[ 3+7 ] 
Daric, and others of fimilar coins, in the (6) plate 
referred to here. 
That this piece was ftruck at Afcalon, a very an- 
tient and celebrated city of Paleftine, there is, I 
think, little reafon to doubt. Dagon, or Atergatis, 
was a deity of the Philiftines, to whom Afcalon ap- 
pertained, as we learn from (7) Scripture; and there- 
fore may very naturally be fuppofed to have been 
worlhiped there, as well as in the other principal 
cities belonging to that people. We are alTured by 
(8) Diodorus Siculus, and Lucian, that Afcalon was 
famous for the worfhip of Atergatis, or Derceto; 
and the fuperb temple of that deity there. The 
coins of Afcalon (9) not infrequently exhibit Ater- 
gatis, with a pigeon, as here; pigeons (10), as well 
as filhes, having been conlidered as facred animals, 
bearing a near relation to Atergatis, if not as objedts 
of religious worlhip, in that city. The reafon of 
this is given us in few words, by a (i i) very learned 
author, who fets the point here infilled on beyond 
difpute. I own, indeed, the divinity in quellion is 
faid to have had a temple at Hierapolis, and to have 
been worlhiped there; but this, according to the 
great (12) Mr. Selden, feems to be a millake. Be- 
lides, the goddefs of Hierapolis was worlhiped un- 
der (13) a human form, and not with the tail of a 
(6) Numifm, Antiqu. &c. a Thom. Pemb. et Mont. Gom. 
Com. collect, p. 2. T. 75. 
(7) I Sam. y. 2, 3, 4, 5, &c. 
(8) Diod. Sic. & Lucian, ubi fup. 
(9) Joan. Vaill. Nnmifm. Imperator, &c. a Pop, Rom. Dit, 
Grace loquent. l^c, p. 8i. Henr. Noris, An. et Epoch, Syra~ Maced. 
p. 510. Lipfiae, 1696. (10) Joh. Selden. ubi fup. p. 192 
— 202. Amftelodami, 1680. (n) Id. ibid. (12) Seld. ubi 
fup. p, 192. (13) Id. ibid. 
