was sent,
and as his enemies equally professed their loyalty to the Egyptian
government, it is doubtful whether this was because the Pharaoh
suspected Rib-Hadad himself of disaffection or because no troops could