* 2 Kings xvi. 9.  Kir is generally located in Armenia, Media, or Babylonia; a passage in Isaiah (xxii. 6), however, seems to point to its having been somewhere in the direction of Elam, and associated with the Aramaeans on the banks of the Tigris.  The Assyrian monuments have not, as yet, yielded confirmation of the details given by the Book of the Kings in regard to the captivity of the inhabitants of Damascus.  A fragmentary tablet, giving an account of the death of Rezin, was discovered by H. Raw-linson, but it was left in Assyria, and no one knows what has since become of it.

[Illustration:  289.jpg AN ARAB]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from Layard.

The coalition he had formed did not long survive its leader.* Mutton hastily came to an understanding with the conqueror; Mitinti, like Hannon, fled into Egypt, and his place was taken by Kukibtu, a partisan of Assyria.  Hoshea, son of Elah, rebelled against Pekah, assassinated him, and purchased the right to reign over what was left of Israel for ten talents of gold.** Shamshieh alone held out.

     * The following is a list of the kings of Damascus from the
     time of David, as far as is known up to the present time:—­

[Illustration:  LIST OF THE KINGS OF DAMASCUS]

** 2 Kings xv. 30.  The inscription published by H. Rawlinson, merely states that “they overthrew Pekah, their king, and I promoted Auzi [to the kingship] over them.  I received [from him] X talents of gold and... talents of silver....”

She imagined herself to be safe among the sands of the desert, and it never occurred to her that the heavy masses of the Assyrian army would dream of venturing into these solitudes.  Detachments of light cavalry were sent in pursuit of her, and at first met with some difficulties; they were, however, eventually successful; the Armenian and Cappadocian steeds of the Ninevite horsemen easily rode down the queen’s meharis.

[Illustration:  290.jpg ARAB MEHARIS RIDDEN DOWN BY THE ASSYRIAN CAVALRY]

     Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from the bas-relief reproduced by
     Layard.

Their success made a great impression on the Arab tribes, and induced the Mashai, Timai Sabasans, Khaiapaeans, Badanaeans, and Khattiaeans to bend the knee before Assyria.  They all sent envoys bearing presents of gold and silver, camels, both male and female, and spices:* even the Muzri, whose territory lay to the south of the Dead Sea, followed their example, and a certain Idibiel was appointed as their chief.**

     * Delitzsch has identified the names of several of these
     races with names mentioned in the Bible, such as the Temah,
     Massah, Ephah, Sheba.

     ** The name Muzri, as Winckler has shown, here refers, not
     to Egypt, but to a canton near Edom, the Nabatsea of the
     Greco-Roman geographers.