the words OI BADEIZ, or the dyers, referring to the art of dyeing purple, as forming a branch of commerce in the city of Thyatira. The double dyed purple of Tyre, called DIBAPHA, was a very costly affair. A pound of this precious dye could not be bought for one thousand denarii, or more than thirty pounds sterling. When we take into consideration, the length of the imperial robes and mantles, they must have been very expensive. It would hence seem that Lydia must have possessed considerable resources, to have maintained such an expensive branch of art, and therefore of some consideration in the city of Philippi. In our Plate, which serves for a frontispiece, fig. 4, we have given an exact copy of an ancient brass medallion, once in the possession of the late H. Rooke, Esq. of Mansfield, Notts. It was discovered near Newstead Priory, the seat of the late Lord Byron, in the year 1775, by some labourers. The nimbus, or glory, round the head, on the obverse, militates against the supposition that it can be dated farther back than the seventh century. The head, however, is fine, and seems characteristic. The legend, which occupies the entire field on the reverse, appears to have been taken from the vulgate of Psalm lxviii. 27, &c. This Priory was founded by Henry II, for canons regular of the Augustine order. Paul is here called Adoloscentulus, having sprung from Benjamin, the youngest tribe-in mentis excessu, descriptive of his excessive zeal. This medallion seems to have been worn as a pendant. In the nineteenth chapter we have an account of a singular tumult at Ephesus, raised at the instigation of Demetrius a silversmith, and "the craftsmen” of that celebrated city, who seem to have reaped considerable emolument by supplying "silver shrines" for the temple of the Paphian goddess; whom, it was said, "Asia, and all the world worshipped." An outcry was made against the apostles, for bringing their goddess into disrepute, or rather, doubtless, the "craft by which they had their wealth." Amid this confusion, in order to appease the populace, the town clerk proclaimed, that every body knew that Ephesus was "a worshipper" (rather NE KOPON-a distinction assumed by several cities,) "of the great goddess, Diana." We give the fac simile of a coin of Ephesus, bearing the precise word used by Luke, and which may be translated temple-keeper, or sacristan. NTPIC ERKOPAN KAITHCAP The rescript of the letter to the Asiatic churches has been called in question; or, if admitted, assigned to Antoninus Pius, rather than to Marcus Antoninus. In Plate II. fig. 9, is a coin of the former prince, which is unfavourable to such a supposition. It seems votive on the part of "the pious Ephesians" for some immunities conferred on their temple, seen in the back ground, with a cypress; while Jupiter the thunderer, extending the quiescent bolt toward the temple, is pouring down the vial of his wrath on a prostrate figure-likely the symbol of Christianity. The radiated crown implies divinity. When Paul had returned from Asia to Jerusalem, he had nearly become the victim of popular fury. Being led into "the castle," he prefaced his defence by stating, that he was "a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia-a citizen of no mean city." We have given a coin of Tarsus; and it bears sufficient evidence, from the architecture of the structure represented on it, and its designation of a metropolis, that it must have been a city of considerable distinction. Other coins, too, afford palpable proof, that the fine arts, here, must have been considerably advanced. The coins of Tarsus are remarkable, according to Froelick, for a kind of perspective in the figures represented. We have incidental proofs in Paul's writings, that he was a native of Cilicia, from peculiar provincialisms of expression, called Cilicisms. There is a remark, connected with the "great apostle of the Gen TAP KOINOCKIAIKIAC МНТРОПО COY tiles," which may be made in reference to an observation recorded in chap. xxii. 25, 28, wherein Paul claimed the privileges of a Roman citizen, being a native of Tarsus: "The chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said, I was free born." It is worthy of notice, here, that among the Roman colonies some had JUS CIVITATIs, the right of Roman citizens. Pliny calls Tarsus a free city; and Dion Cassius says, its inhabitants were friendly to Julius Cæsar; and on his account, to Augustus: no doubt they would, therefore, enjoy peculiar privileges. According to Dion Cassius, this privilege, "which had formerly been bought at a great price, became so cheap, at last, that it was commonly said, a man might be made a Roman citizen for a few pieces of broken glass." We