Ebook History of the City of Gaza

The city of Gaza has not had the glamour thrown around it which has brought so many cities on the coasts of the Mediterranean into great prominence. Hut it has had an importance all its own. As the objective point of the caravans that brought the merchandise of southern Arabia and of the far East to the Mediterranean, as the distributing center of this merchandise into Syria, Asia Minor, and Europe, as well as the connecting link between Palestine and Egypt, the city of Gaza is interesting to the student of history. Since K. Stark in 1852 first made the attempt to write the history of the city, a large mass of material dealing with ancient Semitic civilizations has come to light - Assyrian, Egyptian. Sabæan, and Minæan. Stark also closed his account with the year 1634. Dr. Martin A. Meyer has taken up Stark's work, and has presented a picture of the life of the city and of its varying fortunes from the earliest times down to the present day. He has carefully collected and sifted all the available material. The importance of the city of Gaza will he more and more emphasized as the eastern shores of the Mediterranean are opened up to the commerce of the world, and as the projected railroads bring the inner parts of hither Asia into direct connection with the sea.