THE EGYPTIAN SUDAN during their reigns the influence of the priests increased so quickly that before the death of Rameses XII. it became evident that they would usurp the sovereignty of the country at the first opportunity.

In spite of their power, they were, however, unable to keep order in Thebes, and more than one riot of a serious character broke out in the city, and their authority was so lightly esteemed that the professional thieves of the day broke into the royal tombs on the western bank of the river, and stole the jewellery which had been buried with the mummies of the great Theban kings and queens, wrecked their coffins, and even tore the mummies in pieces to get at the valuable amulets, rings, necklaces, &c., which were wrapped up in the swathings. Thus we see that the priests of Amen were not able even to protect the mummies and tombs of the greatest benefactors of their brotherhood, and it is therefore not to be wondered at that they failed to keep the peace among the civil population in general. As a result of the rule of the priests all military expeditions ceased, no building operations were carried on, the works in the quarries were stopped, and the vassal tribes paid no tribute.

The first priest-king, Her-Heru, however, attempted to prove that Syria paid tribute to Amen by declaring that the products of that country which had been obtained in the ordinary way by trading caravans were offerings made by the Syrians to his god ! That he had no real influence there is proved by the fact that his envoy, Unu-Amen, whom he sent to Beriit to buy cedar wood to make a new boat for the god Amen, was robbed of all the money he had with him at Dor, and was obliged to send back to Egypt for a fresh supply. For an important official entrusted with a high mission, and carrying a considerable sum of money with him, to be robbed in Western Asia is an event which has frequently happened, even in modern times, and which need not surprise us, but when such a thing takes place it is a tolerably sure sign that the hold of the Government on the country is a slight one. The result of Her-Heru's incapacity as a ruler was that the Delta folk set up over themselves as king a descendant of Rameses II. called Nes-Ba-Tet, which name was changed by the Greeks into Smendes. He chose for his capital the ancient city of Tanis, and little by little his power extended to Thebes.

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