PHOENICIA 



Kill 



PHOENICIA 



The supposed 

 tomb of Hiram 



The ruins or 

 Tyre, from the mainland 



The Phoenicians had practically no natural 

 advantages. Their country was merely a nar- 

 row strip hemmed in by mountain, desert and 

 sea. surrounded on the landward side by war- 

 like and hostile tribes; this probably accounts 

 for their selection of the sea for their path to 

 greatm-s. They were not a warlike race, but 

 they created a great naval power to protect 

 their commerce. Their vessels carried tin from 

 Kngland; gold, pearls and frankincense from 

 Arabia; silver from Spain; slaves, ivory and 

 skins from Africa: linen from Kgypt ; copper 

 from Cyprus; purple dye from the celebrated 

 purple fish, from Tyre, and ingeniously wrought 

 silver and bra/en vessels from Sidon. They 

 were noted for their improved alphabet, their 

 >k\\\ in building and in the casting of metal.- 

 and in minin,:, and for their methods of dyeiim 

 cloth and i:la><. 



The Phoenicians colonized Cyprus, the south- 

 ern coast of Asia Minor, Southern Spain, Sicily, 

 Sardinia and the northern coast of Africa. 

 With these colonies they traded, and estab- 

 lished themselves the carriers of merchandise 

 to and from all parts of the known world. Con- 

 fining themselves to commerce, the Phoenicians 

 flourished. Commercial riches, however, created 

 the desire for luxuries; luxuries created idle- 

 ness, and the power of Phoenicia waned. 



Their Religion. Like the Assyrians, the 

 Phoenicians adhered to a religion which was 

 cruel and debasing. Their gods were formerly 

 merely earthly people who were gradually given 

 heavenly attributes. Astarte. the moon goddess, 

 was also the goddess of love. Baal, the sun god. 

 was supposed to delight in human offerings, and 

 to him in times of national calamity it was cus- 

 i omary to sacrifice every first-born child. There 

 was, however, no one particular Baal, each city 

 having its chief deity called by the name Baal, 

 who was responsible for the fertility of the soil 

 and for the general prosperity of the city. 

 Astarte is the Phoenician form of Aphrodite 

 and Venus, with whom she was identical. The 

 worship of Astarte was conducted with revolt- 

 ing rites of debauchery. The Moloch of the 

 ( )ld Te-tament was, in Phoenicia, the god Milk. 

 who took particular pleasure in the sacrifice of 

 infant.- by burning. Of their mighty temples, 

 built, with years of sacrificing labor, few traces 

 remain. Of the great sanctuary of the Baal of 

 Tyre, not a sign can be discovered. 



Principal Cities. Tyre and Sidon, each a mag- 

 nificent city with fine harbors, formed the cen- 

 ters of Phoenician commerce, manufacture and 

 art. while on the other *idc of the Mediter- 



