Phoenicians

Chapter 4

Phoenicians are generally admitted to have belonged to the group of nations

known as Semitic --- this group, somewhat loosely named (since the descent of
several of them from “Shem” is speculative), consists of Assyrians, late
Babylonians, Syrians (Aramaeans), Arabians, Moabites, Hebrews and the
Phoenicians. A single and very marked type of language belongs to the entire
group and ties between all of them can be observed – the language is key in that it
signifies all their common ancestry whereas the “roots” (almost all of them) are
more or less physical and sensuous – being derived in general from an imitation of
nature. M Renan states, “If one looked only to the Semitic language, he would say,
that sensation alone presided over the first acts of the human intellect, and that
their language was primarily nothing but a mere reflex of their external world. If we
run through the list of Semitic roots, we scarcely meet with a single one which does
not present to us a sense of primarily material, which is then transferred, by
transition more or less direct and immediate, to things which are intellectual.”
And they all seem to have common traits of character;
1. Pliability combined with and Iron focus
2. Depth and force
3. Yearning for dreamy ease
4. Capacity for hard work
5. Love of abstract though,

Another find them in the following;

1. Intuitive monotheism
2. Intolerance
3. Prophetism
4. Want of philosophic and scientific faculties
5. Curious
6. To be appreciated
7. The capacity for a full political life
 It is primarily because of their language that the Phoenicians are regarded as
Semites --- as when there is no historical record for believing that a nation had put
aside its own original form of speech, and adopted an alien dialect, if not a certain
reason, can it be another or having an ethnic change. As far as can be placed, they
belong to exactly that geographic zone in which Semitism has always had its chief
location, they cannot be shown as having any inducement to change their manner
of speech, and they physical character and mental characteristics closely resemble
their counterparts.
During the Bronze Age there were sporadic migrations of nomads from the
Arabia region, hostile at first, they soon were assimilated into the coastal region.
Later, Indo-European groups came, among them the Hurrians who moved from
modern day Turkey in the north to Iraq in the 3rd millennium BCE bringing with them
the light horse-drawn chariot and the composite bow. Another group sailing from
the west, the “Sea Peoples”, exact origins unknown, thought to be north-eastern
European, while some scholars believe they were from countries suffering economic
collapse around the northern shores of the Mediterranean.
It is from “Herodotus” that we learn that both the Phoenicians themselves, and
the Persians acquainted with history, agree in saying that the original settlements of
the Phoenician people were upon the “Erythraean Sea”.
While some agree this is the Persian Gulf, the Romans equate its location to the
coast of the Red Sea, others along the East Coast of Africa, and the Western Coast
of India (these references are found in a Greek writing called the Periplus Maris
Erythraei) – this document was fairly descriptive of the lands surrounding the Indian
Ocean. Major references only state, “Name of unclear origin anciently applied to
the Indian Ocean, later to the Arabian Gulf, and finally to the Red Sea.
So as close as we can determine the Phoenicians migrated from the “Erythraean
Sea” sometime in antiquity --- leaving us little to base their origins from or even
when.
Strabo (famed Greek historian, geographer and philosopher [63/64 BCE – 24
AD]) adds that the inhabitants of certain islands in the Persian Gulf had a similar
tradition, and showed temples in their cities were Phoenician in character. Trogus
Pompeius “Justin”, wrote, “The Syrian nation was founded by the Phoenicians, who,
being disturbed by an earthquake, left their native land, and settle first of all in the
neighborhood of the “Assyrian Lake”, and subsequently on the shore of the
Mediterranean, where they build a city which they called “Sidon” on account of the
abundance of fish; for the Phoenicians call a fish – Sidon.”
The “Assyrian Lake” mentioned is probably the “Bahr Nedjif” (or) “Sea of Nedjif”
located in ancient Babylon, a permanent sheet of water, varying in its dimensions at
different seasons, but in general about 40-miles-long and from 10-20 miles wide.
