Petrie, William M. Flinders: Syria and Egypt from the Tell el Amarna letters (London, 1898)

138 THE SOUTH SYRIAN WAR

established me over my father's territory."
At first sight this would seem to be merely
a statement of his being- the king's nominee.
But the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews
had some document containing a similar
statement about another king of Jerusalem,
Melkizedek, being " without father, without
mother, without genealogy." (Heb. vii. 3.)
Such cannot be a coincidence when it con-
cerns two kings of the same city, and is a
phrase never known elsewhere. We must
recognize in it a formula familiar at Jerusa-
lem, and so quoted by Abdkhiba in referring
his elevation to the king. It is the formula
of an elective rule distinctly, and shows that
the main city of south Palestine for several
centuries was familiar with elected chiefs.

(5) Municipal government. This occurs
in three cities. Irqata addresses a letter
from "Irqata and its elders" (letter 159).
Dunip also addresses the king as "The
inhabitants of Dunip " (letter 170). And in
the absence of Ribaddi, Gubla managed its
own affairs and wrote from " The people
who are occupying (?) Gubla" (letter 193).
With these we may compare the deputation
from " the elders and all the inhabitants"