Phoenicia in Fausset's Bible Dictionary

The Greek name, "the land of the palm." Kenrick supposes the term to express the sunburnt color of the people. The native name was Canaan, "lowland," in contrast to Aram "the highland," Syria. The woman in Matthew 15:22 said to be "of Canaan" in Mark 7:26 is called "Syrophoenician." Phoenice proper was the narrow plain stretching from six miles S. of Tyre to two miles N. of Sidon, 28 miles in all, and from one to two miles broad, a small land to have wielded so mighty an influence. Sidon in the N. is 20 miles from Tyre in the S.; Zarephath lay between. Phoenice in the larger sense extended from the same southern boundary 120 miles northward to Antaradus and the island Aradus, 20 miles broad. Berytus, now Beirut (Ezekiel 47:16; 2 Samuel 8:8 BEROTHAH, Berothai), was 15 geographical miles N. of Sidon. (See ARVAD.) Farther north was Byblus (GEBAL, Ezekiel 27:9). Next is Tripolis. Next Arad or Arvad (Genesis 10:18; Ezekiel 27:8). The soil is fertile except between the river Bostremus and Beirut. Tyre and Sidon were havens sufficient in water depth for the requirements of ancient ships; and Lebanon adjoining supplied timber abundant for shipbuilding. The Phoenicians were the great merchants, sailors, and colonists of the ancient world. The language is Semitic (from Shem), and was acquired by the Hamitic settlers in Canaan from the original Semitic occupants; it probably has a Hamitic element too (these Semitics were related by common Noachic descent to the Hamites, hence the languages too are related). Carthage was a Phoenician colony; Plautus in the Poenulus (5:1) preserves a Carthaginian passage; Phoenician is close related to Hebrew which Abram found spoken in Canaan already (compare Abimelech "father of a king," Melchizedek "king of righteousness." Kirjath Sapher "city of the book"). Thus Tyre is Hebrew tsor, "rock"; Sidon tsidon, "fishing"; Carthage karthada, "new town"; Byrsa botsrah, "citadel," Bozrah Isaiah 63:1. Dido, as David, "beloved"; Hasdrubal "his help is Baal"; Hannibal "grace of Baal "; Hamilcar the god "Milcar's gift." The oldest Phoenician inscribed coins are from Tarsus. Abram originally spoke the language of Ur of the Chaldees, Aramaic, as did Laban (Genesis 11:31; Genesis 31:47); but soon his descendants, as Jacob, spoke the Canaanite or Phoenician Hebrew as their own tongue, compare Deuteronomy 26:5. Accho (Acre), a capital harbor, assigned to Asher, was not occupied by that tribe (Judges 1:31); but remained in the Canaanites' possession. So Israel depended on Phoenice for any small commerce the former had with the W. Under Solomon Phoenice is noted for nautical skill, extensive commerce, mechanical and ornamental art (1 Kings 5:6): "none can skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians"; "cunning to work in gold, silver, brass, iron, purple, blue, and crimson," and "grave grayings" (2 Chronicles 2:7). Hiram cast all the temple vessels and the two pillars Boaz and Jachin for Solomon, and the laver or molten sea (1 Kings 7:21-23). Homer (Iliad 6:289, 23:743; Od. 4:614, 15:417) and Herodotus (1:1, 4:148) confirm Scripture as to their nautical skill, embroidered robes, and silver bowls. Dins (in Josephus, Apion 1:17-18) and Menander (Josephus, Apion 1:18), their own historians, attest their skill in hawing wood and making metal pillars. No artistic excellence, but mechanical processes of art and ornamentation, appear in their extant gems, cylinders, metal bowls plain and embossed...