(M744) The Tell el Amarna tablets, some three hundred in number, were discovered in 1887-88, at the ruins of the palace of Amenophis IV., in Egypt. They will form the subject of a separate volume of this series. They consist of the letters or despatches sent to kings of Egypt by the kings of Babylon, Assyria, Mitanni, and the subject-rulers of many Syrian and Palestinian cities and states. From these can be obtained a very clear view of the state of Syria and Palestine just before the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. Naturally, these letters have formed the subject of a very large literature. The most complete edition of the texts is by Winckler, _Der Thontafelfund von el Amarna_.(802) With these should be compared Dr. J. A. Knudtzon’s _Ergebnisse einer Collation der El Amarna Tafeln_ and _Weitere Studien zu den El Amarna Tafeln_.(803) A full transcription with translation and glossary to these texts has been given by Winckler, as _Die Thontafeln von Tell el Amarna_.(804) An excellent English translation by J. P. Metcalf is to be had. There are a few of these tablets, which found their way into private hands, or to other museums than London, Berlin, and Gizeh, whence Winckler’s copies were obtained. It is a duty to science that these should now be published. In the _Bulletin de l’Institut Français d’Archéologie orientale_, t. II., published at Cairo, Professor Scheil gives the text of two more of these important letters. The explorer, Dr. F. Bliss, found another in the ruins of Lachish. It is included in Winckler’s work above. Professor Sellin has lately found several tablets, which by their script and personal references are shown to belong to this period. They were found at Ta’annek, and are published by Dr. Hronzy in the _Anzeige der philos. hist. Klasse der Wiener Akademie_.(805) The interest of these additions lies in the fact that they were found in Palestine itself. (M745) The numerous Cappadocian tablets are now generally recognized by their language and script to belong to this period. They also show considerable affinity with the documents of the First Dynasty of Babylon, and the Tell el Amarna letters preserve many characteristic expressions.