A Manual of Ancient History. M. E. Thalheimer
this period, to throw off the yoke. With the fall of Nineveh it is probable that Phœnicia became independent.
67. BC 608. It was soon reduced, however, by Necho of Egypt, who added all Syria to his dominions, and held Phœnicia dependent until he himself was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar (BC 605) at Carchemish. The captive cities were only transferred to a new master; but, in 598, Tyre revolted against the Babylonian, and sustained a siege of thirteen years. When at length she was compelled to submit, the conqueror found no plunder to reward the extreme severity of his labors, for the inhabitants had secretly removed their treasures to an island half a mile distant, where New Tyre soon excelled the splendor of the Old.
68. Phœnicia remained subject to Babylon until that power was overcome by the new empire of Cyrus the Great. The local government was carried on by native kings or judges, who paid tribute to the Babylonian king.
69. The religion of the Phœnicians was degraded by many cruel and uncleanly rites. Their chief divinities, Baal and Astar´te, or Ashtaroth, represented the sun and moon. Baal was worshiped in groves on high places, sometimes, like the Ammonian Moloch, with burnt-offerings of human beings; always with wild, fanatical rites, his votaries crying aloud and cutting themselves with knives. Melcarth, the Tyrian Hercules, was worshiped only at Tyre and her colonies. His symbol was an ever-burning fire, and he probably shared with Baal the character of a sun-god. The marine deities were of especial importance to these commercial cities. Chief of these were Posi´don, Ne´reus, and Pontus. Of lower rank, but not less constantly remembered, were the little Cabi´ri, whose images formed the figure-heads of Phœnician ships. The seat of their worship was at Berytus.
70. The Phœnicians were less idolatrous than the Egyptians, Greeks, or Romans; for their temples contained either no visible image of their deities, or only a rude symbol like the conical stone which was held to represent Astarte.
Kings of Tyre.
First Period.
| Abibaal, partly contemporary with David in Israel. | ||
| Hiram, his son, friend of David and Solomon, | BC | 1025–991. |
| Balea´zar, | ” | 991–984. |
| Abdastar´tus, | ” | 984–975. |
| One of his assassins, whose name is unknown, | ” | 975–963. |
| Astartus, | ” | 963–951. |
| Aser´ymus, his brother, | ” | 951–942. |
| Phales, another brother, who murdered Aserymus, | ” | 942–941. |
| Ethba´al,[9] high priest of Astarte, | ” | 941–909. |
| Bade´zor, his son, | ” | 909–903. |
| Matgen, son of Badezor and father of Dido, | ” | 903–871. |
| Pygmalion, brother of Dido, | ” | 871–824. |
For 227 years Tyre remained tributary to the Eastern Monarchies, and we have no list of her native rulers.
Second Period.
| Ethbaal II, contemporary with Nebuchadnezzar, | BC | 597–573. |
| Baal, | ” | 573–563. |
| Ec´niba´al, judge for three months, | ” | 563. |
| Chel´bes, judge ten months, | ” | 563–562. |
| Abba´rus, judge three months, | ” | 562. |
| Mytgon and Gerastar´tus, judges five years, | ” | 562–557. |
| Bala´tor, king, | ” | 557–556. |
| Merbal, king, | ” | 556–552. |
| Hiram, king, | ” | 552–532. |
SYRIA.
71. Syria Proper was divided between several states, of which the most important in ancient times was Damascus, with its territory, a fertile country between Anti-Lebanon and the Syrian Desert. Beside this were the northern Hittites, whose chief city was Carchemish; the southern Hittites, in the region of the Dead Sea; the Pate´na on the lower, and Hamath on the upper Orontes.
72. Damascus, on the Abana, is among the oldest cities in the world. It resisted the conquering arms of David and Solomon, who, with this exception, reigned over all the land between the Jordan and the Euphrates; and it continued to be a hostile and formidable neighbor to the Hebrew monarchy, until Jews, Israelites, and Syrians were all alike overwhelmed by the growth of the Assyrian Empire.
Kings of Damascus.
| Hadad, | contemporary with | David, | about BC | 1040. |
| Rezon, | ” | Solomon, | ” | 1000. |
| Tab-rimmon, | ” | Abijah, | ” | 960–950. |
| Ben-hadad I, | ” | Baasha and Asa, | ” | 950–920. |
| Ben-hadad II, | ” | Ahab, | ” | 900. |
| Hazael, | ” | Jehu and Shalmaneser II, | ” | 850. |