Anson Rainey’s article is most welcome. He presents strong support for my overall interpretation of the battle reliefs on the western outer wall of the Cour de la Cachette in the Karnak temple in Egypt. He has interpreted the evidence much as I did, including an overall consideration of Merenptah’s work in the decoration and inscribing of these reliefs.

He disagrees, however, with my interpretation of what I called scene 4 and its identification with Israel. As Rainey acknowledges, the parallels and precedents for my reinterpretation of the sequence of the battle scenes are valid, but he doubts that the Canaanite dress and chariot in possession of pharaoh’s foes in scene 4 could be Israelite.