re. The Philistines were of the remnant of the dying glories of
Crete; the Hebrews had no past to speak of, but were entering on the
heritage they regarded as theirs, by right of a recently ratified
divine covenant."[421]

Saul was the leader of a revolt against the Philistines in northern
Palestine, and became the ruler of the kingdom of Israel. Then David,
having liberated Judah from the yoke of the Philistines, succeeded
Saul as ruler of Israel, and selected Jerusalem as his capital. He
also conquered Edom and Moab, but was unsuccessful in his attempt to
subjugate Ammon. The Philistines were then confined to a restricted
area on the seacoast, where they fused with the Semites and ultimately
suffered loss of identity. Under the famous Solomon the united kingdom
of the Hebrews reached its highest splendour and importance among the
nations.

If the Philistines received the support of the Hittites, the Hebrews
were strengthened by an alliance with Egypt. For a period of two and a
half centuries no Egyptian army had crossed the Delta frontier into
Syria. The ancient land of the Pharaohs had been overshadowed meantime
by a cloud of anarchy, and piratical and robber bands settled freely
on its coast line. At length a Libyan general named Sheshonk (Shishak)
seized the throne from the Tanite Dynasty. He was the Pharaoh with
whom Solomon "made affinity",[422] and from whom he received the city
of Gezer, which an Egyptian army had captured.[423] Solomon had
previously married a daughter of Sheshonk's.

Phoenicia was also flourishing. Freed from Egyptian, Hittite, and
Assyrian interference, Tyre and Sidon attained to a high degree of
power as independent city States. During the reigns of David and
Solomon, Tyre was the predominant Phoenician power. Its kings, Abibaal
and his son Hiram, had become "Kings of the Sidonians", and are
believed to have extended their sway over part of Cyprus. The
relations between the Hebrews and the Phoenicians were of a cordial
character, indeed the two powers became allies.

And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon; for he had
heard that they had anointed him king in the room of his father:
for Hiram was ever a lover of David. And Solomon sent to Hiram,
saying, Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an
house unto the name of the Lord His God for the wars which were
about him on every side, until the Lord put them under the soles
of his fe