The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-30

1 anu VI mOEO luu u i1hu shtSeeN
Palestine and passed on the reunited volume
Of the Eastern trade TO the neghboring Nile
Valley. The Phpnician mariners OF the Levant
carried their alphabet. apparently derived
from Egypt. to Greece and the countries
around the Mediterranean Sea. The bRa
OF the Persian Gulf gave a coRnate form OF the
came alphabet to India and the nations bor-
dering on the Indian Ocean. Indeed. the
journal OF the Royal Asiatic Society for 1897
indicates traces OF the PhPnician alphabet as
far east as Sumatra and japan. and april.
1929 ascrlbes the Indian alphabet to trade
with Babylon in the seventh century B. {.
/ Az the Phnnicians held the northern out
ports OF the Syrian trade route toward Europe.
so the Edomites commanded its southern out
let toward Egypt. The Hebrews. also a Semitic
race. occupied the country between the two.
and the earliest traditions. not less than the
verified history OF Israel. are intimately con-
nected with Eastern commerce. The geogra-
My OF the Genesis is the geography OF the
Syrian trade route. One OF its most pictur-
esque episodes. the sale o, Joseph by his
brethren. IL IN incident Of the caravan journey.
Abraham starts from the Chaldean or Eu-
phrates end OF the route. near the Persian Gulf.
and In the fourth generation his descendants
are settled at its southwestern terminus on the
Nile. The intermediate regions thus traverscd
formed the heritage promised to his seed
from the river OF Egypt unto the great river.
| the River Euphrates." The political achieve
ment OF the Hebrew monarchy was TO con-
vert this promise for a time into n fact.
When David made Jerusalem his can
! ital (ahout 1O4a b. a.. he found himself able
from that stronghold to seize the position
which commanded the caravan routes. Before
| the close of his reign he made himself master
| OF the entire trade tract from Damascus to
Edom. controlled the country ut both ends.
seized the chief hating place in the middle
and cut off every male In Edom " toward the
Red Sea and Egyptian outlets. 1t was reserved
for Solomon during his long rule OF forty
years 1Ol6-o78 b. c. to put his fathers con-
| quests to their mercantile uses. He strength
ened his hold on the northern outlets OF the
trade by advancing into the desert and occu-
plying the oasis OF Palmyra. where he quit or
enlarged Tadmor in the wilderness. and thus
gained command OF the caravantrack.a at a CEN
trail point between the Euphrates and the
Mediterranean. According to the Hebrew rec
ord. Solomon's sovereignty. or overlordshir.
extended to the Euphrates itself. and thus
the promise to Abraham found its geographic
cal fulnlment, Having secured the northern
outlet Of the caravan toward PhuP-
nicia. Solomon sought fresh Developments for
the Eastern trade at the southern extremity Of
the route. The Red Sea ends in two pronRs.
the Gulf Of Suez on the Egyptian side and the
Gulf of Akaba on the Arabian. with the desert
peninsula OF Sinai thrust southwark between
them. David's conquest OF Edom had not only
secured the land track into Egypt. but had also
brought him to the Gulf Of Akaba. Solomon
occupied two harbors on its shores and
launched vessels on its waters. procuring from
Phpnicia sailors to navigate them. This COM
plete capture OF the Syrian route forms the
mercantile epic OF Israel.
Solomon's command, however. OF the Indo-
Syrian routes proved evanesoent. After the
disruption OF his monarchy into the Kingdoms
OF Israel and Judah. the coveted Syrian sea-
board formed an Asiatic Palatinate. forever
shaking under the tramp Of armies. In the
seventh and sixth centuries b. C.. Babylon
was the entrepot OF the Eastern routes. The
Persian chastisements for her rebellions led to
the transfer Of her trade to Gerrha on the
Arabian coast. and afterward to seleucia. In
the time OF Strabo. Babylon had dwindled to a
village and an ancient name. By the conquest
OF PhPnicia and the Ionian colonies Persia
became a Mediterranean power. threat
ened the sea commerce Of Athens. and
brought on the struggle fought out at Mar
athon. Salamis and Platea. 1t was o
Phnnician settlement. Carthage. that led
to the great conflict between the rising
maritime power Of Italy and North Africa.
represented by the Punic Wars. The subse-
quent seizure. in the first century b. c.. OF the
countries along the Syrian trade route by
Pompey supplied the luxuries and splendors
OF imperial Rome. How complete for upward
OF six centuries was the Roman command OF
the regions through which that route passed
is attested by ruins surviving to this day. The
spacious Roman amphitheatre at Rabbah.
midway down the southeastern trade route
may still be traced. The Arabs. who. under
the conquering impulse OF Islam. next seized
1870 RS1 A n \ fha ppnnfriaa fhrnnph which
ran the Indo-Syrian route. soon realized its
value. They were q trading no less than a fight
ing race, and Bassorah and. later. Bagdad. be-
came under the Caliphs. the opulent headquar.
ters Of the Indian trade. II Bagdad was. from
the commercial point of view. the more spa.
cious Jerusalem OF the Caliphate. Basso'
rah was its Alexandria on the Persian
Gulf. which received from the East. anC
passed on to the West. the wealth o.
Ormuz and Of Ind. Sir William Hunter omits
to note what is pointed out by Mr.. Brooks Ad
ans In his Law OF Civilization and Deca.
dence." namely. the fact that the Byzantine
Empire. under Neighbours Phocas and Johr
Zimisces. blocked for a considerable period the
Syrian route by their conquestapd devastation
OF Northern Syria. between $50 and $40 A. D..
ire OF the. Eastern commerce from CONSTANT
nople to Cairo and Venice. and brought abou
The sompercial and politicaI decay q e .t I'll,
AapN Aal
, TO o certain extent. the Syrian route was once
more obstrueted for a short time by the Cru
sades: But the Crusades, although original!
I Impelled forward by the religious teryor Q
for trade PURPOSES by the Mediterranean
REPUBLICS. Under the Christian kingdom o
route revived: Meanwhile. new forces wer
upheaying in further Asia, destined TO over
a common ruin. In 1858 Bagdad went dow
, before the Mongol hordes.. and the ,Abbassit
1 caliphate was shattered In its original seat. J
tidal wave OF devastation spread over tn
!. f9SSss'rflf sm %, sns sdE ros f ihe kni tERsss' Hos j.
pitallers forth from Smyrna to their islam
gols and Turks had partially blocked the mid
. die trade route from the Persian Gulf to tn
I Mediterranean. and were preparing to seize tn
Q northern trade route by way Of the Black Sea
. IL.
The main northern route started from tn
y Indus Valley and crossed the western offshoot
OF the Himalayas and the Afghan ranges t
tho 0rua On that rraat riyar NJ Carnival Asi