Attempts have been made to discredit this entire story, but most people of
authority in antiquity on the subject of Phoenicia and the Phoenicians adopt it as
“almost” certainly true with the observation that, “The tradition relative to the
sojourn of the Phoenicians and the Erythraean Sea, before the establishment on the
coast of the Mediterranean, has thus a thrown a new light of their origins.”
Recent discoveries made at Nineveh1 and Babylon, show that the civilization of
Phoenicia and Assyria were very similar. Independent of this, the majority of
modern critics admit it, as demonstrated, that the primitive home of the
Phoenicians should be placed somewhere on the Lower Euphrates, in the midst of
the great commercial and maritime establishments of the Persian Gulf --- this in
agreement to the unanimous witnesses from antiquity.
George Rawlinson wrote one of the better descriptions of this unique peoples in
stating, “The Phoenician form, in some respects, the most important fraction of the
whole group of antique nations, notwithstanding that they sprang from the most
obscure and insignificant families. They, when settled, were constantly exposed to
inroads by new tribes, was utterly conquered and subjected by utter strangers when
it had taken a great place among the nations, and yet by industry, by perseverance,
by acuteness of intellect by unscrupulousness and want of faith, by adaptability and
pliability when necessary and dogged defiance at other times, by total disregard of
the rights of the weaker, they obtained the foremost place in the history of their
times, and the highest reputation, not only for the things that they did, but for the
many that they did not. They were the first systematic traders, the first miners and
metallurgists, the greatest inventors [some write their inventions were not theirs,
and that they were great adapters and improved on other inventions that happened
to pass through their hands], they were the boldest mariners, the greatest
colonizers, who at one time held not only the gorgeous East, but the whole of the
then half-civilized West in fee – who could (by themselves alone) of a form of

1
was an important city in ancient Assyria. This "exceeding great city", as it is called in the Book of Jonah, lay on the eastern
bank of the Tigris in modern-day Mosul, Iraq.
government approaching to constitutionalism, who of all nations of the time stood
highest in practical arts and sciences, and into whose laps there flowed an
unceasing stream of the world’s entire riches, until the day came when they began
to care for nothing else, and the enjoyment of material comforts and luxuries took
place of the thirst for and search after knowledge. Their piratical prowess and
daring was undermined; their colonies, grown old enough to stand alone, fell away
from them, some after a hard fight, others in mutual agreement or silently; and
nations in whose estimation and fear they had held in the first place, and who had
been tributary to them, distained them, ignored them, and finally struck them
utterly out of the list of nations, till they dwindled away miserably, a warning to all
who should come after them.” Very fitting!
The outstanding qualities in this description can be identified as good in
industry, perseverance, audacity in enterprise (they understood the turning of the
dollar), adaptability and pliability, acuteness of intellect, unscrupulousness, and the
want of good faith.
With regard to industry, they most certainly had a supreme handle on the trade
of the known world, and in some cases expanded far beyond its known borders.
They were industrious at home in mechanical and aesthetic arts, and they were
constantly seeking employment and opportunity abroad, in most cases ransacking
the earth for its useful and beautiful commodities. They constructed harbors, built
cities, founded numerous colonies, introduced the arts amongst wild nations,
accomplished miners (Herodotus noted in his travels, “a large mountain turned
topsy-turvy by the Phoenicians in their search for gold”), established large fishery
operations, organized lines of land traffic, they were in constant movement from
place to place, as they moved on they left abundant evidence of their diligence and
capacity for hard work.
From Thasos in the East to the Scilly Islands in the West, evidence can be found
of their mining activities, on all metal bearing islands and coastal tracks traces of
Phoenicia history can be found in their tunnels, adits (nearly horizontal mine shaft
or drain), and air-shafts, combined with manufactured vessels of various kinds of
silver, bronze, and terra-cotta, together with figures and gems of a Phoenician type,
all only add to their legends of their greatness of skills in manufacturing and active
commercial activities. It is noted that it was the master mariners who spread the
notion that the earth was flat, and if you sailed in one direction too long you would
fall off the earth, this notion to reduce the competition of other sea-faring nations.

