THE SOURCE OF THE NILE, 447 



&&&< 



CHAP. V. 



Flucluating State of the India Trade — Hurt by Military Expeditions of the 

 Per/ians — Revives under the Ptolemies — Falls to Decay under the 

 Romans. 



PTPHE profperous days of the commerce with the Elanitic 

 JL Gulf feemed to be at this time nearly pail ; yet, after 1 

 the revolt of the ten tribes, Edom remaining to the houfe 

 of David, they Hill carried on a fort of trade from the Ela- 

 nitic Gulf, though attended with many difficulties. This 

 continued till the reign of Jehofaphat * ; but, on jehoram's 

 fucceeding that prince, the Edomites j- revolted and chofc 

 a king of their own, and were never after fubjecT: to the 

 kings of Judah till the reign of Uzziah J, who conquered 

 Eloth, fortified it, and having peopled it with a colony of 

 his own, revived the old traffic. This fubiiitcd till the reign 

 ofAhaz, when Rczin king of Damafcus took Eloth ||, and 

 expelled the Jews,_planting in their ftead a colony of Syri- 

 ans. 



* 1 Kings, chap. xxii. ver. 48. 2 C'.iron. chap. xx. ver. 36. f 2 Kings, chap. viii. ver. 22. 

 2 Chron. chap. xxi. ver. 10. J 2 Kings, chap. xiv. ver. 22. z Chron. chap. 26. ver. ii. 



2 King?, chap. xvi. ver. C. 



