of reaching Gaza of the Philistines either from the south or the southwest. When Solomon and Uzziah established maritime trade at Elath, the masters of southwestern Arabia certainly also had trade relations there. Goods conveyed by sea were dispatched from there partly to Egypt and partly to Syria. The main trade center for Damascus and the great Syrian harbors could only be the oasis of Maʻân, to which place a transport route leads from Elath through the valley of al-Jitm. This route runs to the foot of the aš-Šera’ mountain range, ascends the latter through the Štâr pass, proceeds to the east of the formerly inhabited territory, and so reaches Maʻân. As long as Uzziah did not control this route, he was not master of the trade of Elath, because ships could land at the Gulf of al-ʻAḳaba, and from there the goods could be conveyed to the main transport route, and so to Maʻân. Having obtained control over the branch route from Elath to Maʻân, Uzziah could interfere with the communication between Maʻân and the south and thus force the people of Meʻûn to come to an agreement.
According to our interpretation of the report quoted, Uzziah endeavored to gain authority over the branch route from Elath to Maʻân. He therefore waged war against the people of Meʻûn and the Arabs at Gûr Baʻal (Codex Amiatinus [C. de Tischendorf], loco collato, has Tûr Baʻal). Many would prefer to read Ṣûr Baʻal, but since the Septuagint has ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας, which in our opinion is entirely correct, I prefer the reading Gûr Baʻal for the following reasons. The word Gûr I take to be the Hebrew transcription of the Arabic ḳûr, which designates isolated rocks of tabular form with steep sides. There is an abundance of these east, northeast, and southeast of Elath as far as the foot of the aš-Šera’ mountains, while to the north and northwest this configuration is unknown. Not far from the branch route between Elath and Maʻân there rises among other rocks the ḳûr of Mount Iram. In Islâm this is associated with legends supplying evidence that on it, or near it, the surrounding population had a temple of Baʻal, which would account for the name Gûr Baʻal. Biblical report assigns the locality or region of Gûr Baʻal to the Arabs, and this tallies with its situation to the east and northeast of Elath, because for the most part the Biblical accounts locate the Arabs east and south of ancient Edom.
The most detailed Biblical report about the people of Meʻûn is contained in 1 Chronicles, 4: 39—43. Under Hezekiah, king of Judea (727—699 B. C.), several clans of the tribe of Simeon migrated and proceeded to a place from which Gedor can be reached, seeking pastures for their flocks as far as east of Gai’. They found rich and fat pastures, and on both sides the region was wide, peaceful, and safe. It had formerly been inhabited by the Hamites. The men of Simeon destroyed their tents, as well as those of the people of Meʻûn who were there, and settled in their place. There were five hundred of the men of Simeon who proceeded to the Seʻîr mountain range, slew the last remnants of the Amalekites, and remained there. The Septuagint does not read Gedor but Gerar; Gai’ is translated as if it were the common appellation of a valley. The whole report is generally interpreted as meaning that the men of Simeon migrated westward to a place from which Gerar could be reached and that they arrived at the east of the valley hag-Gai’, i. e. the border valley between the Promised Land and Egypt, which formerly belonged