as a dependency of Sidon.[483] The old name, in the shortened form of
"Zeb," still clings to the place.

Still further to the south, five miles from Ecdippa, and about
twenty-two miles from Tyre, lay Akko or Accho, at the northern extremity
of a wide bay, which terminates towards the south in the promontory of
Carmel. Next to the Bay of St. George, near Beyrout, this is the best
natural roadstead on the Syrian coast; and this advantage, combined with
its vicinity to the plain of Esdraelon, has given to Accho at various
periods of history a high importance, as in some sense "the key of
Syria." The Assyrians, in their wars with Palestine and Egypt, took care
to conquer and retain it.[484] When the Ptolemies became masters of
the tract between Egypt and Mount Taurus, they at once saw its value,
occupied it, strengthened its defences, and gave it the name of
Ptolemaïs. The old appellation has, however, reasserted itself; and,
as Acre, the city played an important part in the Crusades, in the
Napoleonic attempt on Egypt, and in the comparatively recent expedition
of Ibrahim Pasha. It had a small port of its own to the south-east of
the promontory on which it stood, which, like the other ports of the
ancient Phoenicia, is at the present time almost wholly sanded up.[485]
But its roadstead was of more importance than its port, and was used by
the Persians as a station for their fleet, from which they could keep
watch on Egypt.[486]

South of Accho and south of Carmel, close upon the shore, which is here
low and flat, was Dor, now Tantura, the seat of a kingdom in the time
of Joshua,[487] and allotted after its conquest to Manasseh.[488] Here
Solomon placed one of his purveyors,[489] and here the great Assyrian
monarch Tiglath-pileser II. likewise placed a "governor," about B.C.
732, when he reduced it.[490] Dor was one of the places where the