have, next, to direct attention to the adventure which followed Paul's shipwreck on the island of Malta, or Melita; and now give an ancient coin of that island, in illustration. On On the obverse is the representation of Isis, wherein the Egyptian contour of visage is sufficiently marked; the emblems are those of Isis. the reverse, we have an Egyptian figure, with a flagellum and sickle: all which shews, in a way sufficiently clear, the source of their mythology. When the viper fastened on Paul's hand, the people of the island seem to have expected, from the virulence of this deadly reptile, that "he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly;" and it was observed by them, "no doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." In their view of it, Isis had sent her avenger, the asp, (which is often associated with her,) to take vengeance on the criminal. When they saw, however, no harm come to him, they 66 changed their minds, and said, he was a god." He had thus shewn, that he defied the vengeance of Isis, and consequently was superior to their goddess. This seems, we think, a simple and obvious solution. When the disciples received their commission from JESUS CHRIST, it was promised them, that "no deadly thing" should have power to hurt them. Death almost immediately follows the wound inflicted by some venomous serpents such as the tic polonga. ΦΙΛΕ In 2 Cor. xi. 32, it is stated, that "in Damascus, the governor, under Aretas the king, kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison." We give a fac simile of a coin of Damascus, on which this very name occurs as the king. The word, ΦΙΛΕΛΛΗΝΟΣ, we may suppose, refers to his attachment to the Helenistic Jews, which may be inferred from his anxiety to apprehend Paul. If, however, the letters, AP, are to be considered as indicating the AP ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ date, and to be calculated from the era of the Seleucidæ, it must be 160 A.c. This, however, is an unsettled point; and it suffices us to know, that there were several kings of Damascus of this name. In connexion with Damascus, we may quote the following remark, from a modern traveller: "In the city of Damascus, `there is a street still called, Straight, and where Paul is, with reason, said to have lived. It is entered by the road from Jerusalem. It is as straight as an arrow, a mile in length, broad, and well paved." From the mount of Olives our Saviour, on one memorable occasion, "beheld the city of Jerusalem, and wept over it." He had already foretold, that there should "not be left one stone upon another that should not be thrown down." How literally that event was verified in the destruction of Jerusalem, by Titus Vespasian, history proclaims, and existing monuments record. This terrible calamity, both Tacitus and Josephus have described; and the Arch of Titus, at Rome, : 66 of which we have given a representation in our first Plate, fig. 2, still affords, in its falling splendour, a memorial to the truth of this fact. In Plate II. fig. 11, is a copy from the bas reliefs, with which it is decorated our figure is copied from "The Architectural Remains of Rome."* This triumphal Arch of Titus, designed to commemorate the taking of Jerusalem, was erected on the via sacra, which commenced at the Circus Maximus, and extended to the Capitol. The sides of the arch-way are decorated by bas reliefs: on the south side is seen the triumphal entry into Rome; and on the opposite side is shewn the procession of captive Jews, with staves in their hands," bearing the spoils of the temple of Jerusalem: the GOLDEN CANDLESTICK, with its SEVEN BRANCHES ; the GOLDEN TABLE, and the CENSER; the SILVER TRUMPETS, &c. There can be no doubt that these are exact representations of the sacred furniture of the temple, and also complete models of those which decorated the tabernacle in the wilderness, agreeably to the "pattern shewed in the mount." This interesting arch is now fast falling into ruin; and when we were at Rome, the bas reliefs were much defaced. In Plate I. fig. 3, is a fac simile of a cast, in our cabinet, taken from a fine "Judea capta," discovered a few years ago at Gloucester. On the obverse, is the head of Vespasian; and on the reverse, the "daughter of Zion," weeping beneath the palm-tree; with emblems of the captive spoils of Judea. The following is a fac simile from a silver denarius of Vespasian, in our possession, illustrative of the capture of Judea; and still more literally expressive of the attitude of grief, and of the language of the Prophet: "She being desolate, shall sit upon the ground."+ "How is she become as a widow! she that * Taylor and Cressy, Folio, London, 1821, p. 1. |