IX. pomp, and to finish and furnish so many superb build- LETTER ings, but by an extensive and lucrative commerce. His father David having conquered the land of Edom, or Idumea, perceived the advantages that might be made of its two harbours, Elath and Eziongaber, on the eastern coast of the Arabian gulf, or Red Sea; whence he appears to have carried on trade with suc cesso. And the profits of that trade, added to the accumulated spoils of his vanquished enemies, with their annual tributes, swelled before his death to an immense treasure". This treasure devolved to Solomon; whose enlightened mind furnished him with the widest views, and whose pacific reign allowed him leisure to extend and increase the trade from Elath and Eziongaber. And the measures which he pursued, for these ends, were worthy of his high reputation for wisdom. He settled in those advantageous ports colonies of sea-faring people, from the coasts of Palestine and Phoenicia; and there, by the assistance of Hiram, king of Tyre, his friend and ally, who furnished him with naval stores, ship-builders, and expert mariners, he fitted out fleets12; which seem to have traded to the eastern coast of Africa, the southern coast of Arabia, to Persia, and the hither India13. Solomon, in a word, may be said to have formed the first African and India companies; for, although the principal, he cannot be supposed to have been the sole adventurer and proprietor. Hiram, king of Tyre, 10. See Prideaux Hist. of the Jews and Neighbouring Nations, book i. '' et auct. cit. 11. 1 Chron. chap. xxii. ver. 14. 12. 1 Kings, chap. xi. 2 Chron. chap. viii. 13. See Prideaux, ubi sup. The fleets of Solomon, though chiefly calculated for commerce, appear also to have been designed to act offensively, in case of resistance, and in that case to have pillaged. 2 Chron. chap. viii. ver. 18. VOL. II. B at PART I. at least, we know had a share in the trade from Elath and Eziongaber14. And without the assistance of the Phoenicians the king of Jerusalem could not possibly have furnished the articles of exchange for that trade. One of the most considerable of those articles must have been wrought silver; of which the eastern nations have, in all ages, been remarkably fond, and which then could not fail to bring great returns, as the fleets of Solomon did. And those returns, we find, were chiefly made in gold15. The vast abundance of the precious metals in Palestine, during the reign of this great prince, according to the narration in the sacred books, has afforded occasion of triumph to infidel writers, and given much trouble to christian commentators. But a certain degree of candour is only necessary on one side, and a competent share of historical knowledge on the other, to admit and establish the credibility of the Jewish records. The countries conquered by David, and subject to Solomon, as well as those to which he traded, have always abounded in gold. We accordingly learn, that his annual revenue, paid in that metal, was immense, exclusive of the imposts arising from internal traffic and foreign commerce1. From Spain the Phenicians of Tyre imported silver in whole ship loads"; the Spaniards being then utterly ignorant of its value, and giving it freely in exchange for toys, or permitting it to be dug out of the mine without jealousy18. Part of their bullion the Tyrians wrought into vessels and utensils of various kinds, for the purposes of trade or private use; yet enough would remain, we may fairly presume, 18; and 14. 1 Kings, chap. x. ver. 11. 2 Chron. chap. viii. ver. 17, 16. 2 Chron. chap. ix. ver. 13, 14. 18. Id. ibid. to IX. to keep the proportional value of silver as far below LETTER that of gold, in Syria, during the reign of Solomon, as in any other country in ancient or modern times. The Jewish monarch, whose treasury overflowed with gold, could therefore procure what quantity of silver he thought proper with that more precious metal. Hence silver is figuratively said to have been at Jerusalem, in the days of Solomon's grandeur, as plenty as stones'. No wonder, therefore, so opulent and ostentatious a prince thought it too base to form the drinking vessels, or ornamental furniture of his palace20. But the grandeur of the Israelites or Hebrews, as they are indifferently called, was of short continuance. During the reign of Rehoboam, the son and successor of the magnificent Solomon, Palestine became a prey to civil dissensions, and was divided into two kingdoms; namely, the kingdom of Israel, of which Samaria became the capital, and the kingdom of Judah, the metropolis of which was Jerusalem, the former seat of government". In consequence of this division, which weakened the Hebrew nation, Palestine was frequently plundered by the kings of Damascus; but especially by Hazael and Rezin, the most powerful princes that had ever reigned in Syria22. Hazael 19. 1 Kings, chap. x. ver. 27. 20. 2 Chron. chap. ix. ver. 15-20. 21. 