"Zakarbaal"

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Zakarbaal (Cheker-Baal; ) - King of Bybla in the first half of the XI century BC; mentioned in the ancient Egyptian story "Travels of Unu-Amon".

Biography

Journeys of Unu-Amon

Unu-Amon is one of the Egyptian priests sent in the first half of the XI century BC (possibly in 1066 BC) by the high priest Herichor to Byblos to buy cedar wood necessary for the construction of the sacred boat of the god Amun.

Having overcome a number of dangers and difficulties along the way, Unu-Amon arrived at Bybl, where Zakarbaal was the ruler. He, for reasons not mentioned in the narrative, met the Egyptian messenger very unwelcome: Unu-Amon was kept in the Biblical port for 29 days, and the king sent people to him daily with the demand to leave his possessions. When, after “divine signs,” Unu-Amon was admitted to the king, he declared that he would not provide cedars until the Egyptian paid all the costs associated with these works. As confirmation of his words, Zakarbaal presented Una-Amon with documents in which it was written that under the father and grandfather of the Biblical king, the pharaohs always paid for the delivery of cedar trees to Egypt. Only after Unu-Amon sent a letter to Tanis asking for the goods needed to pay for the timber, Zakarbaal sent 300 workers and draft cattle to the Levant Mountains to deliver the timber to the port of Bybla.

Soon after, the messengers of the Chekers ruler, the viceroy of Zakarbaal, arrived at Bybl from Dora, demanding that the king give him Unu-Amon for execution, and the Egyptian ships that arrived for timber were destroyed. According to the checkers, the Egyptian ships could be used by their enemies. Unu-Amon was accused of illegally confiscating 30 pounds of silver from the residents of Dora, which he needed for further travel. With the consent of the Council of Biblical Elders, Zakarbaal refused the Chequers their demand. However, fearing to provoke the discontent of one of his subjects, the king of Bybla hastily released Unu-Amon, supplying him with food and money, and advised the Chequers to capture the Egyptian messenger at sea.

Unu-Amon managed to avoid captivity by checkers, but once in Cyprus he was attacked by local residents, for some reason gathered to kill him. At this point, the narrative in the papyrus (Papyrus Pushkin 120) containing "The Journeys of Unu-Amon" is cut short.

Modern research

Most modern Orientalists trust the facts set forth in the Travels of Unu-Amon. Only some details of the narrative are criticized, but in general it is believed that the work fairly accurately reports the political situation that developed in Egypt and Phoenicia in the first half of the XI century BC. In particular, absolute confidence is caused by the fact of gaining independence by the rulers of remote areas of the Egyptian kingdom (such as Byblos), previously completely subordinate to the pharaohs. The reason for this is the decline of the influence of the rulers of Egypt under the last representatives of the Ramsesid dynasty.

According to the Journey of Unu-Amon, grandfather and father