Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1891. Phoenocia.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 18 August 1891, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1891. Phoenocia.

» The records of travel in South Africa at the present day go hand in hand with the story related in the Book of Kings in the Old Testament. Some months ago we gave a description of some wonderfully preserved old workings of a gold mine in Mashonaland, and ventured an opinion that this district had been visited, in the days of Soloman. by the fleets he had out bringing treasures of " gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks." The further examination of the old buildings seems to confirm the view, we took; as the latest news to hand report that the ruins are Phoenician and are the most unique in the world. When Soloman commenced to build his temple he sent a message to hi

neighbour, King Hiram, " Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon . i ; for tkoti kttowe|Uh&ttb ) er.e is not among us any thai can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians." Sidon and Tyre were the chief towns of Phoenicia at this period, and the country ruled by Hiram fronted on to the Mediterranean, sea, north of Palestine, to the cedai>crowned Lebanon. The Phoenicians were a commercial and a maritime ti&iioß, ahd Sidon was known as " the market of the nations/ They navigated ships all down the MeQiteiTiihefiti, traffaked in tin frohithe British islbs, brought amber from tile shores dim Baltic, and took enterprising voyages to South Arabia, and India, the Ophir of those days. Through their hands passed " the gold and pearls of the east, Tyrian. purple, ivory and lion skins from the interior of Africa, Arabian incense, Egyptian linen, the pottery and the noble wines of Greece, with copper from Cyprust silver from Spain, tin 'from England, and li'Ofa from Elba." They are said to have rounded Africa on a three years' voyage, under the command of the Egyptian King, Necho. Tyre is said to have reached its greatest pitch of splendour under the government of King H iram. Magnificent palaces and temples and gigantic fortresses adorned and strengthened the town, and commerce received, a powerful impetus from the patronage of .the friendly Israelite King. The principal manufacturing industries were those of weaving, the dyeing of woollen and linen goods, and the manufacture of glass. They were also skilful in making vessels, and ornaments of all kinds out of ivory, gold, and other metals. Their articles of commerce included spices, frankincense, oil, wine, corn, and slaves - for their trade had its origin in freebooting and kidnapping. Their colonizing enterprises (from the 4th to the 11th century (8.C.) first undertaken on account of increase of population, and later from commercial considerations and love of gain, I were chiefly directed towards islands and coast countries favourably situated for trade and industry. Hiram's race was exterminated by the high prießt of the goddess of Astarto, who then usurped the regal power. The Commonwealth became entangled in dissentions resulting from civil war, After a time each of the Phoenician towns, all originally of shoots of Sidon, formed an indepenflant commonwealth with an hereditary king. The Assyrian, S&lruanassar, conquered the Phoe* nician towns of the continent in 722 H.C., with the exception of Tyre, When the Persians conquered the countries of Western Asia, Tyre lost her freedom and independence, and becama 540 B.C. a Persian province. When Alexander of Macedon overthrew the Persian Kingdom in 882 8.C., Tyr,e ventured to resist, and after some months seige, was partly destroyed, and the inhabitants never recovered the blow and their commerce and maritime passed away to Alexandria. From this brief sketch of the history of the Phoenicians it will be easily understood how interesting any discoveries of their past will be, and we may look forward to soon having a further light shown upon what they did ages ago in South Africa.