the Turkish
power, and has become almost a desert. It is now called Cairoan. Some
of the Cyrenians were among the earliest Christians (Acts xi. 20); and
one of them, it is supposed, was a preacher at Antioch (Acts xiii. 1).
We find also, that among the most violent opposers of Christianity
were the Cyrenians, who had a synagogue at Jerusalem, as had those of
many other nations. It is said there were four hundred and eighty
synagogues in Jerusalem.

_Lybia_, or Libya (Acts ii. 10), was anciently among the Greeks, a
general name for Africa, but properly it embraced only so much of
Africa as lay west of Egypt, on the southern coast of the
Mediterranean. Profane geographers call it Libya Cyrenaica, because
Cyrene was its capitol. It was the country of the Lubims (2 Chron.
xii. 3), or Lehabims, of the Old Testament, from which it is supposed
to have derived its name.

The ancient city of Cyrene is now called Cyreune, Cairoan, or Cayran
and lies in the dominion of Tripoli. This district of the earth has
lately occasioned much interest among Italian and French geographers.
Great numbers of Jews resided here (Matt. xxvii. 32).

_Libya_, a part of Africa, bordering on Egypt, famous for its armed
chariots and horses (2 Chron. xvi. 8).

_Ophir_, the son of Joktan, gave name to a country in Africa, famous
for gold, which was renowned even in the time of Job (Job xxi. 24,
xxviii. 16); and from the time of David to the time of Jehoshaphat the
Hebrews traded with it, and Uzziah revived this trade when he made
himself master of Elath, a noted port on the Red Sea. In Solomon's
time, the Hebrew fleet took up three years in their voyage to Ophir,
and brought home gold, apes, peacocks, spices, ivory, ebony and
almug-trees (1 Kings ix. 28, x. 11, xxii. 48, 2 Chron. ix. 10).

_Tarshish_ (Isa. xxiii. 1), or Tharsish (1 Kings x. 22). It is
supposed that some place of this name existed on the eastern coast of
Africa or among the southern ports of Asia, with which the ships of
Hiram and Solomon traded in gold and silver, ivory, and apes and
peacocks (2 Chron. ix. 21). It is said that once in every three years
these ships completed a voyage, and brought home their merchandise.
Hence, it is inferred, the place with which they traded must have been
distant from Judea.

The vessels given by Hiram to Solomon, and those built by Jehoshaphat,
to go to Tarshish, were all launched at Eziongeber, it the northern
extremity of the eastern gulf of t