Page 218 - Records of Bahrain (2)(ii)_Neat

544 Records of Bahrain

of those stutonionts, lio says that tlio question commonly discussed has
boon whether tlio cities about the Persian Gulf aro the mother cities of
those on fcho Mediterranean, or colonies from them. Seetzen and llccrcn
incline to tho latter view, but in favor of the former he notes—
(I) Tho doublo tradition, viz., that of Herodotus, of tho Phoenicians, of
Phoenicia Proptsr, and that of tho inhabitants of Tyrus and Aradus recorded
by Erastosthcncs, who probably followed Androsthcncs, tho Naval Officer
of Alexander.
(II) Wlmt may bo called the argument for general probability. Both
arguments would seem to bo very strong ones, particularly that of tho doublo
tradition, for wo know how jealously such race vouchers aro handed down from
father to son amongst Eastern nations, and it seems more probable that tho
Phoenicians should have been influenced by the law of the Semitic drift to tho
westward than that thoy should have been fighting against tho tide. Mr.
Eawlinson, however, romarks that tho tomplos seen by Androsthcncs (at
Bahrain) may have been built when the Phoenicians formed settlements in the
time of their prosperity.
48. Without offering an opinion that I am unqualified to give, I would draw
attention to Mr. KawJinson’s more elaborate essay
Kwnjr II. Vol. VII.
on the same subject, which, leaving the origin of
the tradition of a Phoenician emigration still doubtful in so far as it might really
have related to an early Ifamitio movement, which ho docs not dispute, lays
down that the Phoenician, like other Semitic races in these parts, did emigrate
from Babylonia, the primitive scat and home of Semitism, but lie apparently
objects to Strabo’s cradling them specially in Bahrain, and to tho more elabo­
rately worked out story of Tro^us Poiupcius, giving the reasons of their move­
ment and tho road they took.
49. It will however scarcely be called in question that these islands of
Bahrain were in old days inhabited by a Phoenician race, and that they had hero
temples to their gods actually seen by Androsthcncs, when ho led the naval
expedition, under orders from the Macedonian boy conqueror.
60. Interested in theso matters as overy one must be, whose good or evil for­
tunes lead them to these classic lands, I have taken every opportunity of going
about the island, cross-examining the people, aud looking for anything that
might bo old enough to bear upon such questions.
61. My first visit to the Sheikh resulted in an immediate call for horses and
a ride out on Muharrak to the dato-groves of Sin^abi, where tho Chief said they
had lately como upon au old well.
52. The sand hills on this side of the island evidently cover old buildings,* and
the “well” that had been found was either
• I lisvc since lirnril from Abdullah bln Rijjnb, nno
of ft rich firm of brothers, engaged in the penrl trade, a 6tono conduit with cross branches or tho
mul7n ^ngli.T'fr^Alc'n'ccmn1^ foundations of S01UC old stoilC building,
nicil by n Persinn (Ailcl.i) AmbtiMJidor digging mid some six or seven feet below the surface,
turning over stones in this very pli.ee. Ho did not n0W lioldill" Water. TllC SrOlUld bad boCIl
know with wlint result*. . . ° , «• „
struck with a scraper to make room loi a
young date plant, and had fallen in, thus disclosing the stone work below. I
could notask to search there, ns it would havo damaged the garden, but told the
gardener to go down, work, and find out what it was. He promised, but of
course that was all.
53. After this I rode a round of visits to every mosque on this side of tho
t Tlio „.ii Oi Abo Zoiitnn !. worn. n,o„.i„„i„K. «s>“n<l tliawinR them as being the most likely
It springs under sn nrch of slonc, which serves r>« find for ail intelligent inhabitant, UIKl UHCl-
UffSK "ards led °*> hopes or I'urlhcr discoveries,
tiring snid to bccoino mill In the hot. I suppose the I WOS taken to many lllto WllOSC Walls OKI
Arabic inscri,,lions bad boon Id, to ««?
from the wntcr supports p*rt of tlio superstructure. l'llllicd mOSqUC oT t.llC MeSlie(l-l-A.m* I
Ti.o pattern on tim outer arch is peculiar. Zoidftn, near the. Bilad-i-ICadim, said to
hnvo been built with tho material of a still older fallen one, and a sure Hud
for old writing. It contains ono old tablet, and a ring of stones round one, if not
C