Our evidence has taken us down through the age of Egyptian supremacy, which can be traced to the time of Ramses III., if not to the days of Wenamon and Zakarbaal (1100 B.C.). With the decay of Egypt we reach the close of a period which corresponds broadly to that wherein Israelite history has placed the Patriarchs, Moses, Joshua, and the Judges. The picture which the external sources furnish was not effaced at a stroke. But the transformation from Egypt's suzerainty to an independent Israelite monarchy, {115} from the polytheism of the Amarna age to the recognition of a single God does not belong to these pages. The rise of Yahweh as the national God, and the development of conceptions regarding his nature must be sought in the native Israelite records themselves, and in such external evidence as the future may produce. Our task is finished when we point out that the external (archæological) evidence does not reveal that hiatus which would have ensued had there been a dislocation of earlier conditions by invading Israelite tribes; earlier forms are simply developed, the evolution is a progressive one.[8] [8] Cp. R. A. S. Macalister, 'Excavation of Gezer,' _Quarterly Statements_, 1904, p. 123; 1907, p. 203; Sellin, _op. cit._, p. 102; _id._, _Der Ertrag der Ausgrabungen in Orient für die Erkenntnis der Entwicklung der Religion Israels_ (Leipzig, 1905), _pp._ 33, 36 _sq._, 39 _sq._, see, in general, Vincent, _op. cit._, _pp._ 19 _sq._, 147 _sqq._, 199-204, 225, 345, 352 _sq._, 463 _sq._, and S. A. Cook, _English Historical Review_, 1908, _pp._ 325 _sq._ {116} PRINCIPAL SOURCES AND WORKS OF REFERENCE For the Excavations: R. A. S. Macalister, 'Reports on the Excavation of Gezer,' in the _Quarterly Statements_ of the Palestine Exploration Fund (October 1902-October 1905; July 1907-July 1908); _id._, _Bible Side-lights from the Mound of Gezer_ (London, 1906, numerous illustrations); Ernst Sellin, 'Tell Ta'annek,' in the _Denkschriften_ of the Vienna Academy (1904-5); W. M. Flinders Petrie, _Researches in Sinai_ (London, 1906); Hugues Vincent, _Canaan d'après l'Exploration Recente_ (Paris, 1907; a valuable account, from the archæological standpoint, of the results of excavation contained in the above works and elsewhere); G. Schumacher, _Tell el-Mutesellim_ (Leipzig, 1908), vol. i., text and plates. Evidence from Babylonian or Assyrian Texts: H. Winckler, _The Tell-el-Amarna Tablets_ (London, 1896); new edition by J. A. Knudtzon, _Die El-Amarna-Tafeln_ (Leipzig, 1907-8; Parts i.-x.); H. Zimmern, _Die Keilinschriften und das Alte Testament_ (Berlin, 1903; pp. 345-643); A. Jeremias, _Das Alte Testament im Lichte des Alten Orients_ (Leipzig, 1906); M. Jastrow, _Die Religion Babyloniens und Assyriens_ (Giessen, 1905--).