Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/260

 In Judges, 10: 12, it is stated that the Israelites were oppressed by the Amalekites and Maonites. The tribe of Amalek, or the Amalekites, had their camps south of Judaea proper. Their territory was traversed by the great transport route leading from the oasis of Maʻân through the pass of an-Namala to Gaza and Egypt, and hence it is evident that they must have had economic and political relations with the inhabitants of the oasis of Maʻân, with whom they could ally themselves in an expedition against the southern tribes of Israel, who perhaps had disturbed the merchant caravans. The Septuagint, confusing Maʻôn with Madian, refers to the country southeast of the Dead Sea as their home.

The most important record for us in this connection is that in 2 Chronicles, 20: 1, 10, 22f. Joshaphat (Jehoshaphat), the king of Judea (873—849 B. C.), waged war against the Moabites, the Ammonites, and the people of Meʻûn, who marched against him along the southern shore of the Dead Sea. The report, however, also refers to the people of Meʻûn as hailing from the Seʻîr mountain range, which tallies with the situation of the oasis of Maʻân. This oasis is situated at the eastern extremity of the Seʻîr mountain range, through which two important branches of the transport routes used to lead. It is therefore highly probable that the people of Meʻûn maintained friendly relations with the inhabitants of the Seʻîr mountains and assisted them in their war against Joshaphat. Moreover, Joshaphat was endeavoring to renew the maritime trade of the harbor of ʻEsjôngeber at the northern end of the narrow arm of the present Gulf of al-ʻAḳaba to the north of the town of Elath. When ʻEṣjôngeber belonged to him, he must also have been in possession of the territory which was traversed by the branch transport route from Maʻân to Gaza, and thus his interests must have conflicted with those of the people of Meʻûn.

According to 2 Chronicles, 26: 7, King Uzziah (779—740 B. C.) destroyed the Arabs that dwelt in Gûr Baʻal, and the people of Meʻûn. The Bible refers to the Arabs as dwelling south and southeast of the Dead Sea, and it is in these regions that our oasis of Maʻân is located. The records of the political and economic affairs of the time of Uzziah point in the same direction. Uzziah’s father, Amaziah, subjugated the people of Edom and Seʻîr (2 Chron., 25: 14). Uzziah took advantage of this victory and established sway over the harbor of Elath, the present-day al-ʻAḳaba. This circumstance would seem to show that he was the ruler of all the eastern half of the peninsula of Sinai with the rift valley of al-ʻAraba as far as the actual frontier of Edom along the foot of the Seʻîr mountain range; for only thus could the communication with Elath be insured.

Having firmly occupied the eastern part of the peninsula of Sinai and the harbor town of Elath, Uzziah held sway over two important branches of the international trade route from southwestern Arabia to Syria and, just as his predecessor Joshaphat had done, came into contact, either on good or bad terms, with the rulers of the oasis of Maʻôn, whence branch roads led to Gaza and Elath respectively. It was easier for Uzziah to maintain authority over the branch road to Gaza than over that to the harbor of Elath. The latter was perhaps more important than the former to the people of Meʻûn, because it connected them with Egypt and gave them an opportunity of avoiding the territory of Judea and