alth which Phoenicia sustained in the wars with Nebuchadnezzar and
subsequently with Alexander, the Phoenicians ceased to be conspicuously
wealthy and luxurious, and Israel was left to worship that God who
called their father Abraham from upper Chaldea, and who afterwards
brought him out of the "House of Bondage" in Egypt after having been
four hundred years enslaved there.

We have now glanced at the widespread influence of the Phoenician
people over the borders of the Mediterranean sea and over the west and
northwest of Europe.

Let it be remembered that what we have said upon this subject is founded
upon authentic evidence from ancient history and modern fact.

Let us look for a moment now and see what these peoples accomplished
through the waters of the Red sea and upon the waters easterly of the
straits of Bab-el-Mandeb. After Solomon had associated with Hiram, King
of Tyre, and Hiram, the son of Abif, the chief of the mechanics who
built the temple, and become acquainted with the wealth brought home by
Phoenician ships from the great outside world, his spirit of Jewish
thrift was excited, and he determined to share in the profits of
nautical adventures. In the first book of Kings, chapter 9, verses 26,
27 and 28, we find the following: "And King Solomon made a navy of ships
in Ezion Geber, which is beside Eloth, on the shore of the Red Sea, in
the land of Edom. And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen who
had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

"And they came to Ophir and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and
twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon." In the 18th chapter of
this book, 11th and 12th verses, we find the following: "And the navy
also of Hiram that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir great
plenty of almug trees and precious stones, and the king made of the
almug trees pillars for the house of the lord and for the king's house,
harps also and psalteries for the singers. There came no such almug
trees nor were seen unto this day."

In the Second of Chronicles, chapter 9, verses 10 and 11, we find the
following: "And the servants also of Hiram and the servants of Solomon,
which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones,
and the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the lord
and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for the singers, and
there were none such seen before in the land of Judah."

In Second Kin