JEWISH, PHGNICIAN, AND EARLY GREEK ART, ETC. 29 
of Syria, the earliest sanctuaries were “‘ hich places,’ whence 
the rising and setting sun, the chief object of worship, could 
be seen. The name “Baal, *“Lord” or ‘* Master,” was given 
to the sun as the supposed ruler of the universe, and the 
source of life and energy. It would appear, however, that 
the close proximity of Phoenicia to Israel and the friendly 
relations of the two peoples—perhaps, also, to some extent 
the wisdom and counsel of Solomon—exercised more or less 
of a refining influence upon the religion of the Phoenicians, 
and instilled into the minds of some of their sages a faintly- 
rational idea of one supreme God, the Creator and Governor 
of the universe ; and this idea the name Baal would be easily 
made to embody. It is a remarkable fact that the Jews and 
Pheenicians always dwelt together on friendly terms. With 
the other surrounding peoples the Jews were often at war ; 
with the Phoenicians never. The Phcenicians were a practical 
people, devoted to manufacture, commerce, and colonisation. 
They had no taste, and, perhaps, little natural talent, for 
speculation, whether religious or philosophical. The Israelites 
took advantage of their manufacturing and nautical skill and 
enterprise, and were able thereby to collect wealth from all 
parts of the world. They built a fleet for Solomon at Ezion- 
veber, on the Red Sea; ‘‘and Hiram sent in the ships his 
servants, shipmen that had knowledge of the sea, with the 
servants of Solomon” (1 Kings ix. 26, 27). The Jews were 
thus brought, through the instrumentality of the Phoenicians, 
into mercantile relations with distant nations. We read that 
the ships of Solomon went to Tarshish with the servants of 
Hiram once every three years, bringing gold, silver, and 
ivory; and the kings of the earth sought the presence of 
Solomon to hear his wisdom; and they brought presents— 
vessels of silver and gold, and robes, and armour (2 Chron. ix. 
21, seq.). Thus the art-treasures, as well as the wealth, of the 
Kast and West were carried to Jerusalem. 
Ihave said that the earliest sanctuaries of the Phcenicians 
were “high places.” Against the idolatrous worship sub- 
sequently practised on those the Israelites were repeatedly 
and sternly warned by the prophets, and not always with 
success. ‘lhis mode of worship seems to have had a special 
attraction for the inhabitants of Syria and Palestine. At first 
it appears to have been simple nature-worship; but in time the 
sun came to be symbolised by an image placed in the temple, 
or on the rude cairn. I have seen several such images—the 
sun’s face with its circle of rays. The idol-god, as a matter 
of course, changed in form and character, according to the 
ideas of the worshipper ; and the religion of the people 
