Brugsch, Heinrich: Egypt under the pharaohs: a history derived entirely from the monuments (London, 1891)

OTN. six. AKISTT, THE PHOENICIAN USURPEK 323

throne that this prince had to wage war; foreigners
also contributed to turn Egypt upside down. A certain
Khar, or Phoenician, had seized the throne, maintained
himself on it for some time, driven the Egyptians into
banishment, and grievously oppressed those left in the
land. This is that Arisu of whom the great Harris
Papyrus speaks thus :—

Thus says King Ra-messu III., the son of Setnekht, the great
god, to the princes and leaders of the land, to the warriors and
to the chariot soldiers, to the Shardana, and the numerous
foreign mercenaries, and to all the living inhabitants of the land of
Tamera :—

Hearken ! I make you to know my glorious deeds, which I have
performed as king of men.

The people of Egypt lived in banishment abroad. Of those who
Hved in the interior of the land, none had any to care for him. So
passed away long years, until other times came. The land of Egypt
belonged to princes from foreign parts. They slew one another,
whether noble or mean.

Other times came on afterwards, during years of scarcity. Arisu,
a Phoenician, had raised himself among them to be a prince, and he
compelled all the people to pay him tribute. Whatever any had
gathered together, that his companions robbed them of. Thus did
they. The gods were treated like the men. They went without
the appointed sin-offerings in the temples.

Then did the gods turn this state of things to prosperity. They
restored to the land its even balance, such as its condition properly
required. And they established their son, who had come forth from
their body, as king of the whole land on their exalted throne. This
was King Setnekht Meri-Amen.

He was like the person of Set when he is indignant. He took
care for the whole land. If rebels showed themselves, he slew the
wicked who made a disturbance in the land of Tamera.

He purified the exalted royal throne of Egypt, and so he was
the ruler of the inhabitants on the throne of the sun-god Tmu,
while he raised up their faces. Such as showed themselves refusing
to acknowledge any one as a brother, were walled up.

He restored order to the temples, granting the sacred revenues
for the due offerings to the gods, as their statutes prescribe.

He raised me up as heir to the throne on the seat of the earth-
god Seb, to be the great governor of the Egyptian dominions in
care for the whole people, who have found themselves united to-
gether again.

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