The city-state of Shechem and its neighbors in the Amarna Letters

THE CITY STATE OF SHECHEM AND ITS NEIGHBORS IN THE AMARNA LETTERS, c. 1350 to 1334 BCE

The ruler of Shechem, Lab'ayu, controlled an area contiguous with the city state of Jerusalem in the south, Gezer in the southwest, Gath-padalla to the west and Megiddo to the northwest. Lab'ayu was not a native of Shechem; his own home city and his family estate (including the family cult statue) were seized by force; the name of that town and the attacking enemy are not given. Lab'ayu had close political ties with Milkilu, ruler of Gezer, and complained that the latter went unpunished while he, Lab'ayu, had suffered the loss of property. The father-in-law of Milkilu was Tagu, ruler of Gath-carmel; Tagu furnished the soldiers for the Egyptian garrison at Beth-shean. The hills around Shechem were less densely occupied than the coastal plain and valleys. So political refugees and renegades (`apîru) sought refuge there. Lab'ayu's son was accused of consorting with those outlaws and Lab'ayu had to turn the lad over to an Egyptian official for interrogation.

Article abstract from The Sacred Bridge