Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/45

 The Writing of the Hittites. 29 quently struck. The people, however, that had founded and defended it to the last had no hand in its new prosperity ; and, with Pisiris, the name of the Hittites disappears from history. § 4. — The Writing of the Hittites, Were the warlike energetic tribes, whose political existence thus came to an end, the inventors of the system of signs which have been called " Hamathite," from Hamath, once the very centre of their power .^ It cannot be demonstrated with absolute certainty, but many instances lead to that conclusion. In the first place, there was no other people at that time in Syria that could have united all the tribes of western Asia under one command, implying aptitude for organization such as can only exist in a settled con- dition of life. On the other hand, the data we possess do not carry us back beyond the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when we find them in full possession of the country, able to withstand Egypt in her might, and contend with Assyria, not always to the latter's advantage. Can any one point to any people in that part of the world that could have played the part ascribed to them under the kings of Kadesh and Carchemish 1 If possession con- stitutes the nine points of the law, we have strong overwhelming evidence to go to the jury. Egyptian inscriptions tell us that Hittite princes had scribes who accompanied them in their campaigns, to record their deeds. Among the notable Khetas killed in the battle of Kades were the chief eunuch, the arm-bearer, and Khalepsar, the '* writer of books," who was, doubtless, the official chronicler.^ Fifteen years later, another scribe, Khirpasar, drew up the treaty which was to establish a lasting peace between Khitisar and Ramses, the con- ditional clauses having previously been discussed and settled between the two princes. Ambassadors were sent to Egypt bear- ing with them the text of the treaty engraved upon a silver plate, to have it ratified by Ramses. This has disappeared, but a copy, in the form of an oblong stela, with a top ring as if for the purpose of suspension, is to be seen on the wall of the temple of this king at Karnac (Fig. 261). Though not formally specified, the context scarcely allows room for doubt but that the treaty was couched in Lepsius, Denlamelcr^ Pt. III., Plate CLXV. It is in the middle of the penult compartment, under the body of Ramses* horse.
 * The figure of Khalepsar, with legend denoting his business in life, will be found