106 



3. The "Pinus Pinsapo," or Cephalonian Pine, which is abundant in 

 Mount Atlas and the Ionian Islands, has been thought to have been imported by 

 the Phoenicians under the name of cedar. 



4. The noble tree, "Thuja articulata," or " Callitris quadrivalvis, " which is 

 abundant in Morocco, and which is also found in the Lebanon, has been thought to 

 be a likely competitor, at any rate, with the cedar, for some of the purposes which 

 the latter was formerly believed to have been exclusively supplied. It yields 

 excellent timber, which in ancient times was very highly valued, and sometimes 

 fetched enormous prices. 



5. The larch has also been thought of, whose qualities and character are 

 so well known to us all. 



But though some of these trees may have been used in the course of the 

 great works of Solomon, there is really no convincing reason to deprive the cedar 

 of Lebanon of the honour, so to say, of having furnished the bulk of the timber 

 bearing its name. The deodara is certainly not now found in Lebanon, the 

 Thuja articulata to no great extent, and though Aleppo pine, larch, and yew may 

 very probably have been included among the classes of timber called under the 

 general name of cedar, there is no good reason to doubt that the cedars of Lebanon 

 were really the source of Solomon's supply. In reply to the objection against the 

 quality of the timber, I may say 



1. That we do not know anything of this quality at the date at which it 

 was so employed. 



2. That I know one instance in which some cedar planks have been worked 

 into a communion table, of which the appearance is very pleasing, and the quality, 

 so far as can be judged, excellent. 



3. That Solomon made use of the best timber he could find at the nearest 

 place of supply. Palestine was not a country of forests ; Phoenicia, and Lebanon 

 in particular, abounded with them. He therefore resorted to that country, so near 

 to his own, affording so much facility for transport, in order to provide for his 

 undertaking. Though cedar may not have yielded the best possible timber in the 

 world, that which it produced was the best attainable, and of this, therefore, he 

 probably availed himself. I see no solid reason for dethroning the Lebanon cedar 

 from its high dignity in furnishing timber for the works of Solomon, or for those 

 other purposes which have been mentioned— a dignity which for so many years it 

 has held without disturbance, and which the question that has been raised has 

 served, I think, mainly to consolidate. 