1 Kings, chap. xii. 2 Chron. chap. xxi. 22. The manner in which Hazael ascended the throne of Damascus was not a little remarkable. The language of sacred history only can do justice to the narration. "And Elisha came to Damascus, and "Benhadad the king of Syria was sick, and it was told him, saying, "The man of God is come hither. And the king said unto Hazael, "take a present in thine hand, and go meet the man of God, and in quire of the Lord by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease!"So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of "every good thing in Damascus, forty camels burden, and came and "stood before him, and said, Thy son Benhadad, king of Syria, "hath PART I. 1 Hazael not only subdued the kingdom of Israel, but tyrannised over it during the greater part of his reign23. And the hostile demonstrations of Rezin, who had extended his sway as far as the Arabian gulf, where he took Elath, so much alarmed Ahas, king of Judah, for the safety of Jerusalem, that he applied, in the most abject terms, for assistance from Tilgath-pileser, emperor of Assyria; whom he acknowledged as his superior sovereign, by a present, and bound himself to obey24. Glad of an opportunity of asserting his dominion over the rebellious and warlike provinces to the west of the Euphrates, the Assyrian monarch entered the territory, Ant. Chr. and appeared before the city of Damascus with a formidable army; and having made himself master of the place, finally subverted that famous kingdom; slew Rezin, and transplanted the inhabitants to a distant part of his empire, on the eastern side of the Tygris25. 740 Nabonass. æra 7. "hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this disease? And "Elisha said unto him, go say unto thy master thou mayest certainly "recover: how beit, the Lord hath shewed me, that he shall surely "die. And he settled his countenance steadfastly, until he was "ashamed: and the man of God wept. And Hazael said, why "weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil "that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel. Their strong holds "wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the "sword; and wilt dash their children in pieces, and rip up their women with child. And Hazael said, but what is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha, answered, "the Lord hath shewed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, "what said Elisha to thee? And he answered, he told me that thou "shouldest surely recover. And it came to pass on the morrow "that he took a thick cloth, and dipt it in water, and spread it on "the face of Benhadad: so that he died. And Hazael reigned in "his stead." 2 Kings, chap. viii. ver. 7—15. 23. 2 Kings, chap. x. ver. 32, 33. chap. xiii. ver. 3. 7. 22. Hazael also oppressed the kingdom of Judah, 2 Kings, chap. xii. ver. 17, 18. 24. 2 Kings, chap. xvi. ver. 7. 25. 2 Kings, ver. 9. and Prideaux, Connect. book i. The IX. Ant. Chr. 728. Nabonass. æra 19. The same policy was pursued by the successors of LETTER Tilgath-pileser. His son Salmaneser, who had in the beginning of his reign asserted his sovereignty over the Syrian provinces, finding that Hoshea, king of Israel, did not pay him the customary tribute, entered Palestine at the head of a mighty host, and invested Samaria. Hoshea, who had been encouraged in his obstinacy by So or Sabaco, king of Egypt and Æthiopia, made a gallant defence, but received no succours: so that Samaria, after a siege of three years, was compelled to submit to the law of the conqueror26. And the king of Israel and his subjects, after having seen their capital sacked, were carried captives into Assy- Ant. Chr. ria27. Hoshea was loaded with chains, and thrown into prison at Nineveh, and the Israelites were planted in different districts, toward the frontiers of Media28; while their former country was peopled with the Cusheans, and other rude tribes, brought from the less remote provinces of the Assyrian empire29. 721. Nabonass. æra 26. Immediately after the subversion of the kingdom of Israel, Salmaneser received the submissions of all the cities in Phoenicia, except Tyre. Against that city, therefore, he pointed his vengeance, as soon as he had settled his affairs in Assyria3°. He made his first attempt by sea, with a fleet which he had fitted out on the coast of Syria Proper. Being worsted by Ant. Chr. the Tyrians on their natural element, he invested their capital by land. During a siege of five years they baffled all the efforts of his army. But his death, and other unforeseen events, only perhaps saved Tyre from the speedy execution of the awful 26. 2 Kings, chap. xvii. ver. 3—6. chap. xviii. ver. 9, 10, 11. 27.2 Kings, chap. xvii. ver. 6. chap. xviii. ver. 11. Joseph. Antiq. lib. ix. 28. Kings, chap. xvii. ver. 6. 29. 2 Kings. chap. xvii. ver. 24. and Prideaux, Connect. book i. 30. Joseph. Antiq. lib. ix. and Frideaux, Connect. book i. 31. Id. ibid. 714. Nabonass. æra 33. judgment |