As Phoenicia entered its glory it was still largely an urban culture, consisting of
locally independent cities/towns, usually built up with high, thick defensive walls, in
fertile well-watered regions along well traveled and vital trade-routes. Since there
was limited irrigation, there is found none of the massive cooperative location of the
large urban communities found elsewhere in Mesopotamia --- and the wealth of
each town was mostly found in its temples and within their organization, which
included record-keeping and the distribution of finances. Keep in mind that for
many centuries there was no “money” so-to-speak, whereas all trade was carried
out with the exchange of types of goods for another, one reason for the use of the
large temple complex as an ideal location for storing the wealth of the city. In one
manner or another, the temples even were able to finance trading expeditions. In
fact the money lenders mentioned in the Bible were not just “shifty characters” out
to cheat the people, but a natural product of the financial concentration of each
city, whereas the complex was able to store large amounts of goods, animals and
other objects offered to the temple for tithing. The temple used this wealth to
speculate on trading trips around the Mediterranean, to India and even to England.
In Phoenicia, whose cities often occupied small areas on land in a sheltered
harbor, buildings up to six stories high were constructed, most with roof top
gardens, and there were “always” well’s or springs within the city walls, one reason
the people were often able to withstand long sieges. Tyre had its fresh water piped
through a leather hose from an undersea spring.
Each city was ruled by a King, in most cases this position went through frequent
changes, unlike the rest of the Near East where long-standing dynasties where the
rule. Along with their rule each town had a council consisting of its most powerful
merchants who were responsible of the majority of decisions. There were no
elections as in later Athens (where only property holding males could vote), but
while not fully democratic the councils generally did a good job representing the
city and its occupants, as the prosperity of each city depended on their wisdom,
good decisions in advancing trade and avoiding war made them a respected part of
the community.
 It is believed that the city “Gebeil” (later known as Byblos) was the oldest city in
the region, where homes of farmers and fishermen have been uncovered dating
back to 7000-years ago (5000 BCE), where one-room huts were found with crushed
limestone floors and a stone idol of “El” (Kronos). This find makes Byblos one of the
oldest city’s in the world.
Byblos has trading ties to ancient Egypt before the dynasties of Egypt
developed, harvesting the cedar trees of Lebanon and shipping them to Egypt and
other parts of Mesopotamia for use in ship building beginning around 3200 BCE. In
return, the Phoenicians traded for gold, copper, and turquoise from the Nile Valley
and Sinai. Phoenician ceramic pieces have found in Egyptian tombs dating back to
2999 BCE, and in 1954 the barge found in Cheops tomb at Giza was made of
Lebanese cedar, with the faint scent of the cedar still in the grain at its time of
discovery.
Through antiquity other civilizations were obviously more powerful and majestic
than the small little known Lebanese town of Byblos, as a small slumbering town on
the coast of the Mediterranean, it can remember when those great cities of the past
blazed forth to dominate, each as time passed in the ancient world, only to decline
and be forgotten in most cased except as vague names and dates to generations of
school children.
And here sat Byblos, in direct competition with the cities of Jericho, Erbil 2 and
Damascus as the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city, who went on quietly
about its business in serving as the “middleman” in the vast Mediterranean trade.
So effective was it in its manner to retain goodwill, or at least its neutrality, of the
powers of the “moment” in their wars, that it not only survived repeated invasions
and subsequent destructions, but rose again and again to prosper.
In its ultimate impact of world history, it has outshone its more celebrated
competitors, for besides its export of valuable timber, wheat, oil, wine and the glass
of Phoenician, all transported by their pine and cedar ships, the Phoenician
merchant-captains of Byblos carried to the length and breadth of the Mediterranean
(and beyond) an infinitely more precious cargo – the alphabet, timeframe
established somewhere around 2000 BCE.
