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A Phoenician in the time of King Thoutmes III. 
(Roger-Miles.) 
 THE PHOENICIAN-HEBRAIC ORNAMENT. 
n Phoenicia lived a distinctly cornmercii~1 people, full of the spirit of
trade, thinking of nothing but gain and ~ and keeping their commercial interests
always above other interests of any kind whatever. In the second thousand
before Christ they were already settled on the coast of Syria, had trading-stations
and colonies in Greece, Italy, Gaul, Hispania, and Africa, ~nd in their intercourse
with the various peoples with whom they traded paid attention only to such
matters as were best likely to forward their own commercial interests. To
this commerëial spirit is due the fact that there is no strictly Phoenician
art. In the Phoenician Ornament evidences of all kinds of decoration can
be recognised, EgyptianAssyrian influence being specially predominant. The
most characteristic examples of Phoenician art which have come down to us
are their jewels. These imply that the Phoenicians lived in a high state
of luxury, and prove also that they had reached a high state of development
in the art of working in gold. The Hebrews in Palestine were entirely dependent
on the Phoenicians for their techn~ and their art. The Mosaic law forbidding
pictures and images prevented the free development of art amongst the Jews.
In the reigns of David and Solomon, that is, about the year iooo before Christ,
Hebrew Art was in its highest glory, and remained so until the destruction
of Jerusalem by Nebukadnezar in the year 586 B. C. The principal buildings
of King Solomon's palace, and of the Temple, were however the work of Phoenician
artists and artisans. Numerous tombs cut into rocks at this time and characteristic