Section 81
King of the Philistines Now that other son Akamhel, the son of Shimshon, spoke to his mother Delilah, saying, “ Why am I not reigning and sitting upon this throne? ” And his mother said to him, “ Cease, my son. This throne did not belong to your father, and this city was not your father’s city; when the Elohim of your father has let you grow up you shall go to your father’s throne.” And her son said to her, u Nay, I will neither forsake you, my mother, nor Maksaba my mother, and I will be king here.” And one day the two youths were drunk after [their] meal was ended, and the doors were shut. And the two women were sitting together about to eat flesh, and the two youths were playing before them, and they ate with them, and a maidservant held the dish between them. And ’Akemehel, the son of Delilah, took from the dish [a piece of] flesh, which would fill both his hands, and put it to his mouth, and Tebreles, the son of Maksaba, the King of the Philistines, snatched away that part of the flesh that was outside his mouth. And ’Akemehel drew his sword and cut off his head, and it fell into the dish before he could swallow what he had seized; and his body fell upon the paving of the house; and his hands and his feet twitched convulsively, and he died straightway. And fear and dismay laid hold upon their two mothers, and they spoke never a word to anyone because they were afraid, but they swallowed the food which was in their mouths, and they looked at each other, not knowing what to do. And that handmaiden rose np from them, and she took the head of Tebreles out of the dish, and put it back on its neck and covered it over with her garment. And Delilah rose up and seized the sword of the dead son of her sister, and went to kill ’Akemehel, but he saved himself by hiding behind a pillar. And he made ready to kill his mother. And her sister rose up and seized her, saying, “ Why should we be destroyed through their [quarrel?]. This [youth] is [sprung] from a bad root, and cannot [bear] good fruit; come, my sister, let him not destroy you also.” And she took the sword from her hand, and drew up from her pillow (?) rich purple clothing which kings wear, and she gave it to him, and she spoke kindly words to him, saying, “ Take the apparel, my son, and you thyself shall sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Philistines.” And ’Akemehel raged like a savage bear, for he wished to slay both women until he made them to leave the house. And they went out, and when he had made them leave the house he took the purple apparel, and went out. And the two women came back, and made the dead body ready for burial, and they buried it secretlv. And when the time for the evening meal had come, the young men and the stewards sought for [their king] and found him not, and they asked about him, and his mother said to them, “ Your king is sick, and this man will sit in place of him.” And they took him and set him on the throne, and they prepared a feast, and rejoiced. And from that time onward the son of Shimshon reigned over them, and there was none who transgressed his Mitswah - now he committed this act [of murder] fif[teen] winters after he was born - and the kingdom of the Philistines became his and his seed’s after him. Therefore, beloved, it is well known that the kingdom of the Philistines belongs to the seed of Shem.