In their immediate need of tracking the transactions of the day, many adopted
the Phoenicians invention of record keeping, such as the Greeks, Latin’s, Arab’s,
2
Ancient city in Iraq – now Arbil
and even the users of Sanskrit (Indian sub-continent) changed, this making the
accumulation and transmission of ideas and information more cohesive and
understood – you know, the stuff that which civilizations lay their foundations3.
The Greeks, who purchased Egyptian “papyrus – made from the plant Cyperus
papyrus” from the merchants in Byblos, immortalized the city’s name by attaching
the name biblion to the paper-like product they imported – and as history records in
time (early Christian era) the name came to be reserved for the Christian book – the
Bible.
Somewhat worth mentioning is the attempt by an Israeli historian (Benjamin
Sass) and his “failed” thrust at trying to prove that this claim to the invention of the
alphabet was a bit off-track, whereas the Israelite peoples played an effective role
in its development. It must be noted that through recent times that many Israeli
historians (if not most) always try to “scoff” at the histories of the nations that were
the neighbors of the Hebrews. I have read the stories of the Old Testament, and
found through research that most were “plagiarized” and “adapted” from the
legends of the ancient neighbors [for instance “Sargon of Akkad4” and the story of
“Moses”] – incidentally legends dated centuries earlier than the history of the
Jewish nation. Some relate that this is done to validate their history and the Torah,
simply because they are “God’s people”. In my simple opinion they are extremely
insecure with their rightful place in antiquity.
Back to Byblos: Unfortunately, papyrus is not fitted for survival in the climate of
Phoenicia, as it was in the hot dry climate of Egypt, consequently the nation most
responsible for the spread of the world’s twin blessings of “papyrus” and
“alphabetic writing”, is itself little represented by any historical records, and today
much of its past has been pieced together by other nations and their historical
accounts.
Because of its location, tucked snuggly behind the easily defensive able coastal
mountains (Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges) and easy access to the sea, Byblos
was “partially” protected from the power struggles of the interior – although this
3
Ahirom* (also spelled Ahiram), King of Byblos is known for his famous sarcophagus that represents a tangible evidence for the
most important contribution of the Phoenicians to human culture and knowledge. That is the invention of the modern alphabet
made up of 22 (30) characters. It is what we continue to use till this present day. This historic truth is affirmed by the sarcophagus
of Ahirom, as an addition to the most important philosophical writings of the Greeks.
4
According to a folktale, Sargon was a self-made man of humble origins; a gardener, having found him as a baby floating
in a basket on the river, brought him up in his own calling. His father is unknown; his own name during his childhood is
also unknown; his mother is said to have been a priestess in a town on the middle Euphrates. Rising, therefore, without
the help of influential relations, he attained the post of cupbearer to the ruler of the city of Kish, in the north of the ancient
land of Sumer.
assisted them in their survival in the end it forced them to look to the sea for its
living.
Evidence found in Byblos shows that it was once inhabited by a race of people
known as “Neolithic” some 7,000 years ago and the village that consisted of houses
with beaten-earth walls and burnished clay floors covered some 8-acres (3.23
hectares). Physically they were a lot like us today, but on the average were only
about 5 feet in height – these people ruled the Mediterranean seaboard from about
6000 to 4000 BCE.
Early Bronze Age man, with tools of metal (for war and agriculture) overcame
and surpassed the New Stone Age man with his primitive flint axes and sickles. He
also introduced the pointed-bottomed “amphorae” (jars kept upright in sand or
earth, in which to store wine or olive oil.)
It was in this period, before 3000 BCE5, that Byblos established its first sea-borne
trade with Egypt, soon to become Byblos’ best source of raw materials, its principal
market, its colonizer and overlord, and finally its weak and despised enemy when
the power of the pharaohs had withered. The economies of Egypt and Phoenicia
were in many ways complementary --- whereas Egypt lacked wood for its ships and
roofing, grapes for its wine, olive oil, and resins for its practice of “mummification”,
all of which Phoenicia had in abundance. Byblos, in return and its sister city-states
of Sidon, Tyre and Aradus6, received papyrus, grain and gold from Egypt.
