CHAP. XXVI. DEPARTURE FOR TYRE.- AQUEDUCT NEAR ACRE. PROMONTORY. CISTERNS OF SOLOMON. - RUINS. ARRIVAL AT FORMER SPLEN TYRE. SIEGE BY ALEXANDER. FLECTIONS ON PRIDE OF THE OPULENT MERCHANT. -- ACCOMMODATION I TOOK my departure from Acre, after leaving a sum for the poor of the convent, and directed my course to Tyre. I passed an aqueduct, constructed recently for supplying the city of Acre with water at the distance of two miles from it. I travelled along a plain between the mountains and the sea, observing Zib situated on the shore, which is supposed to be the Achzib alluded to in Scripture.* The most striking object of attraction in the course of this journey, was a stupendous rock, over which a road has been cut; many parts of it are only a few feet in breadth, and it is laborious to ascend, being almost perpendicular. On the summit a beautiful landscape is displayed; the chalky cliffs render it conspicuous at sea, from which it is adopted as a land-mark, and in consequence has been denominated the "White Promontory." This road is said to have been formed by Alexander the Great; but when the vast trade of Tyre, the intercourse with Acre, and other places in these regions, are considered, it will appear more likely to have been a work of the enterprising merchants of that celebrated emporium, whose opulence and ambition would have been commensurate to the accomplishment of any object, however arduous, for the promotion of the interests of commerce. It may be observed, that in the * Joshua xix. 29. Judges i. 29. 31. course of the journey I made from Jerusalem, I observed many tombs erected by Arabs to the memory of persons who were denominated saints. These had a white external appearance, and care appeared to be taken -to preserve this colour by white washing them often. On viewing these, I was strongly reminded of the truth of a striking observation made use of by one of the Evangelists. * I passed Rasleyn, where there are aqueducts, contrived and founded by the king of Israel, which are supposed to have formed part of the compensation which was made to Hiram, king of Tyre, in consideration of the materials he furnished, and the assistance he rendered in building the splendid edifice at Jerusalem, in obedience to a paternal command given to Solomont, not for the use of man, but for the glory and honour of the King of kings; an act which has rendered his name immortal, and proclaimed him to be one of the wisest and most mighty of monarchs who ever reigned. On this occasion, unfortunately, my time would not admit of deviating from the direct course I had laid down, to examine these extraordinary fountains, which evidently have been constructed for the purpose of affording a bountiful supply of water for the city of Tyre. After travelling close by the sea shore, I arrived by sunset at Tyre, having a glance of the summit of Mount Lebanon to the north-east, in the direction of Damascus, and proceeded to the house of a Greek ecclesiastic, called Derbas, dignified with the title of Archbishop, having been recommended to him by an inmate of the convent at Acre; he promised to accommodate me with lodgings, which, however, under existing circumstances, could not be extended beyond that night. In the early ages, Tyre, in Phoenicia, is described in Scripture as a renowned city and a strong hold §, and encompassed with walls and towers ; it was allotted to * Matt. xxiii. 27. + 1 Chron. xxii. 5. Sol. Song vii. 4. Ezekiel xxvi. 4. the tribe of Asher *; it is now frequently called Sur, and, perhaps, of all other maritime cities in the globe, was more highly renowned for riches and commerce, since her very merchants were declared to be as princes; and a most interesting description of the trades carried on within its walls, has been transmitted to us in the Book of Truth. It was not, however, merely in a commercial point of view that it was represented to the world at large, as an object of wonder and admiration. Among the variety of trades exercised in this city, that of dyeing was most distinguished, on account of the beautiful purple tint which poets have cele brated as a chief ingredient in the magnificence of the vestments of monarchs, judges, and persons of opulence §, which is supposed to have been extracted from a particular fish. I could not, however, distinctly learn if any such kind of fish was at present to be found on the Tyrian shores, although it is said to exist in some parts of South America; and instances have occurred of similar species having been found on our own coasts during the sixteenth century. During the time of our Saviour, considerable importance must have been attached to the city, as it is frequently alluded to||, with its neighbourhood; where the miracle he wrought in healing the daughter of a woman of Canaan, on her urgent prayer ¶, was a confirmation