1. PHOENICIAN CIVILIZATION
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3. Phoenicia 1200 BC–539 BC
Facts About Phoenicia- Phoenicia was on the western part of the Fertile Crescent and was on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of Phoenicia was Byblos from 1200 B.C –1000 B.C and then Tyre from 1000 B.C-539 B.C. Today Phoenicia was where modern day Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel and Syria are located.
Geography-
Map of Phoenicia
(Purple Area)

4. Phoenician Religion
The religion the Phoenicians believed in was Canaanite religion. Canaanite religion was polytheistic meaning they worshiped more than one god. They believed in the after life. Canaanite religion was practiced from the early Bronze Age to the first centuries of the Common Era.
Chief god of Carthage
Storm god

5. Phoenician Government
Phoenicians had their civilization divided into city/states. Independent governments ran each city/state. Some times city/states worked together some times they did not. A king ran each city/state.

6. Phoenician Military
The Phoenicians were generally a very peaceful civilization. The first Phoenician military was created in 550 B.C because the Greeks were pushing the Phoenicians back to the western part of Sicily. 70 years of battles followed. Then Phoenicia returned to its peaceful life style.
Phoenician Soldier

7. Phoenician Culture
The Phoenicians invented a version of a phonetic alphabet. The oldest find with the Phoenician alphabet on it dated back to the 11th century B.C at the latest time. The Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet in to their society. They changed some of the letters in to vowels.

8. Phoenician Achievement
The Phoenicians invented a version of the alphabet with no vowels. Then, Greeks added the vowels later. The Phoenicians traded many things such as gold, silver, tin, wood, glass, slaves, purple dye, wine and hunting dogs. They were very good sailors, making it easy for them to trade because they could cross the Mediterranean Sea.

9. Phoenician Legacy
The Phoenicians invented the ancestor to the modern day alphabet. The Phoenicians were also some of their time’s greatest traders. The Phoenicians traded a lot of purple dye from the shell of the murex sea snail to the Greeks to dye their clothing purple.

10. Phoenician Quiz
1. The purple dye the Phoenicians traded came from what kind of snail?
2. What year was the Phoenician military created?
3. What was the Phoenician’s religion?
4. Name three things the Phoenicians traded?
5. What body of water was Phoenicia located near?
6. What were the first and second capitals of Phoenicia?