Biblical Nations - Phoenicians

Phoenicians

Key Scripture: Ezekiel 27

Figures: Hiram, Jezebel

Throughout their history the descendants of Israel have been a unique society.  They have managed to maintain their special identity in spite of numerous periods of persecution and other challenges, and their insistence upon being different than those around them has regularly set them at odds with other cultures.  One people group that was recorded to have a consistently positive alliance with the Hebrews, however, were the Phoenicians.  Similar to the Philistines, it is possible that they were never a cohesive nation with centralized ruler, but instead spread a vast web of influence throughout the known world from a few cities they controlled along Israel's northern border, such as Tyre and Sidon.  Although we see evidences of their civilization every day in the letters of our alphabet, is there more we can learn about this notable people group?

Who were the Phoenicians?  Although they are referenced in historical sources from locations throughout the Mediterranean world, surprisingly little is known about their civilization beyond what we find in the Old Testament.  The name we know them by comes from a Greek word that designated a purplish red, which could have been a reference to their perceived skin tone but likely had more to do with the vibrant dye that they marketed.  In fact, the highly-prized color was affordable only for the very wealthy and is a primary reason that purple is associated with royalty even to modern times.  In the absence of significant agriculture, the Phoenician people instead focused their efforts on being some of the great seafaring merchants of ancient times.  The Table of Nations mentions that the oldest son of Canaan was Sidon, which indicates that the inhabitants of the city bearing his name were close relatives to the other Canaanite inhabitants of the Promised Land.  But they were never conquered by the 12 tribes, and the nations never even seen to have gone to war during their long history as neighbors.

Tyre and Sidon are frequently referenced in Scripture, as both are among the oldest inhabited cities in the world, and both are mentioned in Joshua as boundary markers for the allotment given to the tribe of Asher.  But it isn't until the kingdom of Israel is successfully established under David's rule that readers are introduced to the first important figure from that region, and that is Tyre's King Hiram.  After David conquered the Jebusites who held the fortress at Jerusalem, Hiram befriended the new king and provided both trees and woodworkers to build him a house in his new capital city.  King Solomon continued the alliance with Hiram, purchasing massive quantities of wood and labor from Hiram to build the Temple and palace complex in exchange for food and provisions.  The narrow strip of land comprising Phoenicia between the Mediterranean and the Lebanon Mountains was largely covered in forests, mostly evergreen trees, but was not suitable for large-scale agriculture - hence the need for the sort of mutually-beneficial trade.  Solomon attempted to reward Tyre's generosity with several northern cities in the region of Galilee but they were not deemed valuable to Hiram and he seemingly rejected the gift.  Despite that, however, the historian Josephus suggests that it was Hiram that caused Tyre to surpass Sidon as the principle city of the Phoenicians and that he expanded the port by connecting the two islands that made up the offshore portion of the city.  Solomon continued doing business with Tyre, utilizing not only their experienced mariners but also their extensive trade network that grew to include established port cities in Cyprus, Crete, Carthage, Sardinia, and Spain.  Phoenician trade ultimately reached as far as India, the British Isles, and likely all the way around Africa.

The Sidonians played an important role several decades later during the reign of Ahab, first because the king of Israel married the daughter of Sidon's King Ethbaal.  Jezebel was noted for being especially evil in the history of the Hebrew people, sponsoring the worship of Baal and Asherah as well as prompting her husband to commit acts that infuriated God.  It was at this time that He sent the prophet Elijah who rebuked the royal couple before fleeing to live with a widow in Zarephath, a Phoenician city halfway between Tyre and Sidon.  The famous showdown between the lone prophet of God against 850 false prophets took place on Mount Carmel, located just south of Phoenicia near the Mediterranean coast.  Over time, the Phoenicians suffered at the hands of many of the same empires that oppressed both of the Hebrew kingdoms.  The Assyrian kings who attacked Samaria in the final years of the northern kingdom of Israel, such as Tiglath-pileser III and Shalmaneser V, subjugated the Phoenician cities and imposed tribute on them.  Later, the Babylonians were able to conquer the Assyrians but had to fight with Egypt for control of the coastal region.  After defeating Jerusalem and leading the southern kingdom of Judah into captivity, Nebuchadnezzar began a siege of Tyre that last a grueling 13 years before it finally surrendered.  Phoenicia passed to Persian control, as did most of the surrounding areas, upon their victory over Babylon.  

It was Cyrus the Great that established the districts of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos (Gebal), and Arwad in the sixth century BC, but it is likely that most of the ethnic Phoenicians had already begun to depart for other locations, such as Carthage along Africa's northern coast.  Eventually Alexander the Great defeated Tyre by establishing a naval blockade, building a causeway connecting the island fortress to the mainland, and bringing siege towers and catapults within range of the city's walls.  Although he let the king live, Alexander was enraged at the city's prolonged defense and either killed or enslaved most of the population.  This fate was foretold by numerous Biblical prophets who condemned Tyre and Sidon for their greedy luxury, their arrogance, and their approval of the destruction of the two Jewish kingdoms.  Years later, however, Jesus himself would travel to the region and claimed that if Tyre and Sidon had seen his teaching and miracles they would have turned from their wickedness more readily than God's chosen people had.  Although the area is now part of modern Lebanon and the major cities remain inhabited, the Phoenician culture has effectively melted into those of the surrounding areas and their people are no longer uniquely identifiable.