C 6o 3 ] 
a vow they had made to Malachbelus and the other 
gods worshipped at Tadmor; and confequently that 
Malachbelus was the principal deity of the people to 
which they belonged, as well as of the Palmyrenes. 
This remark will fhake at lead, if it will not intirely 
overturn, the hypothecs propofed to the (27) learned 
world by Dr. Hyde, viz. that thefe Calbites were a 
part of the Kelbians, a (28) fmall inconfiderable 
canton feated at prefent on mount Libanus, and palled 
over in filence by the antients ; who, according to 
this author, received the denomination of Kelbians 
from a black dog that they worlhipped. Nor is 
this hypothecs confirmed, or even in the lead coun- 
tenanced, by either Mr. Maundrell, Dr. Shaw, or Dr. 
Pococke, who lately traverfed that part of Syria where 
this obfcure and contemptible clan have their habita- 
tions. In confirmation of the latter inference here de- 
duced from this infcription, it appears (29) from the 
oriental writers, that the tribe of Hamyar, the 
♦ntient progenitors of the Calbites, chiefly wor- 
shipped the fun ; though they feem likewife, on 
certain occafions, to have paid divine honours to 
an idol named Nafr. The Calbites alio, fettled at 
Dawmat al Jandal, themfelves adored the heavens, 
which bear a near relation to the fun, and might 
pofiibly have been midaken by fome of the aforefaid 
(27) Tho. Hyd. H ; Ji. Relig. Veter. Perfar. Append, p. 491, 
492. Oxon. 1700. 
(28) D. R. Huntingt. Epijf. p. 47. Lond. 1704. 
(29) Al Zamakhfhar. Al Be : dawi, Al Jauhar. Al Shahreftan. 
Vid. etiam Poc. Not. in Spec. Hi ft. Arab, p.93. 133, 134. & alib. 
See alfo Sale’s Prelim. Dijc. p. 17, 19* 
writers 
