AS mentioned earlier, the tale of Sanehat (or Senohy), took place at the time of king Amenemhat I, the founder of the 12th dynasty, middle kingdom. After the king’s death, Sanehat fled to Syria but was always longing to return hack to Egypt; he thus wrote a petition to the king in order to allow him to return to Egypt and the king accept¬ed. On his way back, he was challenged into a fight. The scene of that fight is very inter¬esting because it reflects the tradition of fights at that time; an honorable fight was to be witnessed by people but never interfered into and the one who won the fight killed the adversary and annexed all his belongings. The coming is the detailed description of this fight, as translated by the renowned Egyptologist Flinders Pitrie:
A champion of the Tenu came to defy me in my tent: a bold man without equal, for he had vanquished the whole country. He said, Let Sanehat fight with me; for he desired to overthrow me, he thought to take my cattle for his tribe. The prince counciled with me. I said, I know him not. I am certainly not of his degree, I hold me far from his place. Have I ever opened his door, or leaped over his fence? It is some envious jealousy from seeing me; does he think that I am like some steer among the cows, whom the bull over¬throws? If this is a wretch who thinks to enrich himself at my cost, not a Bedawi and a Bedawi fit for fight, then let us put the matter to judgment. Verily a true bull loves battle, but a vain-glorious bull turns his back for fear of contest; if he has a heart for combat, let him speak what he pleases. Will God forget what He has ordained, and how shall that be known? I lay down; and when I had rested I strung my bow, I made ready my arrows, I loosened my poignard, I furbished my arms. At dawn the land of the Tenu came together; it had gathered its tribes and called all the neighboring people, it spoke of nothing but the fight. Each heart burnt for me, men and women crying out; for each heart was troubled for me, and they said, Is there another strong one who would fight with him? Behold the adversary has a buckler, a battle axe, and an armful of javelins. Then I drew him to the attack; I turned aside his arrows, and they struck the ground in vain. One drew near to the other, and he fell on me, and then I shot him. My arrow fastened in his neck, he cried out, and fell on his face: I drove his lance into him, and raised my shout of victory on his back. Whilst all the men of the land rejoiced, I, and his vassals whom he had oppressed, gave thanks unto Mentu. This prince, Amu¬an-shi, embraced me. Then I carried off his goods and took his cattle, that which he had wished to do to me, I did even so unto him; I seized that which was in his tent, I spoiled his dwelling. As time went on I increased the richness of my treasures and the number of my cattle.
As we can see, Sanehat won the fight that took place in Tenu (in Syria). In the next article, we will be presenting the petition Sanehat sent to King Amenemhat I asking for his consent to return back to Egypt.
