In early times the Beduins of the desert were glad of a market in Gaza for their spices and frankincense. In fact, according to Dr. Meyer (from whom I freely quote), the foundation of Gaza is most probably associated with the Minæans in their development of the frankincense trade. Extensive remains have been found in Central and Southern Arabia, which have been ascribed to these Minæans. Mr. Edward Glaser maintains that this people existed from about the seventeenth century B.C., and that the Sabæans followed them in the occupancy of those regions. If this be allowed, it seems to follow that Gaza was founded, or at least augmented, by this early Arabian people. The wealth of the Minæan kingdom was derived chiefly from the transportation of frankincense and other spices from the East, and from Southern Arabia, which the caravans carried through the desert to Gaza.[15] In 674 B.C. Esar-haddon, son of Sennacherib, undertook a campaign against the Arabian tribes, put an end to the Minæan kingdom, and secured control of the spice-trade route. During the Persian period (539-332 B.C.) Gaza was the chief centre of the frankincense trade. According to Dr. Birdwood in his article on "The Perfumes of the Bible," _Bible Educator_, vol. i, p. 378, "it is very surprising that so great a weight of evidence in favour of frankincense being produced in Arabia and Africa should ever have been set aside for the idle fancy that India was the source of the olibanum (ὁ λίβανος) commerce." FOOTNOTE: [15] See Isaiah lx. 6, and Jeremiah vi. 20. CHAPTER IV NOTES ON GAZA COINS An article of mine, entitled, "Notes on Gaza Coins," appeared in the _Quarterly Statement_ of the Palestine Exploration Fund, April 1912. Since that date my attention has been drawn to an additional coin referred to by Dr. Meyer in his _History of the City of Gaza_, Chap. XVI. He begins by mentioning that an early coin attributed to Gaza is the so-called Jehovah coin of the British Museum. This coin is found in the printed catalogue of 1814, although purchased about fifty years previous. On palæographical and archæological grounds it is assigned to about 400 B.C. On the obverse appears a head with a helmet; on the reverse, a figure seated in a chariot, with a bird in his hand. Above the figure, in Phœnician characters, are the three letters (יהו). A bearded head, wearing a mask, is also to be found on the reverse. The coinage of Gaza in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. has been identified by M. Six, and consists of darics and smaller coins of Attic weight and of various types. In Nehemiah vii. 70, the Revised Version of the Old Testament reads thus: "The Tirshatha gave to the treasury a thousand darics of gold," whereas the Authorised Version has "a thousand drams of gold." The gold daric and siglos (silver shekel) are the first coins that can possibly have had legal currency in Palestine.