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magnificent furniture and fittings of the tabernacle, and almost 
‘wholly to have composed the clothing and gorgeous robes of 
the priests, both on ordinary and state occasions. Aaron, when 
he entered the holy place, was required to wash his flesh in water, 
to put on the holy linen coat, to have the linen breeches upon his 
flesh, to be girded with a linen girdle, and to be attired with the 
linen mitre. These were holy garments. 
Garments woven in one piece throughout, so as to need no 
making, were held in high repute ; hence the Jews have a tradition 
that no needle was employed in the clothing of the high priest, 
each piece of which was of one continued texture ; this idea throws 
light on the description of the coat of Jesus. The coat was without 
seam, woven from the top throughout. In this the ancients surpass 
the modern manufacturers. 
After the furnishings of the tabernacle in the wilderness, the 
furnishings of Solomon’s splendid temple, and the robes for the 
priests when ministering by course there, appear to have been 
marvels of art in spinning, weaving, dyeing, and embroidering, and 
shew the great progress which the Israelites had attained in linen 
manufacture. The descendants of Abraham were a distinct people, 
separated by national peculiarities from the rest of mankind; and 
their trade, manufacture, and commerce -partook of the same 
localized character. 
After the Jews came the Phcenicians, a people who occupied 
the sea coast at the head of the Mediterranean sea. Their chief 
cities were Sidon and Tyre. Sidon, which is said to have been 
_ founded 2000 years B.C., was a great naval port. The oaks of 
- Bashan, the fir trees of Senir, and the cedars of Lebanon, afforded 
an almost inexhaustible supply of wood for ship building, and for 
other purposes. Tyre, which was founded about 1200 years B.C., 
soon rose to greatness and wealth. Her traders were called the 
_ Merchant princes of the world. ‘Tyre was long celebrated for its 
dyed fabrics, especially purple. Linen dyed of this colour was 
_ greatly esteemed among all the neighbouring nations, and formed 
an important item in the commerce of Tyre. Ships from Tyre 
