Phenicia
Summary
Phenicia (Phoenicia) was the narrow coastal region north of Palestine, famous for its seafaring merchants and the cities of Tyre and Sidon.
☩Geography and People
Phoenicia occupied the narrow coastal strip between the Lebanon mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. Its major cities included Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos. The Phoenicians were renowned seafarers and merchants who established trading colonies throughout the Mediterranean, including Carthage. They are credited with developing the alphabet that became the basis for Greek and subsequent Western scripts.
☩Biblical Connections
Solomon received cedar from Lebanon through Phoenician traders and employed Phoenician craftsmen for the temple. Jezebel, daughter of the Sidonian king, introduced Baal worship to Israel. Jesus visited the region of Tyre and Sidon. Early Christians scattered by persecution traveled through Phoenicia, and Paul passed through on his journey to Jerusalem.