9. Akki, the irrigator, in the goodness of his heart lifted me out, 10. Akki, the irrigator, as his own son ...... brought me up; 11. Akki, the irrigator, as his gardener appointed me. 12. When I was a gardener the goddess Ishtar loved me, 13. And for four years I ruled the kingdom. 14. The black-headed[451] peoples I ruled, I governed; 15. Mighty mountains with axes of bronze I destroyed (?). 16. I ascended the upper mountains; 17. I burst through the lower mountains. 18. The country of the sea I besieged three times; 19. Dilmun[452] I captured (?). 20. Unto the great Dur-ilu I went up, I .......... 21. .......... I altered .......... 22. Whatsoever king shall be exalted after me, 23. .............................. 24. Let him rule, let him govern the black-headed peoples; 25. Mighty mountains with axes of bronze let him destroy; 26. Let him ascend the upper mountains, 27. Let him break through the lower mountains; 28. The country of the sea let him besiege three times; 29. Dilmun let him capture; 30. To great Dur-ilu let him go up. The rest is too broken for connected translation. It is thought by some scholars of the critical school that the parallelism between the secret birth, the exposure, the rescue and adoption of Sargon, and the account of the secret birth, exposure, rescue, and adoption of Moses in Exod. 2:1-10 is too close to be accidental. Conservative scholars, on the other hand, hold that, if the legend of Sargon is historical, it merely affords an example of a striking coincidence of events in two independent lives. =2. The Pillar of Merneptah.= In the fifth year of King Merneptah, who ruled from 1225-1215 B. C., and who is thought to be the Pharaoh of the exodus, he inscribed on a pillar an account of his wars and victories. The inscription concludes with the following poetic strophe:[453] The kings are overthrown, saying: “salaam!” Not one holds up his head among the nine bows.[454] Wasted is Tehenu,[455] Kheta[456] is pacified, Plundered is the Canaan[457] with every evil, Carried off is Askelon, Seized upon is Gezer, Yenoam[458] is made as a thing not existing. Israel is desolated, his seed is not; Palestine has become a widow for Egypt. All lands are united, they are pacified; Every one that is turbulent is bound by King Merneptah, who gives life like Rā every day.