took to the
field; and a battle was fought at Kar-kar or Garrrar (perhaps one of the
many Aroers), where the superiority of the Assyrian troops was once more
proved, and Sargon gained a complete victory over his enemies. Yahu-bid
himself was taken and beheaded; and the chiefs of the revolt in the
other towns were also put to death.

Having thus crushed the rebellion and re-established tranquillity
throughout Syria, Sargon turned his arms towards the extreme south, and
attacked Gaza, which was a dependency of Egypt. The exact condition of
Egypt at this time is open to some doubt. According to Manetho's
numbers, the twenty-fifth or Ethiopian dynasty had not yet begun to
reign. Bocchoris the Saite occupied the throne, a humane but weak
prince, of a contemptible presence, and perhaps afflicted with
blindness. No doubt such a prince would tempt the attack of a powerful
neighbor; and, so for, probability might seem to be in favor of the
Manethonian dates. But, on the other hand, it must be remembered that
Egypt had lately taken an aggressive attitude, incompatible with a time
of weakness: she had intermeddled between the Assyrian crown and its
vassals, by entering into a league with Hoshea: and she had extended her
dominion over a portion of Philistia, thereby provoking a collision with
the Great Power of the East. Again, it is worthy of note that the name
of the Pharaoh who had dealings with Hoshea, if it does not seen at
first sight very closely to resemble the Egyptian Shebek, is, at any
rate, a possible representative of that word, while no etymological
skill can force it into agreement with any other name in this portion of
the Egyptian lists. Further, it is to be remarked that at this point of
the Assyrian annals, a Shebek appears in them, holding a position of
great authority in Egypt, though not dignified with the title of king.
These facts furnish strong grounds for believing that the Manethonian
chronology, which can be proved to be in many points incorrect, has
placed the accession of the Ethiopians somewhat too late, and that that
event occurred really as early as B.C. 725 or B.C. 730.

At the same time, it must be allowed that all difficulty is not removed
by this supposition. The Shebek _Sibahe_ (or _Sibaki_) of the Assyrian
record bears an inferior title, and not that of king. He is also,
apparently, contemporary with another authority in Egypt, who is
recognized by Sargon as the true "Pharaoh," or native rul