Chapter 6The Phoenicians and the Hebrews
When and Where?
• 1200 B.C. – 510 B.C.• Present day Lebanon and Israel
Ancient days: was a
bridge between
Egypt and Mesopotam
ia
Section 1
The Phoenicians
The Phoenicians•Lived in northern Canaan (Cannanites)•We learned about them from Bible, other ancient peoples, and ruins of cities and ships
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?
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…
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
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
Phoenician City-States
• Independent city-states•Never united•Why?
Mountains
separated
them!
Zahle
Jounieh
Major City-States•Tyre•Byblos•Beirut•Sidon
Byblos
Byblos
Byblos
Byblos
Byblos
Beirut
Beirut
Beirut
Beirut
Beirut
Sidon
Sidon
Sidon
Tyre
Tyre
Tyre
Tyre
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
City-States• Surrounded by walls• Crowded• Buildings close together; made of stone or brick (roof gardens)• Port – outside walls; center of activity
Phoenicians became…
•Carpenters and cabinet makers (wood)•Metal workers (learned from Egypt & Mesopotamia)
Cities became…•Cloth dying centers• Soon gained a monopoly on purple dye and cloth• Purple dye• ”Phoenician” = “of purple merchants”
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
Gods and Goddesses
•Polytheistic•Nature: worshipped on hills and under trees at first•Later built temples
Temples•Entrance hall•Main hall•Holy of holies (most sacred chamber)
Afterlife•Believed in afterlife•At first – buried in urn (ornamental vases)•Later – embalmed (influenced by Egyptians)
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
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
Carthage• Phoenician sailors and traders built post and colonies (permanent settlements) along northern Africa• Carthage – founded in 814; present day Tunisia
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
Contributions
Phoenician coins were minted by individual city states
Tyre
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
Travel and trade encouraged
cultural diffusion