It is more than probable that the People disapproved of the payment of the nominal tribute (which was more degrading than any other), and made a remonstrance to the Throne upon the subject,—for their just pride had been aroused, and while they continued to pay to the Persian for mere political existence, they ceased to be a Nation of Freemen,—and Justin might consequently have written that all the Tyrians,—King, Nobles, and People, were Slaves,—for they were so, while their golden manacles rattled, and echoed along the distant shores of the Euphrates. Tyrus was, also, safe now from any attack by land,—and by water the Capital defied apparently both man and elements. The tribute had been originally imposed and levied upon the National weakness,—it was now to be thrown off in its day of strength. The King who would cowardly surrender, and continue to submit a Nation's liberty to a foreign yoke, while he had power to be free,—and yet was willing to wear and hold the mere shadows of a Crown and Sceptre,—must have been, at heart, no fit guardian, or steward, of a People's honour or prosperity;—and especially, when in the very rank of life, the rights of which he continued to betray,—there was a Spirit—like the Sun—ready to disperse the clouds lowering upon, and obscuring his Country's freedom! This Tyrian Patriot was Strato,—who, upon the successful issue of the Rebellion, and breaking of the foreign yoke imposed by Persia, was instantly elected Sovereign,—the Royal title continued to his descendants, even to the last King of the Tyrians.
475 B. C.] From this time forward, Tyrus continued not only to enlarge her Navigation, but to increase her inland commerce. One of the chief complaints made by the Prophet Nehemiah against his countrymen was,—that their Sabbath was desecrated by buying merchandise of the Tyrians upon the Holy-Day. Nehemiah caused the traffickers to be thrust out of Jerusalem more than once, and the Gates to be closed upon them; but they still lingered around the walls in order to sell their commodities on the Jewish Sabbath,—upon which the Chief Ruler of the restored House of Judah, instantly threatened to have recourse to violence, and drive the Tyrian merchants from their locality. This event [434 B. C.] was forty-one years after the accession of the new dynasty.
It was no sin in the estimation of the Tyrians to sell upon the Sabbath Day of Israel, for they being heathens they did not esteem that Seventh day:—the crime was, that of buying by the Jews upon their own Sacred Sabbath.—In this manner is it justly reproved by Nehemiah: viz.—
"There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein [i. e. in Jerusalem], which brought fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the Sabbath unto the Children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath Day? And it came to pass that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath: and some of my servants [guards] set I at the gates, that there should be no burden brought in on the Sabbath Day. So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of ware [i. e. the Tyrians] lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, 'Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands upon you!' From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath." [Jeremiah xiii. 16—21.]
Jerusalem is about 80 miles from Tyrus, and the Merchants of the latter Capital must have had communication with the former by land conveyance only,—or they may have landed at Joppa [Jaffa], as in the days of Hiram, and from thence by Camel conveyance to Jerusalem. In either case the words of Nehemiah prove that Tyrians themselves were at the Holy-City as merchants and traders; and that consequently their commercial intercourse, at this time, was by land, as well as by water, with distant countries.
The same spirit of Monopoly which had actuated the early Tyrians, was still professed and practised by their descendants;—but, with Sidon, their Parent,—and Carthage, their Daughter, were they on terms of friendship and reciprocity. This continued throughout the following century, when the sympathy and gratitude of both Nations were evinced upon the last solemn occasion of Tyrian Nationality in Asia. With every other country, and especially with Rome, they betrayed their envy and growing jealousy. The incident related [Vol. i., Book ii., ch. iii.] in reference to the ingenious stratagem of the Tyrians in entrapping the Roman Galley, whereby it and the crew were totally lost, while they themselves were saved, and the secret of their discovery secured,—is but one of many proofs of the National character. This same feeling would naturally lead them to conceal from all foreign countries their previous discovery of the Fortunate Isles,—they were their own,—and none but the Tyrians knew of their locality;—which knowledge gave them the means of finding a temporary resting-place, from the devastating effects of an approaching whirlwind.
335 B. C.] Allowing twenty years as the average reign of the Sovereigns, Azelmic would be the eighth king in the present family, including Strato, the original founder of the last line of Tyrian Monarchs.
We have now approached to the great National event, which led a portion of the Asiatic family to become the Aborigines of the Southern (or Mexican) division of the Western Hemisphere.
As we believe that the reader will have admitted that the Tyrians are identified as the original Builders of the ruined edifices in America,—and that this was sufficiently established in the first Book of this Volume,—the chief circumstances then to be established, are the time and means in which, and whereby, they reached the Western Continent. And, also, is it essentially required to prove a sufficient cause leading to these eventful incidents in a Nation's History. In the following chapters we believe that the Veil of Mystery—woven even by the hands of the Prophets—will be raised from that creating cause,—and by so doing, it will not only unfold Time's Romance in Ancient America, but uphold the truth of Prophecy, and therefore of the past: explain the latest wonder of the present age; and we would feign indulge the hope, that, with the preceding pages, and those to follow,—not without some beneficial reflections for that of the future.