this Medal, and renouncing the thought of its spuriousness; and, admitting this, there cannot be a more interesting portrait to look upon! Mr. Murray observes with respect to its antiquity, "The absence of the nimbus, or halo,

which encircled the heads of saints in the seventh century, affords some presumption of its priority to that period."

The same author, in continuation, in order to strengthen the cause he espouses regarding the Medal in question, introduces facsimiles of others struck in commemoration of certain earthquakes which occurred in Asia, apparently connected with that one which took place at the SAVIOUR's crucifixion.

I give his account of them in his own words; (his book contains plates of the objects of which he treats.)

“In Plate III., fig. 28, we give a facsimile of the reverse of a very rare and valuable Medal of Tiberius, for which we are indebted to the friendly courtesy of H. H. Williamson, Esq., of Greenway Bank, (Newcastle, Staffordshire,) in

whose interesting collection of coins and medals it is. This Medal, all antiquarians agree, was struck by Tiberius upon the event of the destruction of the thirteen cities of Asia, by the earthquake which took place at the time of our SAVIOUR'S crucifixion. On the obverse is the head of Drusus, without a laurel, and the legend, 'NERO CLAUDIUS DRUSUS GERMANICUS IMP:' on the reverse, Nero Claudius Drusus is seen sitting, robed, in a curule chair, with various spoils disposed around him, holding in his right hand a branch, and in his left a scroll of parchment. The legend on the reverse is TI. CLAUDIUS CESAR AUG. P. M. T. R. P. IMP. P. P.' This Medal is so extremely rare that Matthew Dean, Esq., Dr. Mead, Snelling, and others, value it at twenty pounds, or at the option of the possessor." He then observes,—

"Some suppose that the earthquake which took place at the SAVIOUR's crucifixion was felt over all the world-a supposition extremely probable others confine it to the land of Judea. Dreadful must have been the convulsion which

rent the veil of the temple from top to bottom -a fact mentioned by Josephus. St. Cyril of Jerusalem says, that the rocks of Mount Calvary which were rent by this earthquake were still evident and pointed out in his time. Orosius considers this earthquake to have been the very same which overturned the twelve cities of Sardis, Magnesia, Masthene, Ega, Hierocasarea, Philadelphia, Tmolus, Cyma, Myrina, Apollonia, and Hyrcania; to which Eusebius adds Ephesus. Pliny and Strabo describe this earthquake to have been the most dreadful ever felt. Tiberius began to reign A.D. 14, and died A.D. 37, or four years subsequent to the resurrection of CHRIST. At the period of this earthquake he must have been seventy-three years old; and the appearance of the head on the obverse of the Medal (the reverse of which we have given) is that of age." (It appears so on the plate.) "It may also be stated, that there were other Medals struck, in acknowledgment of the care which Tiberius took in rebuilding the cities of Asia destroyed by this earthquake.

On the obverse, the emperor is represented sitting in a curule chair, as in the one given, with the legend CIVITATIBUS ASIA RESTITUTIS ;' and, on the reverse, the legend merely-TIBERIUS CESAR DIVI AUG. FILIUS AUGUSTUS PONT. MAX. TRIB. POT. XXI.' The event of a dreadful earthquake is thus attested; and this is the only period to which we can reasonably refer this earthquake. Tiberius died four years subsequent to the crucifixion of our SAVIOUR; and we nowhere read of the destruction of the cities of Asia prior to this dreadful tragedy." He proceeds: From combined testimony--Christian, Jewish, and Pagan a terrible earthquake occurred at the crucifixion: the rocks were convulsed and torn; the veil of the temple of Jerusalem was rent in twain; and thirteen of the finest cities of Asia overturned. We also collect from Pagan authorities that the loss of life was great, because the earthquake occurred when it was dark. If the preternatural darkness extended over the eastern hemisphere-and it is likely it would extend as far as the effects of the