of his divinity. It had the effect of causing great multitudes from that and other cities along its coast to follow him **; others were brought labouring under diseases, to be cured by the word of his power; nay, even by the mere touch of his sacred person, since he was overflowing with virtue. ‡‡ It was at Tyre that the apostle Paul landed in the course of his voyage on a divine mission, and passed some time in the society of those who had embraced the faith of his Divine Master. §§ * Joshua xxi. 4. + See the whole of the 27th chapter of Ezekiel. Some of the most memorable incidents in the siege of this place, which took place under Alexander the Great, may be generally mentioned. Although the other cities of Syria and Phoenicia had submitted to this conqueror, yet the Tyrians, a great and flourishing people, were unwilling to be included under the rod of iron he held in his hand. In order, therefore, to avert his displeasure, they dispatched ambassadors to the army, with valuable presents for his acceptance, entreating that he would calculate upon their alliance as friends. Alexander, comprehending the motives of such acts of complaisance, accepted these gifts, and proposed to pay a visit to the city, with the view of offering sacrifices to an image of idolatry worshipped in the temple of Hercules erected there. The Tyrians, however, suspecting that his intention was not with a religious view, but a ruse de guerre, declined the honour of his presence within their walls; and this being construed into an insult by Alexander, he resolved to lay siege to, and enter it, not in the character of a visitor, but as a conqueror. On the other hand, the inhabitants, exasperated at his insolence, determined that he should never appear among them in that character; and therefore resolved to defend the city. The communication of it with the sea, its insular situation, and the prodigious height of its walls, excited an opinion that it was impracticable for any siege to be successful; and therefore the threat was treated with contempt. Alexander had no sooner formed a resolution to lay hold of it, than he put into a state of requisition all the inhabitants of the surrounding country, to co-operate with him in the construction of a mole from the shore to the city, in order to reduce the Tyrians to submission. This undertaking also was at first regarded by the inhabitants with derision, and their whole navy employed to counteract the operation; efforts, however, which had the effect of bringing the genius and skill of Alexander into greater exercise, who knew well the principle, that stratagem was the art of war. Satisfied that so long as the Tyrians continued masters of the sea, the object could not be effected, he collected a fleet to contend with the navy brought against him; by which he was enabled to finish the construction of the mole, and directed his battering-rams with such vengeance against the bulwarks, that a breach was accomplished. Even at this moment the courage of the inhabitants was not extinguished. They continued to build up during the night such breaches which had been made during the preceding day, and adopted a variety of ingenious devices to harass and defeat the invaders; letting down nets and hooks from their highest towers among the soldiers underneath, drawing them up like fish from the bottom of the sea, and showering down clouds of sand that had been made red hot. Although Alexander was astonished, and could not fail in his own mind to applaud the bravery manifested by the Tyrians, yet, ultimately overcoming their courage, and all the schemes they adopted to repel invasion, he thus became conqueror of Tyre, after a siege which lasted nearly twelve months. On the death of Alexander, Tyre exhibited some symptoms of recovery, and maintained a commercial character. When it submitted to the Roman yoke it began to decay, as Alexandria had at that time seduced from it many of the most opulent merchants. Since that period, its crumbling approaches to almost total annihilation, and it is now under the dominion of the Mahomedan. The city is situated at the extremity of a peninsula, nearly one mile from the line of the main land, and appears to have been, at one time, a small island, detached from the continent. I apprehend this to be confirmed by the repeated language of prophecy. It was inclosed with walls t, which originally must have been of great strength; and towers, having holes or apertures for making observations, part of which still remain. At present, there are about two hundred buildings of stone; the sea covers some of the ruins so remarkably predicted ‡, and the inhabitants may be estimated at about four thousand, several of whom are Christians. The advantageous situation of this place, * Isaiah xxiii. 2. Ezek. xxvi. 17. Id. xxvii. 3. Josh. xix. 29. |