of roads which traversed Southern Syria.  He remodelled the fortifications of Tamar, the two Bethhorons, Baalath, Hazor, and of many other towns which 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.

     *** Stade thinks that Judah was not exempt, and that the
     original document must have given thirteen districts.