(3) Zidon under Persia, Greece, and Home. — A period of rest was enjoyed during the reign of Cyrus (B.C. 540-529). Afterwards the Phoenician cities were required to pay a light annual tax, and on demand to supply transport ships and war vessels to the king of Persia. Tliey were allowed to have their own kings and administration, and their con- dition was much better tlian it had been under the Assyrians and Babyloni.ins. In B.C. 351, as the power of Persia began to wane, Zidon took the lead in organizing a Phonician revolt against Arta- xerxes Ochus, king of Persia. In the punitive in- vasion that followed, Zidon was captured and reduced to ashes, as many as 40,000 perishing in the flames (Uiod. Siculus, xvi. 40-44).
After the battle of I.ssus (D.C. 333), Zidon, with the other cities of Phoenicia, except Tyre, surren- dered to Alexander, and Zidon contributed a large contingent of ves.sels to assist Alexander in his attack on the insular fortress. During the con- fusion that followed the death of Alexander, Zidon was at did'erent times under Egyptian and Seleucid rule until, in A.D. 198, it pa.ssed to the latter, and became rapidlj' Hellenized. A school of Philosophy sprang up at Zidon, to which was added the school of Law and Jurisprudence trans- ferred from Berytus after the earthquake there in A.D. 551. Under the Bomans Zidon enjoyed, along with Tyre, the rights of a free city, having its own magistrates and muiiici]>al government. During the 12th and 13th cents, it was fre(iuently taken and retaken by the Crusaders and the Saracens.
The modern Arabic town of 10,000 inhabitants lies along the shore of the N. harbour, with its ancient wall, crowded houses, narrow streets, and shaded ba/^iars. The gardens adjoining the town are irrigated from the river Awaly (IJostrenus), which enters the sea two miles N. of Zidon. These gardens arc covered with fruit-trees, cfiielly oranj^e, and in early spring, when the dark foliage is vane- gated with fragrant blossom and golden fruit, and the banks of the water channels are beautiful with violets, Zidon may still claim the epithet of the Greek poet Dionysius, who called her ivBeiibiaaa, 'the flowery city.' In these gardens pillars and blocks of carved stone and ancient coins are con- tinually Iwing found. In 1H55 the tomb of king Eshinunazar, pro\)ably of the 3rd cent. B.C., was
discovered. A few j'ears ago a much larger and more important di.scovery was made of a sub- terraneaTi burial chamber, with side-rooms contain- ing ornamental sarcophagi, one of which was at first pronounced that of Alexander the Great.
iii. Bini.E Allusions.— Except during the time of friendly contact jjroduced by the buildin" of tlie temjile (1 Ch 22^'), and its restoration in the time of Ezra ( Ezr 3'), the general tone of reference to Zidon is that of hostility. ' Great Zidon ' was on tlie border of the portion assigned to Asher (Jos 19-''), but the Zidonians remained unconquered, and jiroved a source of danger and temptation to Israel (Jos 13», Jg 1" 3' 10«). They are mentioned with Amalek and Midian as having aggressively oppressed Israel (Jg 10'-, where perhaps Phoenicians in general are meant). The marriage of Ahab with the Zidonian .Jezebel is denounced as a sin surpass- ing that of Jeroboam (1 K 16^'). The Zidonians are held up to abhorrence as having sought to make merchandise of captured Israelites, and of using the sacred vessels of the Lord at their heatlien shrines (Jl 3°). Zidon, with the other world powers, is to drink the cup of the Lord's fury (Jer 25--), and it is seen lying cast away and forgotten along with its companions in oppression, Asshur, Elam, and Egypt (Ezk 32'*). Zidonians were among the multitudes who went fortli to hear Christ (Mk 3"), and the sin of Tyre and Zidon is made to compare favourably with that of the impervious cities of Galilee (Mt lPi-22, Lk 10"-"). The Syro-Phojnician woman whose daughter was healed came from the coasts of Tyre and Zidon (Mt 1521-2*, Mk "=■'■*'), and Jesus, after this miracle, passed through Zidon (Mk 7^')- Zidon again appears with Tyre in the conciliatory interview with Herod in A.D. 44 (Ac 12-"), and, finally, was visited by St. Paul on his voyage to Rome (Ac 27').
Zidonians (d-i'itv, or, more commonly, D'JT!i ; 'ZiOiivLot, <t>o/m«s). — From originally meaning the inhabitants of the city of Zidon (1 K lP-*>, 2 K 23") the name came to be api)lied generally to all the cities of the same race, being thus = Phoenician.
LiTKRATtTRR. — Kenrick, Phnni-ina: Bawlinson, £/w(. of Phot- nicia ; Thomson, Land and the touk.
G. M. Mackie. ZIHA (Kfi-Y, in Neh 7*« Nrrv).— The name of a family of Nethinim, Ezr 2*» (B Xoveii, A 2oi;ad, Luc. ZovSSad) = 'S(ih V (BN ^Jjd, A"" Olai, Luc. ZovXal), Neh U'" (BS*A om., ««■•"« in* 2id\}.
ZIKLAQ (i^rf, in 1 Ch 12'- » :^p's ; B JIik^Uk except Jos 19" 1 S 27«<'" SneXd/t, 1 Ch 4*' 'QkU, 12' iowXd, v.2« ^urr\iti; A i;l^f^d7 except Jos 19" SfktXd).— A Judahite (Jos 15") or Sinieonite (19», 1 Ch 4*) town, which, in the time of Saul, was in Philistine hands and was assigned to David as his headquarters by AcHlsn (1 S 27", 2 S 1' 4'", 1 Ch 12'- -"). It was plundered by the Amalcl>ites dur- ing the absence of David, who, however, overtook and defeated the marauders (1 S 30'--') ; see art. David, vol. i. p. 5G0. It is mentioned as inhabited by Judahites after the Captivitj', Neh H'-".