THOTHMES IV.

with the view of protecting his interests against the Kheta and other peoples of Northern Syria. He is also famous for having cleared away the sand from the Sphinx, and restored, or rebuilt, the temple of Heru-khuti which stood between its paws.

Thothmes IV. was succeeded by his son Amen-hetep III., the lifievQ}(f)i<i of the Greeks, who was about twenty years of age when he came to the throne ; he reigned for between thirty and forty years, and under his rule Egypt and her provinces enjoyed peace and prosperity. During the first four years of his reign nothing serious happened to disturb Egypt, but in the fifth year, according to a stele published by Lepsius ' and M. J. de Morgan," " one came " and told His Majesty that the abominable chief of Kesh, for so the name is spelled, had rebelled, and that his insolent heart had stirred him up to declare himself independent.

Amen-hetep III. set out promptly, and in a very short time reduced the rebel to submission. The centre of the rebellion was at Abhat, to the south of Behen or Wadi Haifa. The forces of the Prince of Kash were reinforced by the king's personal troops, and the wretched Nubians were, as usual, defeated with great slaughter.

From three hundred and twelve natives the hands were cut off, and seven hundred and forty were made prisoners,* and a large quantity of booty captured. On a stele ' dated in the fifth year of his reign, we see the king standing between Khnemu and Amen-Ra, behind whom are representatives of the four great divisions of the Sudan which had been conquered by him, their names being : i. Vile Kesh. 2. Arek or Alek. 3. ... ar or al. 4. Ur , . . These Amen-Ra, whom the king declared to be his actual father, is supposed to have given to his son, who went into Nubia to " place the boundaries of his country wheresoever he " pleased," even so far as the four pillars which supported the sky."

As we have already seen (p. 533), Nubia was divided into four parts under the Xllth Dynasty.

' Denkmiiler Abth. iii., pi. 82 a. -Catalogue, p. 67.

1 w 1 .

This number is made up thus : Men 150, boys no, women 250, old me 55, children 175. See Birch, Archaeologia, vol. xxxiv., pi. 28, and p. 378.

* Lepsius, Detikmdler, Abth. iii., BI. 82 a.

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