BUT befides the perfonal ornaments worn by those who went to battle, it is beyond all doubt, that the eastern nations always adorned their weapons, and utenfils of war, with the richest metals. And in those nations where gold abounded, and iron was little known, there is no question but the weapons themfelves were of gold: as Pliny gives us to understand, that thofe of the antient Gauls were. And when we learn from the history of David, that the Syrians, whom he fubdued, and flew in fuch vast multitudes, wore fhields of gold, can we doubt, whether their quivers, handles of their fwords, &c. were not of the fame metal? He was victorious, in about twenty battles, over the richest enemies in the world, from the Redfea, to beyond Mount Libanus; and from the Euphrates, to the Mediterranean Sea. To what an incredible fum must the personal fpoils, the rich arms, the military chefts, and the gods of gold and filver *, (always * Pfal. cxv. 4. Their idols are filver and gold. And Pfal. cxxxv. 15. As for the images of the heathen, they are but filver and gold. And we learn from the eighth and feventeenth chapters of the book of Judges, that when the Ifraelites fell into the heathen idolatry, they also made them images of gold and filver. carried carried to battle with them) of such infinite multitudes, amount? And, in all probability, the spoils of their cities and countries, to a much greater. To fay nothing of the spoils taken from the Philistines, Amalekites, and others, even before he came to the crown. THE next source of David's wealth, was trade. SOLOMON, we know, made no conquests: yet had he two ports upon the Redfea; Eloth, and Ezion-geber, in the land of Edom. David conquered Edom, about the time that he fubdued the Syrians, 2 Sam. viii. 14. Consequently, thofe ports, and perhaps others, were in his hands. And therefore we may eafily credit Eupolemus *, when he tells us, that David fent fhips with miners to Urphe, an island in the Redfea, which had mines of gold: a relation, which is fufficiently confirmed, by the ac count left us, of David's giving three thoufand talents of gold, his own private property, pure gold of Ophir, (which doubtless is the Urphe of Eupolemus) to the building of the temple. Nor. is it any way probable, *Eufeb. Præpar. lib. ix. VOL. III. T that that he had no share in the trade of the Me diterranean, when fuch a length of its richest trading coaft was in his own hands. What profits he derived from these branches of trade, is impoffible to fay; but I think it highly probable, from the nature of the thing, that they were very confiderable, and, poffibly, immense. But whether his trade were fo, or no, it is undoubted, that his tribute was. SOLOMON had no wars, made no conquefts, or acquifitions of territory *; except that of the fingle city of Gezer, conquered for him, and bestowed upon him by Pharaoh. And therefore David's tributary revenues will best be estimated by those of Solomon. And what those were, may be estimated two ways: first, From the accounts left us of the expences he made: And, fecondly, From the particular mention made of the revenues paid in to him annually. As to the first of these : If we fuppofe the expences of David's and Solomon's tables It is indeed faid, 2 Chron. viii. 3. That he went to Hamath-zobah, and prevailed against it; but this I take to be rather the recovery of a revolted city, than a new conqueft. to to have been exactly the fame, (which most certainly they were not) and estimate only the furplus expences of Solomon, in his buildings, his cities, his houses, and their furniture, his women, his horfes, and chariots, (which would require volumes to explain) we fhall foon be fatisfied, to what an immense fum they must amount; and confequently, what an incredible fum David muft have faved and amaffed, by his œconomy, in the course of so many years. IN the next place: his tributes may be eftimated from the richness and extent of the dominions fubject to him; Edom, all the Arabias, and Syrias, both on this, and the other fide of Euphrates *, and the Palestine coaft. THE mines of Punon or Phinon, in Edom, as those of Palestine, hinted at by Mofes, Deut. xxxiii. were famed even to the days of the christian martyrs, condemned to them. The Arabians, Pliny calls the richest nations. And we have already seen, from Diodorus Siculus, that Arabia Felix yielded the pureft gold, and in the greatest quantity. * 2 Sam. x. 16, 19. + Gentes ditiffima, lib. vi. cap. 28. T 2 And And as to the Syrias, their riches will beft be estimated by the golden fhields of Hadadezer's army. Here then are funds enough of wealth, fufficient for any demand. And yet David certainly had others, as appears from the accounts of Solomon's annual income, found in 1 Kings x. 14, 15. viz. Six hundred threescore and fix talents of gold, befides that he had of the merchant-men, and of the traffick of the spice-merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country. THAT David, then, had fources enough for all the treasure he left behind him, is, I think, out of all doubt. IF it be objected, That this expence is difproportioned to the work; I answer, first, That no man I ever met with, except Vilalpandus, (and fuch as think after him) hath ever computed the vaftnefs of the work: nor will any man, I believe, ever conceive a right idea of it, who doth not carefully confider what he (and Lamy after him) hath faid upon that fubject. In the mean time, let any man but think of the treasures of fruit, wood, incenfe, corn, wine and oil, (to omit a thousand other things) annually depofited in the |
