[ 79 2 3 4 5 ] 
ters, that form the word SIDON, over the prow of 
a (hip, the ufual fymbol of the city wherein it was 
ftruck. This coin, which is in good confervation, 
I formerly (2) published and explained. The cha- 
racters however in the exergue, which I could then 
make nothing of, were not with fufficient accuracy 
defcribed. This has induced me to tranfmit you 
another draught of the fame medal, wherein proper 
care has been taken to remedy that defeCt. The two 
fir ft of thofe characters, though fomewhat imperfeCt, 
appear manifeftly enough to be Sc bin and Tzade ; as 
the former occurs on the Palmyrene (3) marbles, 
and the latter on feveral very valuable (4) Phoenician 
coins. The others fo nearly refemble the numeral 
characters of the Palmyrenes, that they may un- 
doubtedly be confidered as pointing out to us a date. 
Which if we admit, the Schin and Tzade will feem 
to be the initial letters of the words ptf JW, THE 
YEAR OF SIDON, or IN THE YEAR OF 
SIDON ; as the elements Pe and Schin apparently 
denote nD3, THE PASCFIA OF THE YEAR, 
or IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, on 
the reverfe of the famous Samaritan coin of Bologna, 
published by Sig. Bianconi (5) not many years fince. 
Nor can the phrafe, THE YEAR OF SIDON, or 
IN THE YEAR OF SIDON, intimating the year 
(2) De A lum. quibufd. Sam. et Pboen. is’c. Dijfert. p. 56 — 59. 
& Tab. II. Oxon. 1750. 
(3) Mann. Palmyren. a Cl. Dawk. edit. pafl'. 
(4) Vid. Hadr. Reland. PaUjl. Illujlrat. p. 1014. Trajeft. 
Batavor. 1714- Erafm. Froel. ad Annal. Compendiar. Reg. & Rcr. 
Syr. Tab. VIII. &c. Viennae, 1754. 
(5) De Antiq. Hebraor. ct Gracor. Lit. Libel. Joan. Baptift. 
Biancon, p. 31, 32. Bononiae, 1748. 
