986 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



Coinelius (x); Philip preached the Gosi)el here (xxi, 8); Paul was 

 imprisoned here two years before he was sent to Eome (xxiv-xxvi). 

 It was the residence of the Roman governors, and here the Jewish war 

 against Rome broke out. 



Tetradrachm (;f Sidon. — Silver. Obverse, head of the city; 

 reverse, "(Money of the Sidoniaus) Holy and inviolable," with the fig- 

 ure of Astarte. (See plate 9, fig. 9.) The value of a tetradrachm was 

 about the same as of the shekel, or 04 cents. Sidon, the oldest city of 

 Phenicia, is often mentioned in the Bible. It is at present represented 

 by the town of Saida, with about 15,000 inhabitants. 



Tetradrachms of Tyre. — Silver. Obverse; Head of Hercules as 

 Baal (Lord) of the city. (See plate 9, figs. 13, 14.) Tyre, next to 

 Sidon the oldest and most important city of Phenicia, is often referred 

 to in the Bible. During the period of David and Solomon friendly 

 relations were entertained between Tyre and Israel.^ The coast of Tyre 

 was visited by Jesus,^ and Paul landed at Tyre on one of his mis- 

 sionary voyages.-' The modern ^ur is an unimportant town, with about 

 5,000 inhabitants. 



Coin of Ashkelon. — Bronze. Struck by order of Emperor Alex- 

 ander Severus, about A. D. 228. (See plate 9, figs. 11.) 



Ascalon, or Ashkelon, was one of the five cities of the Philistines, 

 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem ; * it was the center of the worship of 

 Derceto, the supposed female counterpart of Dagou. It is now repre- 

 sented by the village of Askalan. 



Coins of the City of Damascus. — Copper (two specimens). (See 

 plate 9, fig. 10.) Damascus, the ancient capital of Syria, is mentioned 

 as early as in the times of Abraham.^ Later, it frequently came in con- 

 tact with Israel.'' In the New Testament it is especially known from 

 the history of the Apostle Paul." 



Tetradrachm of the City of Babylon. — Silver. Struck by 

 Mazaios, governor under Alexander the Great, 331-328 B. C. (See 

 plate 9, fig. IC.) 



Tetradrachm of Alexander the Great (336-323 B. C). — Silver. 

 Obverse, head of the king; reverse, Zeus (Jupiter) seated holding the 

 eagle. (See plate 9, fig. 15.) 



Alexander, King of Macedonia and the famous conqueror, is men- 

 tioned by name in I Maccabees vi, 2. It is also assumed that he is 

 typified under the emblem of the "he-goat" in Daniel viii, 5, and that 

 his empire is meant by the "fourth monarchy" depicted in Daniel ii, 

 40 and vii, 7, 23f. 



Tetradrachm of Seleucus I Nioatob, Kingt of Syria, 312-280 

 B. C. — Silver. Obverse, head of Seleucus; reverse, figure of Jupiter. 



> I Kings, V. • 5 Genesis xiv, 15; xv, 2. * 



2 Matthew xv, 21 ; Mark vii, 24. « jj Samuel viii, 6 ; II Kings xvi, 9, etc. 



3 Acts xxi, 3. 'Acts ix; xxii, 6. 



''Joshua xiii, 3; 1 Samuel vi, 17. 