As time went on the Phoenician city-states became as England was to become
centuries later, the ancient world master merchants, capitalizing on their mastery of
the sea, controlling the trade and the economics of that trade, in sense becoming
like the railroad barons would become in the United States. As for the Phoenicians,
they were the 1st people to demonstrate the craft of “mercantilism” as an effective
tool of advancement and its inner workings.
The people of Byblos (as any other center of trade or commerce) in time became
as mixed as its trade, and as their prosperity increased it attracted (and all along
the coastal region of Lebanon) people from Arabia, Amorites (1900-1600 BCE),
Hittites (1430–1180 BCE)7, Hurrians (2400 BCE), Mitannians (1550 BCE or earlier-?),
5
Did the Phoenicia’s construct Stonehenge-? Around 2500 BCE?? Who else had the technology to move giant stones, the National
Geographic present, “in some case, 3600 year old (oral tradition), the stones of Stonehenge were, after all, brought from a far place in the
west by seemingly magical means? Other artifacts have been found dating to around 4000 BCE
6
A Phoenician city on the island now called Ruad, eighty miles north of Sidon. It is the Arvad of Ezek. xxvii. 8, 11, the Armad of Tiglath-
Pileser III., and is also mentioned on the Egyptian monuments.
7
During this time-period Rib-Hadda (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rib-Hadda) of Byblos, wrote over 58 letters continuously pleads for
Egyptian military help to Akhenaten Amenhotep IV
Hyksos (before 2000 BCE to 1250 BCE), Egyptians, Aramaeans (1115-1077 BCE),
Assyrians (2000 -612 BCE), Persians (844 BCE – 1914 CE) --- and in later ages, the
Greeks under Alexander (336-323 BCE), Romans under the Caesars (64 BCE – 640 CE),
Muslim Arabs (640 CE – today), European Crusaders (1080-1300 CE), the English and
the French (Lebanon’s official independence Nov 22nd, 1943 CE, with League of
Nations mandate, recognized by the French in January 1st, 1944 – the last
Frenchmen left in 1946).
Some came as peaceful traders, others as arrogant conquers, still others as
refugees from political persecution, and yet they came. Byblos welcomed those
who came in peace, disagreed, but patiently outlasted those who came with the
bloodthirsty sword, and in doing so made an “art” out of their patience and
diplomacy and in the end became a city (that in most cases) survived them all,
friend and foe. Keep in mind first and foremost the people from Byblos were
merchants and in this they did not neglect the art of purchasing cheap and selling
high, and even in times of war the enemy was often their best customer – after the
dust settled their commerce continued.
Through ancient finds at Byblos one thing emerges and that is their remarkable
story of their rise to dominance of the sea after their independence from Egypt in
1200 BCE – at their peak they had launched what was to become known as one of
the most advanced and aggressive campaigns of trade and colonization in the
ancient world.
Their sphere of commerce mimics the mythical Atlanean Empire, with colonies
and trading posts in the Black Sea, through the Mediterranean to the west coast of
Africa (where it is recorded that they had established over three-hundred [300]
locations), and of Spain, and to Ireland and England, from the Baltic to the Persian
Gulf – they in a sense touched every point where civilization in later ages made its
appearance. Consider, when Columbus sailed to discover the “new world”, he
sailed from a port8 established by the Phoenicians – the Phoenicians are truly the 1st
explorers of the oceans of the world.
Ship wrecks found in recent history has shown that their art of shipbuilding was
superior to other ships of that period – their rise from meager fisherman to the
merchants of ancient fleets that transported opulent cargos of gold, jewels and the
royal-purple cloth is the stuff that legends are made from --. There ships were
8
Palos de la Frontera
constructed so as to withstand long sea voyages, able to withstand anything the
terrors of the deep could throw at them, consider the shipwreck found on the Byblos
– Cyprus – Greek trade route, the Uluburun, its construction was laboriously and
painstakingly assembled to such a detail, that even today such work would be
costly to duplicate.
