The Taking Of Joppa

There was once in the time of King Men-kheper-ra a revolt of the servants
of his Majesty who were in Joppa; and his Majesty said, “Let Tahutia go
with his footmen and destroy this wicked Foe in Joppa.” And he called one
of his followers, and said moreover, “Hide thou my great cane, which works
wonders, in the baggage of Tahutia that my power may go with him.”

Now when Tahutia came near to Joppa, with all the footmen of Pharaoh, he
sent unto the Foe in Joppa, and said, “Behold now his Majesty, King
Men-kheper-ra, has sent all this great army against thee; but what is that
if my heart is as thy heart? Do thou come, and let us talk in the field,
and see each other face to face.” So Tahutia came with certain of his men;
and the Foe in Joppa came likewise, but his charioteer that was with him
was true of heart unto the King of Egypt. And they spoke with one another
in his great tent, which Tahutia had placed far off from the soldiers. But
Tahutia had made ready 200 sacks, with cords and fetters, and had made a
great sack of skins with bronze fetters, and many baskets: and they were
in his tent, the sacks and the baskets, and he had placed them as the
forage for the horses is put in baskets. For while the Foe in Joppa drank
with Tahutia, the people who were with him drank with the footmen of
Pharaoh, and made merry with them. And when their bout of drinking was
past, Tahutia said to the Foe in Joppa, “If it please thee, while I remain
with the women and children of thy own city, let one bring of my people
with their horses, that they may give them provender, or let one of the
Apuro run to fetch them.” So they came, and hobbled their horses, and gave
them provender, and one found the great cane of Men-kheper-ra (Tahutmes
III), and came to tell of it to Tahutia. And thereupon the Foe in Joppa
said to Tahutia: “My heart is set on examining the great cane of
Men-kheper-ra, which is named ‘... tautnefer.’ By the _ka_ of the King
Men-kheper-ra it will be in thy hands to-day; now do thou well and bring
thou it to me.” And Tahutia did thus, and he brought the cane of King
Men-kheper-ra. And he laid hold on the Foe in Joppa by his garment, and he
arose and stood up, and said, “Look on me, O Foe in Joppa; here is the
great cane of King Men-kheper-ra, the terrible lion, the son of Sekhet, to
whom Amen his father gives power and strength.” And he raised his hand and
struck the forehead of the Foe in Joppa, and he fell helpless before him.
He put him in the sack of skins and he bound with gyves the hands of the
Foe in Joppa, and put on his feet the fetters with four rings. And he made
them bring the 200 sacks which he had cleaned, and made to enter into them
200 soldiers, and filled the hollows with cords and fetters of wood, he
sealed them with a seal, and added to them their rope-nets and the poles
to bear them. And he put every strong footman to bear them, in all 600
men, and said to them, “When you come into the town you shall open your
burdens, you shall seize on all the inhabitants of the town, and you shall
quickly put fetters upon them.”

Then one went out and said unto the charioteer of the Foe in Joppa, “Thy
master is fallen; go, say to thy mistress, ‘A pleasant message! For Sutekh
has given Tahutia to us, with his wife and his children; behold the
beginning of their tribute,’ that she may comprehend the two hundred
sacks, which are full of men and cords and fetters.” So he went before
them to please the heart of his mistress, saying, “We have laid hands on
Tahutia.” Then the gates of the city were opened before the footmen: they
entered the city, they opened their burdens, they laid hands on them of
the city, both small and great, they put on them the cords and fetters
quickly; the power of Pharaoh seized upon that city. After he had rested
Tahutia sent a message to Egypt to the King Men-kheper-ra his lord,
saying: “Be pleased, for Amen thy good father has given to thee the Foe in
Joppa, together with all his people, likewise also his city. Send,
therefore, people to take them as captives that thou mayest fill the house
of thy father Amen Ra, king of the gods, with men-servants and
maid-servants, and that they may be overthrown beneath thy feet for ever
and ever.”