The earliest accounts of bargain and sale reach no higher than the time of Abraham, and his transaction with Ephron. He is said to have weighed unto him ',too shekels of silver, current money with the merchant' (Gen. xxiii. 16). The word merchant implies that the standard of money was fixed by usage among merchants, who com prised a numerous and respectable class of the community. Manufactures were by this time so far advanced, that not only those more immediately connected with agriculture, such as flour ground from corn, wine, oil, butter, and also the most necessary articles of clothing and furniture, but even those of luxury and magnificence, were much in use, as appears by the ear-rings, bracelets of gold and of silver, and other precious things presented by Abraham's steward to Rebecca (Gen. xxiv.
22, 53).
In the book of Job, whose author, in the opinion of the most learned commentators, resided in Arabia, and was contemporary with the sons of Abraham, much light is thrown upon the com merce, manufactures, and science of the age and country in which he lived. There is mention of gold, iron, brass, lead, crystal, jewels, the art of weaving, merchants, gold brought from Ophir, which implies commerce with a remote country, and topazes from Ethiopia ; shipbuilding, so far improved that some ships were distinguished for the velocity of their motion ; writing in a book, and engraving letters or writing on plates of lead and on stone with iron pens, and also seal-engrav ing ; fishing with hooks, and nets, and spears ; musical instruments, the harp and organ ; astro nomy, and names given to particular stars. These notices tend to prove that, although the patriarchal system of making pasturage the chief object of attention was still maintained by many of the greatest inhabitants where the author of the book of Job resided, the sciences were actively cultivated, the useful and ornamental arts in an advanced state, and commerce prosecuted with diligence and success ; and this at a period when, if the chrono logy of Job is correctly settled, the arts and sciences were scarcely so far advanced in Egypt, from whence, and from the other countries bordering upon the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, they afterwards gradually found their way into Greece.
The inhabitants of Arabia appear to have availed themselves, at a very early period, of their advantageous situation between the two fertile and opulent countries of India and Egypt, and to have obtained the exclusive monopoly of a very profit able carrying trade between those countries. They
were a class of people who gave their whole atten tion to merchandise as a regular and established profession, and travelled with caravans between Arabia and Egypt, carrying upon the backs of camels the spiceries of India, the balm of Canaan, and the myrrh produced in their own country, or of a superior quality from the opposite coast of Abyssinia—all of which were in great demand among the Egyptians for embalming the dead, in their religious ceremonies, and for ministering to the pleasures of that superstitious and luxurious people. The merchants of one of these caravans bought Joseph from his brothers for twenty pieces of silver, that is about 42 : i i :S sterling, and car ried him into Egypt. The southern Arabs were eminent traders, and enjoyed a large proportion, and in general the entire monopoly, of the trade between India and the western world, from the earliest ages, until the system of that important commerce was totally overturned when the inhabi tants of Europe discovered a direct route to India by the Cape of Good Hope.
At the period when Joseph's brethren visited Egypt, inns were established for the accommoda tion of travellers in that country and in the northern parts of Arabia. The more civilized southern parts of the peninsula would no doubt be furnished with caravanserais still more commodious.
During the residence of the Israelites in Egypt manufactures of almost every description were car ried to great perfection. Flax, fine linen, garments of cotton, rings and jewels of gold and silver, works in all kinds of materials, chariots for plea sure, and chariots for war, are all mentioned by Moses. They had extensive manufactories of bricks. Literature was in a flourishing state ; and, in order to give an enlarged idea of the accomplish ments of Moses, it is said he was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians' (Acts vii. 22).
The expulsion of the Canaanites from a great part of their territories by the Israelites under Joshua, led to the gradual establishment of co lonies in Cyprus, Rhodes, and several islands in the lEgean Sea ; they penetrated into the Euxine or Black Sea, and, spreading along the shores of Sicily, Sardinia, Gaul, Spain, and Africa, esta blished: numerous trading places, which eadually rose into more or less importance. At this period mention is first made of Tyre as a strong or forti fied city, whilst Sidon is dignified with the title of Great.