h defended his frontiers. Some of them he garrisoned with
foot-soldiers, others with horsemen and chariots. By thus distributing
his military forces over the whole country, he achieved a twofold
object;* he provided, on the one hand, additional security from foreign
invasion, and on the other diminished the risk of internal revolt.

* 1 Kings ix. 15, 17-19; cf. 2 Chron. viii. 4-6. The
parallel passage in 2 Chron. viii. 4, and the marginal
variant in the _Book of Kings_, give the reading Tadmor
Palmyra for Tamar, thus giving rise to the legends which
state that Solomon's frontier extended to the Euphrates. The
Tamar here referred to is that mentioned in Ezeh. xlvii. 19,
xlviii. 28, as the southern boundary of Judah; it is perhaps
identical with the modern Kharbet-Kurnub.

The remnants of the old aboriginal clans, which had hitherto managed to
preserve their independence, mainly owing to the dissensions among the
Israelites, were at last absorbed into the tribes in whose territory
they had settled. A few still held out, and only gave way after long
and stubborn resistance: before he could triumph over Gezer, Solomon was
forced to humble himself before the Egyptian Pharaoh. He paid homage to
him, asked the hand of his daughter in marriage, and having obtained it,
persuaded him to come to his assistance: the Egyptian engineers placed
their skill at the service of the besiegers and soon brought the
recalcitrant city to reason, handing it over to Solomon in payment for
his submission.* The Canaanites were obliged to submit to the poll-tax
and the _corvee_: the men of the league of Gibeon were made hewers
of wood and drawers of water for the house of the Lord.** The Hebrews
themselves bore their share in the expenses of the State, and though
less heavily taxed than the Canaanites, were, nevertheless, compelled to
contribute considerable sums; Judah alone was exempt, probably because,
being the private domain of the sovereign, its revenues were already
included in the royal exchequer.***

* 1 Kings ix. 16. The Pharaoh in question was probably one
of the Psiukhannit, the Psusennos II. of Manetho.

** 1 Kings ix. 20, 21. The annexation of the Gibeonites and
their allies is placed at the time of the conquest in Josh.
ix. 3-27; it should be rather fixed at the date of the loss
of independence of the league, probably in the time of
Solomon.

*** St