[ 2Q2 ] 
think, to affign this infcription a higher age. They 
rather announce a later than an earlier dace. 
V. 
The words forming this infcription are for the mod 
part either Hebrew or Punic. Of the former fort are 
p, nvi, ok, am, nrn, “Dp, cSp, *nn ; of the 
latter nSoD, npb rO> befides the proper names 
lb that only and fp feem to 
bear any relation to the Chaldee and Syriac. Hence 
we may plainly fee, as well as from what I have for- 
merly obferved, that neither the Punic nor Phoenici- 
an was almod intirely Syriac; and confequently, that 
the oppofite notion, advanced by M. l’Abbe Barthe- 
lemy 20 and M. de Guignes, together with the fuper- 
drutdure they have ere&ed upon it, mud; necefiarily 
fall to the ground. 
’Tis worthy obfervation here, that we have not met 
with the proper name of a Carthaginian in Punic cha- 
racters, on any of the remains of antiquity, before the 
monument whofe infcription I have been confidering 
occurred ; and it likewife ought to be remarked, that 
the word Hannibal is formed of the very fame 
Punic letters in this infcription that it has been fup- 
pol'ed to have antiently confided of by the 21 learned. 
With regard to the elliples pointed out to us in 
the Latin and Englilh verfions of this infcription, 
they are fuch as have ever been common in the eadern 
world ; and fimilar ones will prelent themlelves to 
10 M. de Guign. ubi Tup. p. 6o. Journal da Sfav. Deccmbre 
1760. p. 348. 
11 Boch. Chan. Lib. II. c. xii. Hcndr. ubi fup. p. 149. Ad. 
Littlct. Ling. Latin. Ditt. 
our 
