CHAP. V.
Fluctuating State of the India Trade — Hurt by Military Expeditions of the Persians — Revives under the Ptolemies — Falls to Decay under the Romans.
THE prosperous days of the commerce with the Elanitic Gulf seemed to be at this time nearly past; yet, after the revolt of the ten tribes, Edom remaining to the house of David, they still carried on a sort of trade from the Elanitic Gulf, though attended with many difficulties. This continued till the reign of Jehosaphat *[1]; but, on Jehoram's succeeding that prince, the Edomites †[2] revolted and chose a king of their own, and were never after subject to the kings of Judah till the reign of Uzziah ‡[3], who conquered Eloth, fortified it, and having peopled it with a colony of his own, revived the old traffic. This subsisted till the reign of Ahaz, when Rezin king of Damascus took Eloth ║[4], and expelled the Jews, planting in their stead a colony of Syri-
- ↑ * 1 Kings, chap. xxii. ver. 48. 2 Chron. chap. xx. ver. 36.
- ↑ † 2 Kings, chap. viii. ver. 22. 2 Chron. chap. xxi. ver. 10.
- ↑ ‡ 2 Kings, chap. xiv. ver. 22. 2 Chron. chap. 26. ver. ii.
- ↑ ║ 2 Kings, chap. xvi. ver. 6.
ans.
- 1 Kings, chap. xxii. ver. 48. 2 Chron. chap. xx. ver. 36.
† 2 Kings, chap. viii. ver. 22. 2 Chron. chap. xxi. ver. 10. ‡ 2 Kings, chap. xiv. ver. 22. 2 Chron. chap. 26. ver. ii. ║ 2 Kings, chap. xvi. ver. 6.