1. The Phoenicians and the Hebrews
Chapter 6
The Phoenicians and the Hebrews

2. When and Where?
1200 B.C. – 510 B.C.
Present day Lebanon and Israel

3. Ancient days: was a bridge between Egypt and Mesopotamia

6. Section 1
The Phoenicians

7. The Phoenicians Lived in northern Canaan (Cannanites)
We learned about them from Bible, other ancient peoples, and ruins of cities and ships

9. The Phoenicians
Semitic-speaking people (Semitic – languages of Southwest Asia and North Africa)
Settled in small city-states in present day Lebanon (Northern Canaan)
Canaanites: herders to traders
Why?

10. Growth of Trade Could not grow enough food to feed their people
Few natural resources so they turned to the sea
One resource was abundant…

11. Trade Mountains produced cedar forests Built ships of cedar
Began coastal trading
By 900 B.C. they dominated Mediterranean sea trade
Some sailors were artisans who carried work with them on ships

14. Sailors
Sailors and explorers plotted course using sun and stars – no maps or modern technology
Sailed beyond Gibraltar
Some believe they sailed around west coast of Africa
Some believe they sailed across Atlantic

17. Phoenician City-States
Independent city-states
Never united
Why?

18. Mountains separated them!

19. Zahle

20. Jounieh

21. Major City-States
Tyre
Byblos
Beirut
Sidon

22. Byblos

23. Byblos

24. Byblos

25. Byblos

26. Byblos

28. Beirut

29. Beirut

30. Beirut

31. Beirut

32. Beirut

33. Sidon

34. Sidon

35. Sidon

36. Tyre

37. Tyre

38. Tyre

39. Tyre

40. City-States
Shared common language and religion but quarreled (trade profit)
Ruled by king who was also priest
Rich merchants forced kings to share power with councils of merchants
Councils soon told kings what to do

41. City-States Surrounded by walls Crowded
Buildings close together; made of stone or brick (roof gardens)
Port – outside walls; center of activity

42. Phoenicians became… Carpenters and cabinet makers (wood)
Metal workers (learned from Egypt & Mesopotamia)

43. Cities became… Cloth dying centers
Soon gained a monopoly on purple dye and cloth
Purple dye
”Phoenician” = “of purple merchants”

44. Legend God named Melqart was walking
along seashore with Tyrus and a dog
dog picked up shellfish called Murex
dog’s mouth turned purple
Tyrus refused marriage unless
Melqart gave her a gown of purple

46. Gods and Goddesses Polytheistic
Nature: worshipped on hills and under trees at first
Later built temples

47. Temples
Entrance hall
Main hall
Holy of holies (most sacred chamber)

49. Afterlife Believed in afterlife
At first – buried in urn (ornamental vases)
Later – embalmed (influenced by Egyptians)

50. Phoenicians learned to make agreements (business):
Treaties: agreements between states or countries
Made treaties agreeing to ship others’ goods in exchange for guaranteed Phoenician independence

51. Phoenician Colonies
With new wealth (from trade) they began to build permanent settlements
Est. trading colonies throughout the Med.
Colony – region controlled by a distant country
Carthage – famous Pho. Colony in North Africa

52. Carthage
Phoenician sailors and traders built post and colonies (permanent settlements) along northern Africa
Carthage – founded in 814; present day Tunisia

53. Legend of Carthage City was found by Phoenician princess (Dido)
Dido ruled Tyre
Her brother killed her husband
She fled to North Africa and built Carthage

54. Contributions

55. Phoenician coins were minted by individual city states
Tyre

56. The Alphabet Ideas spread through trade
Most important gift – idea of alphabet
Did not invent alphabet but passed on to Mediterranean areas
Each of the 22 Phoeniciacn alphabet symbols represented a different sound
The Greeks eventually adopted this alphabet
Page 105 in textbook shows alphabet

58. Travel and trade encouraged cultural diffusion