[ ] 
Tyrian and Sidonian coins ; though thefe characters, 
as upon infpedtion will appear, are fufficiently diftin- 
guifhable from each other. 
f oxThau , in the Phoenician infcription here explained. Now this 
very figure of Tzade immediately precedes the numeral charac- 
ters in the exergues of feveral Sidonian coins, and is itfelf imme- 
diately preceded by the letter Schin. Thofe two elements there- 
fore, as occurring on the medals of Sidon, and preceding a date, 
I took for the initial letters of the words the year 
of sidon ; and evinced this by fuch reafons as, I apprehenied, 
could not be eafily overthrown. But M. l’Abbe Barthelemy be- 
lieves the two elements to form the word year ; and has 
been followed in this notion by M. Pellerin, who feems a little 
to exult, and triumph, on the occafion. However, I fiill am 
fully convinced of the truth of what I formerly advanced ; and 
am hindered from coming into M. l’Abbe’s opinion, by the fol- 
lowing confiderations. 
1. The very character I took for Tzade is the firft letter of 
the words *Y;£, tzor, or tzvr, and TZIDON, TYRE and 
sidon, on feveral Tyrian and Sidonian coins. This directly 
evinces the point in queftion. Some of thefe coins are now in 
my poffeflion, very weil preferved, and undoubtedly genuine. 
2. The word it£>, annvs, year, or the year, does not 
occur in any of the oriental languages, or dialects, that I have 
hitherto been converfant with ; the term which is rarely 
ufed, being a different word. Nor can M. l’Abbe authenticate 
the pretended PH 5 ^, by obferving, or rather without any founda- 
tion roundly afferting, that as from is deduced nil, fo 
from may be derived T~\W, schat. For we certainly 
know, that there is fuch a word as nil, whereas nti* has not 
hitherto been found. We are not at liberty to frame terms out 
of our own heads, in order to ferve an indefenfible hypothefis ; 
nor will a grammatical conjecture, as I apprehend, realize a 
non-entity. 
3. The numbers expreffed by Phoenician numeral characters 
on certain coins that indifputably belong to Sidon do not amount 
to 1 1 2. From whence, as I formerly obferved, we may infer, 
that the rera referred to by thofe coins was the later epoch of 
Sidon. Which if we admit, any year deduced from that sera 
The 
