Archaeology · 2 · Miriam
Jerusalem's first known writer
Centuries before David, a mayor named Abdi-Heba ruled Jerusalem for Egypt. His letters to Pharaoh survive among the Amarna Letters.
Before Jerusalem prayed to God, it petitioned Pharaoh.
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He begs Pharaoh for archers and credits the king's 'strong arm' for his position. The phrasing echoes later biblical language about God's strong arm and placing his name in Jerusalem, and the letters read strikingly like psalms.
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 35–36
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