It showed how each piece of wood (in the hull) were created with a row of
“pockets” along the edge, on the piece of wood next (beside) it, a similar row of
pockets were carved, with each pocket mating with the opposite corresponding
space, “tail and dove”. When the pockets were correctly aligned, a wooden peg
secured the two pockets – this assembling ended up looking like a row of wooden
teeth. Then the 2nd board was placed alongside the finished board, with all of its
pockets fitting perfectly onto the teeth of the other --- finally a round hole was
drilled through each pocket and once again a wooden peg placed in this hole. When
the all the pegs were in place, the two boards could not be separated by any
amount of force either by a wave or the shifting of the enclosed cargo – this process
was followed in every board of the hull – not only beautiful craftsmanship, the hull
was incredibly strong and flexible, all this commonly referred to as “locked mortise
and tenon joints”, an innovation of the Phoenicians dating to the 15th century BCE.
Nor where they small ships, their fighting galleys were crewed (oars) by over
100 men, and these were small compared to their merchant vessels. One text
found in Ugarit showed that they shipped at one time over 400 tons of barley on
one big ship – this is dated around 1200 BCE.

The Phoenician and the sea:

Expert seamen and navigators, the Phoenicians circumnavigated the continent
of Africa some 2000 years before the Portuguese (Vasco de Gama). It is noted by
the Greek historian, “Herodotus” that in 600 BCE the Egyptian Pharaoh “Necho II –
26th Dynasty” paid the Phoenicians to build a fleet of vessels and sail “from” the
Red Sea and to return through the “Pillars of Hercules”, circumnavigating Africa.
According to the account of “Herodotus”, after two full years the fleet eventually
rounded the Pillars of Hercules and returned to Egypt during the 3rd year of the
voyage --- he finished his account by writing, “the Phoenicians made a statement,
which I myself do not believe (though other’s may if they wish) to the effect that
they sailed ‘west’ around the southern end of Africa, and they had the sun on their
right.”
The reader will understand, with their present knowledge of geography, that this
statement is 100% - the sun would be on their right being below the equator.
Without his account, there is little or “no” evidence this voyage took place,
however, most of his story appears to at least be “plausible”, and it should also be
noted that this voyage took place in a timeframe not to distant from Herodotus’
writing of the document --- where his histories were written in and around 440 BCE,
while Necho II came to the Egyptian throne in 610 BCE.
The story is also consistent with the foreign policy of Necho II, who constantly
sought improving access to sea routes to increase the economic value of Egypt. He
is credited with the construction (or restoration, some records indicate the
Phoenicians were instrumental in this project) of a canal some 85 kilometers (59
miles) long and wide enough for sea going ships, a canal that connected the Nile
Valley with the Red Sea – this canal in later years would be come an internationally
famous trade route – the Suez Canal.
It is without pause that the Phoenicians in their square-rigged ships made the
Mediterranean their “private lake”, eventually sailing beyond the Pillars of Hercules
(Straits of Gibraltar) and forever changing the history of ocean exploration. As the
superb merchants of antiquity they were in constant search for new goods to trade
and new customer with whom to do business.
Example: From the British Isles they obtained lead and tin, bartering salt and
pottery with the “Cornish” miners in return, the tin was then used in Phoenician
factories for making weapons, which they traded to Egypt and the other tribes of
Asia for still other commodities. Their most precious local product was the purple
dye they obtained during the tedious processing of the tiny shellfish, Murex
Trunculus9, a dye so rare that to be “born to the purple”, was synonymous with
royal rank. Of equal importance (to this dye) is the Greeks establish for this color
the word, “phoenix”, a translation that would later lead to the name, Phoenicia.
Their sea routes, being vital to their survival, were protected with supreme rules
to their seamen – the captains having standing orders to elude any ship that
followed them, and if they could not shake their pursuit to run his vessel upon a
reef, destroying his own command and to those that were following close behind. In
9
60,000 murex were needed to produce one pound of dye
doing so, and he survived, he was secure in the knowledge that the state would pay
for the ship as well as its cargo --- after all it has been seen that the ruling elders of
the city-state were in themselves the appointed successful merchants and their
captains?
When even the most heroic efforts failed to maintain the Phoenicia monopoly
over the Mediterranean trade, they took the logical step in guaranteeing both ends
of their trade routes by the establishment of stations or ports abroad. As people of
a small, non-military nation, intent on trade rather than “conquest”, they were
welcomed as immigrants almost everywhere. On finding an unpopulated or
underdeveloped secure port, they established full-scale colonies, constructed their
trading posts and threw open the doors for business.
Beginning close to home they soon founded cities on the island of Cyprus (90
miles away), then continued in ever widening circles until they had established
bases in Rhodes, Crete, Malta, Sardinia, Sicily, and finally on the mainland of North
Africa, Spain, British Isles and even Brazil. There has been found evidence, some
substantiated and some not, that they explored parts of the America’s and even as
distant as New Zealand, which if you really put your mind to it --- they had already
sailed beyond the sight of land many times, why not? It is maintained by some
researchers that their connection to the central and western region of the
Mediterranean did not occur until after 1000 BCE.
Two ports they founded became master points for their trade, Cadiz in Spain and
the present day “Utica” or “Carthage” in Tunisia, both established during the 800
BCE timeframe – Carthage grew to such a size it eventually overshadowed its
mother port (Tyre), and aroused the hatred of Rome by its commercial prowess ----
in itself it presents a powerful history. Included with these two prominent ports are
two other great cities and prosperous Phoenician settlements, Palermo in Sicily and
Cordoba in Spain, and so it went. As one historian said, “The Phoenicians were,
relative to their age, the greatest traders and mariners of all time.” It is noted by
some that Carthage increased in size and prosperity due to their mining of silver in
southwestern Spain (750-550 BCE) which is noted as the “El Dorado of Antiquity”, a
fact that could have been instrumental in the Phoenicians (being the traders they
were) going beyond the Pillars of Hercules. Another fact supporting this claim is the
subsequent use of silver as a monetary base increased after 1200 BCE, becoming
the standard of monetary exchange during the 500-400 BCE timeframe. It is also
noted in various text that silver was not only mined in abundance in Spain, as there
were large deposits in Greece, the Taurus Mountains of Turkey and the Pontic.
Through all of this the city-states In Lebanon, like Byblos tried to keep the
invaders of destruction at bay, where it has been found that they added to the city’s
walls seven times, finding in some places that they are over 130 feet (40 meters)
thick. To no avail they were invaded from time to time, but they managed to
survive these incursions with their commercial enterprise preserved. Obviously it
had proved, time and time again, that its survival was essential and that although
its ascendancy was marred by various setbacks it has managed to maintain its
existence through history – and it demonstrated that even to the conquering hordes
it provided an outlet for their plunder to the known world. Similar to the city of
Hong Kong and its middle ground as a “free port” between different cultures as it
was positioned between the East and the West.
To reach this prominence in
the trading world, and realizing
the value of effective
communications and
understanding between traders,
they took the old accounting
methods used by the Egyptians,
the most sophisticated
“cumbersome” writing system available (hieratic) and improved the slow process to
benefit their needs. History would demonstrate that this improvement would in
future generations (unsuspecting by the Phoenicians) prove to be more valuable
than their priceless “Tyrian” purple.
The labor-intensive pictures the priestly class Egyptian’s used for writing was far
too slow for their fast-paced world of trade, they took the 40-odd characters and
reduced them to 22 consonantal sound patterned after the language spoken in
Phoenicia, this alphabet was later improved by its traders and became known as the
“Ugaritic alphabet”. The Greeks, ever ready to “borrow” a good thing (including
other civilizations mythologies), employed this system of writing, and slapped a
handle on it based on the first two letter – alpha-beta…it was the Greeks who
eventually employed the practice of writing “left” –to- “right”. Despite the
clumsiness of the system, it became the vehicle by which the Greeks recorded their
(and others) masterpieces of science and literature, and created the cracks in the
window to man’s understanding of himself.